new development I seen

[Rizzo]

I was on the SE side visiting my bros, around the Jefferson, Franklin area and in this open space I seen a rendering of a nice looking facility anyone know more about this?

[metrogrkid]

I was on the SE side visiting my bros, around the Jefferson, Franklin area and in this open space I seen a rendering of a nice looking facility anyone know more about this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's the rendering for the multi-million dollar Leona Spencer Youth Center (named after longtime member of First Community African Methodist Episcopal Church and inner city youth advocate Mrs. Leona Spencer and designed by MBEI Board Member, Mr. Tom Dowling of Design Pinnacle). The complex will feature 24-hour supervised access based on one's academic report card (i.e. - all A's gets an entry smart card coded with "FREE ADMISSION", A's & B's gets a smart card encoded with "50 cents ADMISSION", A's, B's & C's gets a "$1" code, straight B's gets a $1.50" code, etc.) and facilities including a rollerskating rink, computer rooms, an Olympic-size pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, a 500-seat auditorium, class rooms, locker rooms, weight room and a running track to name just a few of the center's features. It's being developed by the Concerned Citizens Council of GR and is targeted for completion over the next two years.

[Rizzo]

This will definetly be an asset to the community.... I think I'll snap this place up with the camera when its built. It's a really neat design.

[dnast]

Sounds nice! I like the idea of grade-based admission. I hope it works to encourage students do well in school.

[Rizzo]

for sure

[Freddy C]

Sounds nice! I like the idea of grade-based admission. I hope it works to encourage students do well in school.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do not know that I favor a grades based admission policy. The reason being is that there is a correlation between academic performance and levels of poverty. It is no secret that poorer children do poorer academically, as the general rule. Thus, such an admission policy unintentionally favors those whose families come from a better financial background. Also, another truth is that although most people have very similar genetic cognitive capacities, there is a percentage of the whole that are at the extremes of

[dnast]

You bring up some good points, but I disagree somewhat. I believe in a lot of cases, it's not about the student being smart enough, but has more to do with their environment, peers, and role models.

If you grow up in an area where good grades are the norm and all of the adults have jobs, you'll be more inclined to do well in school and avoid being the outcast. In a lot of poor neighborhoods, although you won't be looked down on as much for not staying with the norm, a lot of poorer kids probably just don't bother putting forth the effort after a certain age because in many cases as long as they aren't bothering anybody they can pretty much do what they want; and almost nobody in the neighborhood (occasionally, not even parents) will think much of it (by outsiders' standards). Poor kids with a stronger support system tend do better.

That's why I'm hoping admissions idea at least inspires some "bad" students to hit the books a little more. A lot of the time, there's no inspiration at all.

(I didn't want to take this too far off topic, so I'm cutting it short. You do bring up some valid points, but I think that you'll agree that this could easily turn into a very long debate.)

[Freddy C]

You bring up some good points, but I disagree somewhat. I believe in a lot of cases, it's not about the student being smart enough, but has more to do with their environment, peers, and role models.

If you grow up in an area where good grades are the norm and all of the adults have jobs, you'll be more inclined to do well in school and avoid being the outcast. In a lot of poor neighborhoods, although you won't be looked down on as much for not staying with the norm, a lot of poorer kids probably just don't bother putting forth the effort after a certain age because in many cases as long as they aren't bothering anybody they can pretty much do what they want; and almost nobody in the neighborhood (occasionally, not even parents) will think much of it (by outsiders' standards). Poor kids with a stronger support system tend do better.

That's why I'm hoping admissions idea at least inspires some "bad" students to hit the books a little more. A lot of the time, there's no inspiration at all.

(I didn't want to take this too far off topic, so I'm cutting it short. You do bring up some valid points, but I think that you'll agree that this could easily turn into a very long debate.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it could indeed turn into a long debate. Suffice it to say, there are valid points on both sides of the argument....to such a degree that such a policy is tantamount to a 'Zero Sum' proposition or policy.

What I do believe, however, is that the difference in admission fee for different levels of academic performance is too marginal to really be an incentive to change grades. I think that such ideas sound good....but society really needs a comprehensive, top-down cultural reengineering to get our children competitive for the 21st century. The USA ranks as low as 20th, in global high school test scores for Math and or Science.

[GRDadof3]

How is the US doing on grammar? Post title: "New development I seen????"

[Freddy C]

How is the US doing on grammar?  Post title: "New development I seen????"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think he would be required to pay full admission price to get into the new facility That having been said, although I am a graduate of a major university....I graduated from HS with about a 1.1 GPA...So I, too, would have to pay full fare

[dnast]

Same goes for me in my senior year of HS

[metrogrkid]

Gentlemen. The issue among the neighborhood kids that will be using the facilities (predominantly low-income, broken nuclear family situations) of Leona Spencer Youth Center will become represented by the thought, "DAMN, now all the kids that are cool took the time to knuckle down and study so that they are IN Spencer Center hanging out. I must not be so cool since I'm on the outside looking in. Hmmm, I'm gonna ask someone now to help me get my grades up so I can be in the new COOL crowd that gets to hang at Spencer Center".

That is the point and all that matters here. Remember that many times in America's inner cities, being smart is seen as UNCOOL. Spencer Center will make a major dent in flipping such a mentality as well as to get kids off the street and into an environment will they will be exposed to tools for excelling.

-Metrogrkid

[snoogit]

  Gentlemen.  The issue among the neighborhood kids that will be using the facilities (predominantly low-income, broken nuclear family situations) of Leona Spencer Youth Center will become represented by the thought, "DAMN, now all the kids that are cool took the time to knuckle down and study so that they are IN Spencer Center hanging out.  I must not be so cool since I'm on the outside looking in.  Hmmm, I'm gonna ask someone now to help me get my grades up so I can be in the new COOL crowd that gets to hang at Spencer Center".

That is the point and all that matters here.  Remember that many times in America's inner cities, being smart is seen as UNCOOL.  Spencer Center will make a major dent in flipping such a mentality as well as to get kids off the street and into an environment will they will be exposed to tools for excelling.

-Metrogrkid

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I dont mean to sound crude, but whats to stop some smart kid from the 'burbs from coming into the center?

[GRCentro]

I dont mean to sound crude, but whats to stop some smart kid from the 'burbs from coming into the center?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nothing, I hope. In fact, I'd say more power to 'em. That would be great. Shouldn't there be more reasons to lure the suburban folks back to the core?

[Rizzo]

Ok! I just seen a new development. I'm ending this discussion.

[snoogit]

Im the kind of person who is afraid that a good idea will be misused. The admission idea is ok, but its not going to get people in if similar services area vaialable elsewhere.

Maybe i'm a stalwartfor good ole fashioned education, but I still think the only way your going to increase a student's grades is by improving conditions at the school.

[Freddy C]

  Gentlemen.  The issue among the neighborhood kids that will be using the facilities (predominantly low-income, broken nuclear family situations) of Leona Spencer Youth Center will become represented by the thought, "DAMN, now all the kids that are cool took the time to knuckle down and study so that they are IN Spencer Center hanging out.  I must not be so cool since I'm on the outside looking in.  Hmmm, I'm gonna ask someone now to help me get my grades up so I can be in the new COOL crowd that gets to hang at Spencer Center".

That is the point and all that matters here.  Remember that many times in America's inner cities, being smart is seen as UNCOOL.  Spencer Center will make a major dent in flipping such a mentality as well as to get kids off the street and into an environment will they will be exposed to tools for excelling.

-Metrogrkid

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Metrokid, the cost proposed for those who are not A, B

or C students is not prohibitive to their entrance.

They can pay the extra 50 cents or dollar and still

hang out with the cool crowd. They may not be able to

hang out every day like the kids with free admission,

but they certainly can hang out enough. They will

simply pick the most popular days to spend their

money.

I take issue with the notion that inner city youth

look disparaging at those who are

[Rizzo]

" Gentlemen. The issue among the neighborhood kids that will be using the facilities (predominantly low-income, broken nuclear family situations)"

^I'm a product of this.... Only I grew up in West Burton Heights, Oakland, Grandville ave, and the Westside connection. I wish these 'hoods had this kind of development, I would probably take kindly to it for success sticks to me when there's encouragement... This is what the kids in the area and GR in general need right now, encouragement.

THIS THREAD IS SHUT DOWN, FOR SURE!!! No more debate. I already recieved a nice responce from metrogrkid and that's all I required.