I have a question for the the great thinkers of the AFP

Kinda throws that whole educated/wealthy parents theory our the window doesn't it?

No, I really don't think that it does.  I still say that Ball State throws a big wrench in the comparison of ACS can Muncie Schools.  Look at other cities similar to Anderson...Marion, Ft. Wayne, Elkhart, etc. 

I do notice that Muncie, Bloomington, Lafayette...they all seem to have higher scores and graduation rates.  Could there be a relationship between a large university and a higher performing school system?  I don't know. 

How?  There is no connection less than 10% of the students that go to ball state come from Muncie. 

Anderson 54.4% graduation 51% free lunch.

Fort Wayne 78.9% graduation rate 54% free lunch.   HMMMMMM 24.5% better than us...  Must be the big University of Fort Wayne.

Marion has a 66.2% graduation rate 56% free lunch.  HMMMMMM

Elkhart has a 62.7% graduation rate 52% free lunch.  HMMMMMM

Ok what about this....  

Bloomington has a 78.9% graduation rate only 25% free lunches.  Same graduation rate as Muncie but if you thought held any water they should be much better than Muncie because the only have half the free lunches.  Both have big universities, so why isn't Bloomington doing much better?

Now Lafayette only has a 70% graduation rate and only 49% free lunch.  So they have less free lunches and a huge university and a worse graduation rate than Muncie.  But still much better than ours and only 2% difference in free lunch.

Any other reason you want to try because that one doesn't work.

Here is another interesting fun fact:

2005 - 2006 school year 

73% paid lunch students graduated 47.7% free lunch students graduated

2006 - 2007 school year

70% paid lunch students graduated 45.5% free lunch students graduated

2007 - 2008 school year

64.3% paid lunch students graduated 41.8% free lunch students graduated

Over the 3 year period paid lunch percent dropped 8.7%  free lunch dropped 5.9%

So it seems to me your failing the paid lunch going kids more than the free lunch going kids...at least it is trending that way.  So maybe free lunches have nothing to do with it at all.

Interesting stats, LRA.  Wouldn't it be interesting to know what percentage of those 'free lunch' (again with the word 'free' as in no one has to pay for it) students have a parent(s) who smoke cigarettes at $5.00 a pack but can't pack a bologna or PBJ sandwich for their kids to take to school? 

This thread has gone off track. 

LRA and NoBull, please start a new thread if you want to point out the failures of ACS and the social economic systems.

I, and most everyone else, are aware of the problems facing ACS and we are working to correct them.  All the superintendent applicants know the situation, and they all come in with ideas as well. 

At this point, I would like to focus on what we can do to correct the problems, rather than restating them for the 12th time.

 Thank you.

Anyone else have ideas on whether a good school system attracts "good" citizens, or do good citizens make a good school system? 

LOL  prove her wrong and watch her not answer.

So you can say the problem with the school system is because of uneducated parents and the free lunch program but we cannot show evidence that this is not true and you will not listen or discuss it.  WOW.... nice communication with the community.  Your way or no way?

LRA, I was unaware that TJ was hired by KPaul to moderate these forums.  You're apparently unaware of that fact, too, since you rebutted her claims with facts and that irritated her.  If we're not careful, she might just 'take her ball' and go home like she did last month.  The forum didn't collapse during her absence, either.  Hmmm?

Hey guys, the rule is the thread starter can request things stay on topic, etc. It's happened before (Anderson Brent, etc.) so this isn't special treatment. It's not censorship, but wanting to keep this thread going a certain direction. Feel free to start a thread questioning this thread, but keep posts on this thread more on topic. Thanks.

Your friendly "in the trenches" publisher,
K. Paul Mallasch

Well didn't this start with talk of the wealthy fleeing a school system and why that makes it better or worse?  So isn't the discussion continued by talking about the porr in a school system also?  I don't see where things got off topic.  We are talking about Cities people and the school systems within.

I mean here is what started this:

What comes first, the community who values education or the great school system?

Think of Noblesville for instance (why always Noblesville?).  Is their school system as good as it seems like it is from the outside?  Do they face the same frustrations we do?  Have they always been as good as they are?  Were they a good school system before the more wealthy educated people started to flee the problems of Indianapolis?  

OR....

Did the wealthy educated people of Indianapolis flee the problems that they wanted to protect their children from...move into the community and bring with them a value for education as well as high expectations for their students?  Thereby making a great school system out of an average one.

What do you think?

Well I was saying what I thought....  Only problem there is with it I backed it up with fact.