Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Other data on Dayton, race and schools
The first question that arises from my story today is why white kids in Dayton graduate far less often than black kids, a reverse of the national and state trend?
Here are some other questions raised by the data:
—Stivers School for the Arts, once again, is at the center of the delicate question of race. And the question is this: Why does a district that has a high school enrollment that is 80 percent black, and has a top rated high school, only send 11 percent of its black high school students to that school?
—In a related question, while overall the district’s enrollment is 70 percent black, why is high school enrollment is nearly 80 percent black?
—Why do 80 percent of white high school students attend just two schools — Stivers and Belmont? The percentages of white students are amazingly small at the other schools — Dunbar (2.3), Colonel White (4.4), Meadowdale (8.5) and Patterson (8.8).
—My stories talk about several high school improvements the board has made or has planned at Colonel White and Patterson, plus new programs like DECA and the alternative technology high school. But what should the board do to address consistently low performance at Meadowdale, Dunbar and Belmont? Dunbar and Belmont, in particular, have been rated in “academic emergency” by the state for three consecutive years for low test performance.
I welcome you thoughts on why these conditions exist and what the school board can or should do about them.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By Rick
June 30, 2006 5:35 PM | Link to this
Scott, to answer another question of yours: Why do 80% of white students attend two high schools? Perhaps it is believed they are not as hostile as the others.By T.J.
June 30, 2006 10:14 AM | Link to this
The current law on who is eligible for school vouchers is another example of reverse discrimination in Dayton, Ohio.By Rick
June 28, 2006 5:49 PM | Link to this
Scott, I commend you for this article. You could do a whole series on discrimination and hostility towards white students. (Of course I realize your editors would not allow that.) Look at none yabiz and Kathy’s posts. They reveal a deep seated hostility towards whites. When I used to attend the School Board meetings and other DPS functions on a regular basis I sensed that same hostility. None yabiz stated she was subjected to a large amount of discrimination that she was subjected to by both teachers and students. She cried alot over the way I was treated because she couldn’t understand so much hatred. She is now a CPA and has an MBA, yet she felt compelled to drop out of the DPS.By Kathy Busch
June 28, 2006 10:38 AM | Link to this
Whites lag in rate of graduation. surprise!! Try being a white kid in DPS!! Talk about reverse descrimination. If you are white you are the minority and teachers, principals etc. don’t care about your progress at all. I have a student at Stiver’s and it occurs every day. If a white student walks into class a minute late they are in trouble. If a black student comes in 15 minutes late with a bottle of pop and ear buds in, slouches down in a chair - nothing is even said. If a white students grades are dropping it is over looked. Teachers can’t or won’t control their classrooms-they have just given up. Fights,bullying and misbehavior are ignored. If a black student picks on a white student the black security people “don’t see it”. Yes, the white students are the minority and it is twice as hard to suceed. There, I have touched on a sore subject. I am just stating facts of life. Sugestion for future article: Security at School Security personel do not check band cases, lunch boxes or back packs. They only use a metal scanner on the actual student. What good is that?By wendy shepherd
June 28, 2006 7:53 AM | Link to this
i have a daughter who will be graduating belmont this year and another in 10th grade at stivers. the biggest problem i see with the dayton schools is that the problem appears to overwhelming and no one knows what to do so therefore no one does anything. the teachers have the mentality that they are just one person, what can i do. but we have to start somewhere. when i walk through the schools i am amazed at how you can just feel the i don’t care attitude from students and teachers. it is obvious that the staff for the most part do not enjoy their job and are just doing what they have to do to survive, so to speak.By Mary
June 28, 2006 5:17 AM | Link to this
From my whiny, nagging, distant perspective, the only thing I hear about Dunbar, Patterson and some of the others is their basketball teams, how they are doing, and how much money the state is pouring into Welcome Stadium for track and football. If that is the primary focus of the Dayton Daily News and the adults in the region, then we should not be surprised with poor academic results from the students at large. What about the vast majority of students not on basketball teams and who never play or run in Welcome Stadium? What about their perceptions of adult values regarding education? How are they going to afford college and get a real job? Who is encouraging them?