Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:This comes from a guy who has painted his chest and volunteered hundreds of hours towards putting Lakewood sports into papers and the public eye.
Ivor
While this tribute is nice to Mike Deneen, let's get back on subject.
My experience has been very different.
Near to us is a very good Lakewood family that put their children through Lutheran Schools. The single reason was the riff raff at Lakewood Schools. Let me make sure you understand their children NEVER went to Lakewood Schools, so the "riff raff" was all talk. Or in my mind all smoke and mirrors.
When they could not get their daughter into a Lutheran High School(if such a thing exists) they put her in Magnificat,* as this was the school their friends had stashed their daughters. Again the problems with public schools, you know. It was there that they learned at an early age about jello shots, over drinking to hospitalization, and well you know other stuff we will let slide in this forum. A couple life terminations and then graduation. Today she is a great mother at 24, 4 kids, and lives in Rocky River.
My point, is when I talk to parents, religion and background rarely pops into the first 5 minutes of the conversation. Of course maybe my reputation proceeds me.
There is no doubt that parents should be allowed to follow any route they think is right for their children. The pressure on parents and kids to get into the right college begins at Kindergarten, and runs for 13 more years.
What upsets me, is by pulling these students that obviously have parents that care about their children's future from public schools, it makes the schools and the NCLB scores suffer. When parents point to better scores for students in private school, they leave out that they as parents are probably the reason, certainly more than the schools. They are taking a much deeper interest after paying $5,000, $10,000 or more for 6th grade, so they want to make sure it pays.
When it comes to politicians, not sure how much it matters except, the schools are a huge part of Lakewood or any city. Students and parents are key parts to a city and its problems and solutions. Look at the effort on the Youth Master Plan, look at how close the schools are working with the city, the Beck Center and even the Observer.
In the end, I see a lot of this like the dad that talks to me about the riff raff on Detroit, and in the parks, and the car that got keyed, and the whatever, then at the end of the discussion announces they are moving to Rocky River because of the taxes!
No doubt parents need to do what they think is right. No doubt it hurts the school district. No doubt a lot of the other conversation might be true, but doesn't hold up as much as the parents interaction with their children.
No kids, was one once, have friends that have gaggles. If that is the correct term for a group of children.
THIS WAS ADDED
* I want to make sur eeveryone knows, these were not classes taught ay Magnificat. These were the things the kids learned on their own at lunch or after school.
I seriously am out of the loop.