Comments on: Whatever it takes: But is it enough? http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/09/whatever-it-takes-but-is-it-enough/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: Devilbunny http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/09/whatever-it-takes-but-is-it-enough/#comment-39323 Devilbunny Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:44:10 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=5807#comment-39323 These sorts of things aren't terribly surprising. Lots of poor people are poor because they're the not-very-bright children of not-very-bright people who make terrible personal decisions all the time, when the only way out is to make almost every possible right decision almost all the time. Schools that self-select for students who have either personal or familial motivation to succeed will do better, and those gains will be more lasting. Finding the diamonds in the rough vs a rising tide lifts all boats is, I know, a longstanding educational dispute, but in this particular case I think the former is a lot more important - the last thing we need is a more intelligent class of criminal. These sorts of things aren’t terribly surprising. Lots of poor people are poor because they’re the not-very-bright children of not-very-bright people who make terrible personal decisions all the time, when the only way out is to make almost every possible right decision almost all the time.

Schools that self-select for students who have either personal or familial motivation to succeed will do better, and those gains will be more lasting. Finding the diamonds in the rough vs a rising tide lifts all boats is, I know, a longstanding educational dispute, but in this particular case I think the former is a lot more important – the last thing we need is a more intelligent class of criminal.

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