Anyone who pays attention to the Buffalo Public Schools knows what rough condition they are in. While the schools for gifted students (City Honors, Hutch-Tech) are run very well, just about every other school in the area is suffering hardships right now. And it's been that way for a long time.
That was why last week, a meeting was held to discuss the struggling school system and to look for solutions to improve the slumping district.
The most talked-about suggestion came from one of Buffalo's most outspoken residents, Carl Paladino.
In his first newsworthy appearance since his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid, Paladino suggested a plan that would involve creating boarding schools, funded by city money, to send students to.
His argument seemed to be that with the district so far in the gutter, and Superintendent James Williams failing to make things any better, the best way to fix things is to simply start fresh with a new set of schools.
We strongly disagree with this sentiment.
While the shoddy condition of the school system is undeniable, creating a new set of schools would simply be wasteful. It would cost insane amounts of money, and it would be difficult to get the parents of young children in close-knit communities to agree to the idea of sending their children away to go to school.
The best way to fix the school system is from the inside. This could be executed by hiring teachers who care about students' future and firing those who don't.
Additionally, it would be essential to create extracurricular activities that students would be passionate about. Even if kids don't care about school, if they are offered appealing extracurriculars, they will be far less likely to drop out.
The fact is, many students in impoverished parts of Buffalo drop out because they don't see a future in the education system. Many see the people who they grew up with turning to crime, and become skeptical about bettering their situations. This is why they need to be reached at younger ages.
If the school district hires dedicated teachers who truly care about students' futures, they can convince them that school is important at an early age, and make them less likely to drop out once they reach 16.
A set of new boarding schools won't amount to more than a new coat of paint on a terrible system. If Buffalo wants to fix its school district, the change should come from the inside.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
