Urban public schools aren't that scary.

[lightningandsnow]

I grew up in Toronto. I graduated high school this past June.

I went to private school from kindergarten to grade 4. I was bullied horribly and many of the teachers were borderline abusive.

I went to public school after that. I still had instances of bullying happen, but at least the staff attempted to deal with them.

I can assure you, I have never been beaten, shot, stabbed, set on fire, mugged, or threatened in public schools.

Seriously, folks. Your precious angels will be okay.

[MrCoffee]

1. Silly. Toronto isn't "urban".

If you haven't been set on fire, you don't deserve the diploma. Kids today have it soft.

[JuniperLea]

2. Toronto is no Los Angeles...

And your OP is full of bull if you think it applies in the US.

[nemo137]

5. I got a great education at an urban American public school.

What makes my post bull?

[JuniperLea]

7. Of course not...

There are exceptions.

I was robbed of an education in the LAUSD. They labeled me as gifted then bored me unmercifully. I was left to my own devices to fill the massive gaps in my schooling.

[vadawg]

6. dude is delusional or hes never stepped in the doors of an inner city school

hell even the schools in the suburbs are getting crazy, we just recently had a huge heroin ring go down out of one of the local high schools, lots of violence, and a few student deaths involved and this is in a not to long ago good school...

[Brickbat]

3. Who are you talking to?

Of course there are generalities and exceptions everywhere. Your experience defines no-one else's. Your post is disingenuous.

[elehhhhna]

4. You're sweet. And young. Toronto vs. Chicago is like 2 diff planets

you did obviously get a good ed. b/c you write well, and thoughtfully.

[ThatsMyBarack]

8. I survived public school in Chicago....

But my parents later moved our family to the suburbs so my sister and I could get a better education.

[we can do it]

9. Yes and You Can Probably Let the Little Dears Play Outside, Too

no one really wants your brats, really.

[charlie]

10. Asian Students Attacked at South Philadelphia High

Zhihua Tian traveled thousands of miles from his native China earlier this year to profit from the treasures of the American education system.

Unfortunately, he landed at South Philadelphia High School, where the number of violent incidents often overshadow student achievements.

Tian, 19, of South Philly, and five other students who are recent immigrants are staying home today because they were among 26 Asian students who were attacked by a gang of other students throughout the day yesterday, said Xu Lin, of the Chinatown Development Corporation, who works with victimized students.
...

"It's very, very scary," he said, noting that he repeatedly was beaten up when he attended South Philly High. "You go to school and you don't know when you'll be attacked."

The ordeal began Wednesday, Lin said, when a Vietnamese student was jumped by 14 students across the street from the school.

Yesterday, the attackers were roaming the halls "searching for victims class by class during school," he said...



http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20091204_Asian_students_under_attack_at_S__Phila__High.html

[lightningandsnow]

11. Shite!

Although public schools are pretty safe, shit does happen sometimes.

It breaks my heart that this happened. Are the perpetrators being charged with a hate crime?

[charlie]

12. Suspensions

and pending expulsions. No legal charges yet that I've heard of.

[Taverner]

13. No they aren't but bring TP

Because there will not be any

[CBR]

14. I went to high school in rural West Virginia --

we had suspensions for guns (handguns), gang activity -- my grandmother was a teacher, got into the middle of a fight, she was pushed and broke her arm. At another local high school, there was a campus shooting and hostage situation. At yet another local high school, they had to install metal detectors due to gun activity. Not to mention the schools were underfunded, French teachers were hired as Spanish teachers etc... I remember my senior year, all of the openly gay students (3 total) were harassed, beat up and their personal things (cars included) were vandalized. Fights between whites and blacks was common.

These problems are not exclusively urban. There are differences.