There are schools in poor neighborhoods that are typically called “inner city schools.” These schools, we are told, harbor the most difficult students. These are schools that are euphemistically called diverse–meaning “not white”–the new melting pot. These are the schools most likely to struggle to meet the federal and state mandates for adequate yearly progress–or whatever the buzz word for “failing” is this year. These are the schools that have the least resources per student because of aging buildings and an indifferent tax base.
Only one thing stands out as a challenge to our presumptions, the schools are no longer located in the “inner” city. Continue reading ‘Redefining the “inner” city school’