>

It is a shitty ass subject so not surprised.
It took a while for people to demand action, as they were initially unaware that 23 is a larger number than zero. >

Yes, and is it zero each or in the aggregate among the 23, eh? >

Let's see what my calculator says: 0#23
Hmm... it says if I'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again. I think that means 5. >

Funny, my calculator doesn't have a hashtag button. >

So I guess Zoomers won’t use it. >

No, we’ll use the calculator when you let us use them >


Project Baltimore found three additional schools where zero students tested proficient in math, which we did not include in the list of 23. One of those schools is for incarcerated youth, and the other two are for students with disabilities. And it’s important to note, another 20 Baltimore City Schools had just one or two students test proficient in math.

So thats actually 26 with zero students, and 20 more with 1 or 2 able. 
That's roughly 30 students in 46 schools who can math all right >

You're hired to go teach math in Baltimore. >

Greeny is hereby pronounced Minister of Maryland Math so we shall call them MoMM >

I saw a lot of deficiencies last semester when I was observing a middle-school math class last year.  A lot of it was the after effects of COVID.  It was a 7th grade class, so the students had been online-only for a lot of their basics, especially working with fractions.
The AP kids were doing fine, they were the most engaged and likely had a decent environment to work in for online classes.
The mid-range kids struggled a little, but it wasn't too bad.  They definitely missed some stuff during online classes, but hadn't fallen behind too much.
The struggling kids though, that was hard to see.  They had clearly not retained much of anything from online learning.  Pass rate for DOL questions at the end of a lesson were around 30%.  That's per question.  I had to help one poor girl understand how to simplify 2/4.
Even worse, the classes were split into AP, Passing, and Failing classes.  But, the curriculum difference between the passing and failing classes wasn't notably different.  There just wasn't time in the day to reteach 2-3 years of elementary school arithmetic.  They just plodded ahead, with every lesson trying to build on lessons from a previous class that hadn't been understood.
I see similar problems with the younger students in university.  There's big chunks missing in their understanding, luckily most university courses kinda assume that they've got to start from scratch. (I'm lucky, I'm 35 and returning to college after retirement, so I've got the advantage of experience and an uninterrupted primary and secondary education)
I'm sure there's similar problems with other classes too, not just math.  We've got an entire generation coming up that has a significant gap in their education and they're going to struggle. >

Conservatives keep saying the problem is the breakdown of the family, and they're almost right. The breakdown of the family correlates, but it doesn't cause low test scores. 
Low test scores, broken families, increased crime, and ballooning addiction rates are all the fault of stagnating wages, inequality, and poverty.
You can plot real wages on any graph and see the correlation. 
Conservatives are constantly trying to blame the effects of poverty for poverty. Thats what "broken windows" was all about. 
Broken windows didn't cause social decay, they were an effect of social decay caused by poverty!
The data is clear. As wages have stagnated, our society is slowly tearing apart at the seams. 
You want better test scores? You want lower addiction rates? You want solid families? 
We must radically change the material conditions our society is based on. Otherwise, we will forever be trying to fix the symptoms of social decay, instead of addressing the causes. >

Poverty is caused by single parent households. The rate of poverty in single parent households dwarfs that of two parent households. So no, conservatives don’t have it backwards, you do.
Also, in 2019 the median household wage (inflation adjusted) was the highest in US history. So, you are wrong about stagnating wages, as well. >

Why though? Why can’t a single parent make a living wage and stay out of poverty? I mean some ones got to clean the rich peoples toilets >

You can make a living wage as a single person. Get skills and get a job. I don’t feel bad for people making $15/hr flipping burgers. That’s not supposed to be a career. That’s on them for settling for an unskilled labor job, not the market. 
Living wage or not, single parent households are bad for kids. The data is out, there is zero debate to be had. You want better kids, fix the single parent household epidemic. >

Again some one has to flip burgers, clean hotel rooms, landscape, etc… there needs to be a living wage to lift people out of poverty. 
This is a problem with conservatives. I’ve got mine (99% not likely by any kind of bootstrapping) so screw you! And since you didn’t get yours, then F your whole family, because as we see poverty effects educational outcome. So we conservatives say screw these people and every generation of theirs after!
Also this bullsh*t about single parents not being good for kids. Like some how conservatives don’t get divorced. There about a million divorces a year. Talk about backass thinking >

First, a “living wage” is a made up term that means nothing.  Second, if you were in a two person household and each made $15/hr, you’re making $60K on 40 hour work weeks. If you chose to get pregnant and chose to be in a single parent household and you didn’t properly prepare by getting training for a decent job, then that’s wholly on you and no one else. 
You know who can flip burgers? Retirees, people training for another career and need a temporary gig, teenagers, a second household income, etc. You keep making excuses for people being lazy assholes and are blaming the system for that. The system isn’t to blame. People’s poor choices are. The US is in desperate need of trade workers. It doesn’t take much training to become a trade apprentice. 
Once again, poverty doesn’t affect educational outcomes all that much. Single parent households do. Look at poverty level Asian households. Their children still massively outperform most others. If you want to fix the problem (both poverty and children’s education) then work to change the single parent culture. >

Wow just wow. Let’s just take your single parent house hold comment. Like I said millions people a year get divorced. All income levels. Are you telling me rich/middle class kids in single parent families are doomed to be poor?
No, if you look at the statistics rich people’s kids tend to end up rich. Middle class kids tend to end up being middle class and kids born to poverty tend to grow up to live in poverty. Those are the FACTS. We need to break the cycle of poverty, a living wage is one of the things to help that. >

Yeah, that’s not true, actually. Rich kids fall down pretty often. 
And yes, any single parent household, regardless of income level is stastically likely to be worse for their kids outcomes than a comparable two parent household. That includes divorced parents.  This is amplified at the poverty level, though, as those single parent households would likely be lifted out of poverty if they were two parent households. 
Like I said, I’d you want to fix poverty and kid’s potentials, fix the single parent family culture. The pervasiveness is what has killed the black community. >

Hahhahhahha did you really just write that rich kids tend grow into poverty? Hahaha holly sh*t. Talk about a warped mind.
Facts are facts. Institute a living wage and you will see better educational out comes for families living in poverty regardless of marital status >

That is truly impressive and terrifying at the same time. >

This isn't altogether surprising. >

I find the fact that one of the schools is named Achievement Academy to be chef's kiss >

I mean the school is definitely achieving something. I just don't think it is exactly what they wanted to achieve. >

The diploma just says, "Achievement Unlocked", which admittedly is a lot more awesome than I had in mind when I started writing this comment >

I'm pretty sure they just staple a pre filled out Mcdonalds application to the back of that diploma. Like Achievement Unlocked you got an interview at Mcdonalds. >

Still more marketable than a degree in Art History. (No offense to my art historian friends intended.) >

I've never understood why those are allowed to be majors and not just limited to minor programs.  Your job prospects are... a very narrow field in upper education.
If anyone can enlighten me with something other than, "We were told to get a degree, any degree!" I'd appreciate it. >

University is not job training.
Art history also isn't quite as limited as you make it out to be, but that's beside the point. >

Tell an HR department that someday.  When they've recovered from their laughing fit, they'll tell you that's EXACTLY how they see universities. >

Good for them. It's not their call to make.
Universities are long-established and fairly powerful institutions with their own goals and ideologies. They make their own decisions. >

Got to bring back Prez! He had those hoppers puttin in work... >

Probabilities!!! >

Those kids would be very upset if they could count to 23 >

The Wire, Season 4. We knew the system was broken long ago! >

can't wait for all the people in the county and at the state level to continue to look at Baltimore as some kind of 3rd world country that everyone should just give up on instead of taking the time to address all the decades long issues that led to this happening in the first place. >

I mean...I get what you're saying, but if I lived in Baltimore with my kid, I'd be looking to move ASAP. >

That’s pretty much their point… >

The local and state government should definitely be taking action, but as a parent, I wouldn't wait a decade for this problem to be fixed while my kid fell farther and farther behind. >

Of course, if you could afford to go somewhere better I’m sure you would. But unless the solution is to abandon all hope and leave Baltimore to struggle, something should be done for those who can’t go somewhere better. >

r/TheWire >

Thank god I found this comment.  But sheeeeeeeeiiit it is too far down. >

Crazy that the 4th season that covered this problem was 21 years ago and it clearly has not gotten any better.  Maybe even worse >

maybe we could try under funding schools for another four decades. >

Maybe stop blaming the already underfunded school system and blame the parents of the kids who don’t teach them the basics at home and expect teachers to be their parents and teach the 40 plus other kids. >

The issue is you cant fix that. Many kids in baltimore don’t even have parental supervision. You can fix the school systems esp the ones in baltimore that don’t have heating during winter. You cant fix parents. That’s not the teachers jobs. >

Isn't it? We should be focused on outcomes and if the outcome is 0 for 23 then the claim 'it ain't our fault it's the lousy parents' rings a little hollow.
I mean at this point why have a school if there's no value for either the students or society? >

First of all, schools have a ton of value aside from academic education. 
And yes, it may ring hollow to you, but the students’ home lives have a huge impact on their academic performance whether you want to admit it or not. 
My first year teaching I was at our state’s top public school. My students’ test scores were through the roof. Suburban teaching wasn’t for me though so I left and went to a high-poverty inner-city district. Same teacher (me), same tests, new students…and test scores were in the toilet. 
Was it me? My teaching style? Highly unlikely as there were close to 5000 teachers in the district and all their students’ scores were awful.
Turns out, when you’re 13 and going home to a 2 bedroom apartment that you share with 8 other family members and you have to care for your 4 younger siblings and you won’t eat again until free breakfast at school the next day that you don’t do so well on tests. Who knew? >

0/23, does anyone think this is working? 
I'm sorry, we're beyond duct tape and new PC's for the lab. This speaks to a systemic issue at the heart of the problem. So I'm going to say the quiet part out loud, if 100% of the students are failing then it's the system that has failed. You've articulated some of the issues, but it's clear to me (and I'm sure clear to the students) that the current system is a phenomenal waste of their time, and worse than that, reinforces any negative stereotype they may have about themselves. 
I'm not sure the solution, but we need to have candid conversations about realistic and achievable goals for inner-city kids. We need an education system that doesn't ignore that everyone's home life is radically different and even entire communities home life is entirely different, and those differences mean some kids are destined to fail, through no fault of their own, because of their homelife. 
So let's set them up for success, either by taking on a more active role as more of surrogate parents, or structuring a program that is more realistic. >

Realistic and achievable goals for these kids are the same as they are for all kids. My students were more than capable. They just didn’t have the external support and structure. 
This is why places like the Boys and Girls Club and extracurricular activities are so important. Mentorship is important. Even some of the boarding schools for underserved youth are helpful, albeit extreme, solutions. Most of my students were really bright, engaging kids who just needed some structure, consistency, and compassion. The issue is, too many voters in this country feel like if it’s not their kid, it’s not their problem. >

Bullshit, I'm sorry 0/23 is tells me that your initial assertion is bullshit. Or more to the point without that external support they aren't able to succeed and all the mentors and student groups isn't moving that dial. 
Please note, I'm assuming that all children are born with equal capacity, so yes I'm sure your kids are bestest and the brighterist of all. So if you've got a substantive solution go ahead, but all I hear is the same bullshit that has led us to be in the position in the first place. >

Hmm, something about this doesn't add up >

Well it’s only zero if you’re rounding up. >

maybe we should try taking away all the books. >

Do they even give them books at those schools? >

Yes, but they all just say Lorem Ipsum over and over. It's okay, the kids don't notice.
The teachers don't notice either. >

That's some real "they live" level shit. >

“I’m counting these rocks, biatch!” >

The difference of asking "what's the payment?" rather than "what's the interest rate?" Financial literacy & civics should be prioritized. >

"Sure it's a 12% interest car loan, but I have six whole years to pay it off!" >

"That means I have to pay only 2% of the loan six times!" >

Dont post this In the Baltimore sub or you'll get banned 🤷‍♂️ >

Booo >

Im of the opinion that early education should be 90 percent of our focus in elevating struggling communities. I'm talking pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade. 
Children who don't have basic numeral skills by first grade almost never catch up. It barely matters the quality of school they go to either. Either because the system doesn't have mechanisms built in to help students who are behind in math, or it's just some part of our brain chemistry that makes it difficult to catch up in math. 
The obvious solution is to systemically target efforts towards early education. It is the foundation of confident learning throughout life. >

Maybe the schools should start doing corner boy Math. >

They *must've* done this in a Wire episode at some point >

There’s also Bubs trying to improve Sherrod’s math so he can help out more at the travelling shop. >

Several of these sound like charter schools.  Why is there no differentiation from public and charter schools or are they all public? >

In Baltimore charter schools are public schools that all students can choose to attend, regardless of where they live in the city. >

Do they have the same rules and regulations as traditionally public schools?  I was under the impression that anyone could start and run a charter school. I would still like to see the differentiation in this statistic. >

I assume the charter schools allow for more restrictions on students.  In NY they can mandate uniforms, expulsions for certain offenses, and just generally allow for stricter discipline.  
If it's the same in Baltimore then it hasn't changed much from public schools.  There's only so much you can do before having to fix the child's home life. >

Charter schools also often don’t have the same level of requirements for teachers (nor private schools), so people without certification can teach there. I’m not sure if that’s different in different places though. >

I grew up with kids that looked at education like it's for bitches, and only losers get jobs.  Everybody thinks they're gonna hustle and get rich.  The rest look for a woman to leech off of, whether a GF or their mom.  When I lived in gov't housing as a kid, half my neighbors scammed the system, and had new Jordans, barbecue every weekend, and rims that cost more than the car.  Meanwhile, being honest poor people, my family had no car, no AC, no phone, no cable TV, and I had to wear the same pair of fucking shoes for so many years that I ended up with a nasty ingrown toenail that required surgery.  Get and keep a fucking job, stop getting chicks pregnant, and stay off drugs.  It's only hard if you have no spine at all.  My dad was an alkie abusive POS who never worked, and my mom was a chickenshit loser.  I never used my childhood as an excuse for not trying.  I did one term in the US Navy, ditched the past, and started fresh.  Everything is gravy now. >

honestly the military is probably the best welfare program America has ever had. >

No shit, it's great if you want to be taken care of for the rest of your life.  I couldn't live like that, so I just used it before it used me.  They feed you, tell you what to wear, give you work, monitor everything you do, and you never have to think for yourself.  It became a type of hell after awhile, like living at your job.  You get no solitude, no privacy, and have to deal with Bros all the time. >

Have we tried unplugging the schools and plugging them back in again? >

Not in a place where I can read the article. How many were charter or private schools? >

I did cursory searches for the high schools on the list. Only one was a charter, but three of them were alternative schools, one is hosted on a university campus, and a couple more of them are specialized art schools. >

Thank you >

I was born & raised in Baltimore. Got out (2002) as quick as I could, haven't looked back. It's also nice to consider, "What's going to be best for my kid?" vs. "What are my options around her?" >

I'm sure Mayor Scott will give the superintendent another award for not being 24 schools. >

"zero" 
I've seen those stupid tests, no one gives a shit about them, not the staff, not the students, they are just a waste of a day in everyone's eyes, that's why people just throw the test because they don't want to sit there for hours. 
​
Happens in every school where there is no incentive to do good >

Used to be children were the future until the old conservatives figured out they don't want to follow in those old ass footsteps.  Better to keep them dumb so they don't know any better.......
/s >

This is what republicans want. >

Things do not seem to have improved since "The Wire" >

Seems they got worse >

School education doesn’t work if parents don’t lift a finger to teach their own kids anything.
Edit: Teacher’s job is to teach. Not for students to learn. 2-3 hours a week of learning any given subject is completely insufficient. >

Our leaders don't want a functioning (mentally) society, they want drones that will do the shit jobs. 
The republicans don't like the idea of foreigners "crossing the border" and doing them so .. meh let's hamstring some kids and let them do it. >

Amazing how well propaganda works on miseducated people. Baltimore, a city run by democrats, with schools run by democrats, in a state run by democrats, with school funding in the top 5% of the world, and yet people like you blame republicans and underfunding. >

I hate both sides, politics in general is a scam. But the repubs and their obsession with keeping women in the kitchen, and all the Jesus Christ hallelujah bullshit makes me despise them even more. 
Hail Satan brother >

Still better than the state of Alabama. >

this statement is always true in any situation >

All they need to do is teach them math via dice and gambling. Worked for Mr Pryzbylewski. >

The wire was a documentary >

When the socio-economics for the poor and/or people of colour slide generationally a lack of resources and human variables produces these outcomes.  I bet the white kids fared much better. >

The quiet part, said out loud. >

That's how it works right. You don't know math so you can't compare your paycheck to your buddies. >

You just have to put the math questions in terms they understand. For example:
You have a glock with a 15 round capacity and no spare clips. You got jumped by three punks from another gang. You killed one of them and now have 9 bullets left in your gun. Based on the number of shots it took you to kill the first one, do you have enough bullets left to kill the other two? 
You have 3 kilos of pure heroin. How much mixer do you need to cut it with so you have 9 kilos of product? >

I like how the debate is about parents who are absent, maybe because they’re too busy working to make ends meet.  Some might be in jail or abandoned their kids or whatever.
Anyways, whenever articles of Japans low birth rates, everyone seems worried about it.  Like ooooh they need to do something!
Well this is what happens when people have kids who aren’t supposed to be having them.  So your choices are, neglected kids but stable population or declining population but less children growing up poorly.  Pick your poison. >

What a ridiculous opinion. The only two options are low birth rate and economic stagnation or higher birthrate and mass poverty? I don't know who's Kool aid you've been drinking, but that choice is entirely made up. >

Is it possible that the only person who is innumerate is the person collating the result? >

Welcome to the new world, where students aren't taught actual useful skills, aren't taught how to make smart, rational decisions based on facts, and aren't taught how to take care of themselves. >

It's hard to make math fun or engaging for students to want to continue pursuing it. I've always been good at math, but horrible at doing it in the school environment. >

Two thousand students and not one of them can do math at their grade level. That's not an engagement problem, that's a systemic failure at every level. >

It's both. >

Was there not a single Asian kid in those schools? >

Florida steps up, “hold my white claw” >

sounds badass >

This is why school choice should be a thing. >

Man Mr Pryzbylewski is as bad a math teacher as he was a cop >

Don't worry. Soon AI will do all of the thinking for us and all we'll have to do is cease to exist! >

But, but, the books on the gays, did we get rid of them??? >

I whent too a baltimore school an I tuned out aight. >

I bet those kids play the hell out of video games and are social media app experts. >

I wouldn't count on it--those sound like rich people problems, and I'm guessing these schools aren't serving that part of Baltimore >

Can we let democrats run all the school boards across the country? It seems not hurting kids feelings with stupid ol test scores is working out! >

That’s because they’re probably teaching that woke math. The number zero is the heathen’s number, we need to ban that again. >

I don’t know what proficient means but that sounds pretty bad. >

Slavery 2.0 in progress. >

Now do other states >

Baltimore is a city >

Didn't read the article huh?
They tested schools across Maryland. >

Didn’t comprehend the article huh?
The data they’re discussing is specifically about Baltimore City, the only mention of the entire state is that they recently released data from their statewide testing. >

Why are Americans so proud of their country? >

There's a lot to be proud of. >

Someone get Mr Prezbo over there to teach math. >

Politicians are fighting over curriculum and which books should be available to kids, yet we have this going on. >

My roommate is a third grade teacher in a Baltimore public school, from what she’s told me about her students this doesn’t really surprise me. I don’t think she teaches at one of the schools listed here though but I’m gonna assume most of the rest aren’t too much better. >

The new math is working, I see >

interestingly when first asked the number was 5318008 >

I must have did the math wrong. My calculator is telling me 58008 >

probably shouldn't have gone online only for 2 years. >

I'm actually in Texas, we got hit plenty hard. >

As someone who went to school in Baltimore and still lives here. Yeah that's not surprising. >

Shocking. 
/s >

Who needs school when you can just smash and grab a Macy's? >

Parents. Where are the fathers in these black neighborhoods? 100% the problem. Truth sucks I know. >

No wonder used car sales excel there. >

This is a knock on effect from Covid. >

*sorts by controversial* >

CRT! CRT! >

Are we sure the schools counted that right, since they are apparently so bad at math? >

Wasn't there a whole season about this in The Wire >

I think math has a pretty strong case for being the one thing you should try to be proficient in. 23 entire schools worth of kids sounds absolutely insane to me. However the first "school" on the list; Achievement Academy,  isn't a school at all. It's basically a detention center for kids with behavior/learning issues that's attached to an actual school; Harbor City High School.
The 2nd school was Augusta Falls, which is notorious for having a student who failed 22 classes and missed 272 days of school but was in the top 50% of his class with a 0.13 GPA.
These aren't exactly regular schools. >

I’ve taught in extremely low income schools.  Everyone was trying their best, but it felt like a waste of everyone’s time.  The kids can’t learn if they can’t feel safe, show up fed, and have some structure.  Teachers can’t teach to a room that constantly breaks out into fights. >

GOP Class of 2024 is shaping up to be a doozy. >

"Memorize these times tables!"
Later ...
"Why don't you know how to multiply anything?" >

Time to get those pesky maths behind and start doing shooting tests instead >

23...can you do something for me? >

I bet their parents care so much that they’re studying at home right now. >

Maybe Trump wasn’t so wrong about Baltimore after all >

But math is racist, so who cares, right?  What has math ever done for us?