Minority students still face uneven opportunities in school, new federal data show. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:
It's socio-economics. Society needs to invest resources at a young age to counter the socio-economic disadvantages.
The problem is not only about racial "minority"! It is poverty. It encompasses whites, blacks, Hispanics — everyone!
There needs to be an increased focus on math, science and writing in grades K-12, as well as stricter punishments for truancy.
Having a stable, safe and clean place to call home is one initiative that can help.
Improve partnership between home and school! Parents need help managing school requirements, and teachers need creative ways to teach.
Do the opposite of what we've done for the last 50 years.
Poverty leads to disadvantage. It's an epidemic from the inner cities to the Appalachia.
Letter to the editor:
The article "Bleak picture for minority kids in public schools" shares new government data showing that minority kids still face unequal opportunity in schools. This fact comes as no surprise to those of us who work with these students, but the solution must come from outside the classroom as well as inside it.
Addressing academic inequity is essential, but it isn't enough to equal the playing field. While classroom learning is one key to success, learning how to build a network is also critical. Eighty percent of people get their jobs through people they know. This means that students from families without career-oriented contacts, and first-generation students whose families reside outside the United States, face enormous career barriers even when they get a top-flight education.
Alongside chemistry and calculus classes, we need to teach all students how to build the networks they will need for long-term success.
Jessica Pliska, executive director, The Opportunity Network Inc.; New York
Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:
The real issue is poverty. Many disadvantaged minority students come from communities of lower income, which can be havens of drugs, crime and violence. When children are raised in these conditions, their behavior reflects it.
— Hakim Nathaniel Crampton
And yet so many liberals fight school vouchers and school choice, forcing not only minority students but all students to be captive to where they live. If you are affluent, you can just opt to pay for a private education. I guess money or pressure from the teachers unions trumps the needs of the children.
— David Nelson
Parents need to teach their children how to act in school, more experienced teachers need to be hired, and more advanced courses need to be taught. Look at successful school districts to see how this is done. Use their model, fix your schools.
— Jack McKnight