Reality-BasedTM Political Numbers from Nicholas Beaudrot
Electoral Math
Reality-BasedTM Political Numbers from Nicholas Beaudrot
Glug Glug | Home | More Cops in the Emerald City?
Timothy Burgess writes an insightful column on the demographic changes Seattle has endured over the last 20 years; namely, more and more parents leaving the city for the suburbs. He lists several reasons, but the most glaring one is the question of schools. Money quote:
Cities that don't proactively attract families with children find themselves in trouble. And this trouble has a cascading effect that touches us all. Schools suffer as fewer and fewer people are invested in ensuring quality and accountability.
Exactly. Now that the late '80s-early '90s crime wave is history, cities have become safe enough for young singles and empty-nesters to move back. But in most areas, urban centers have yet to tackle school quality with the same vigor that they once brought to the maintaining public safety. Parents are still choosing the suburbs, and not just because they want backyards and soccer practices; the school quality issue drives plenty of folks out of the city. Seattle City schools are decent, but there's certainly room for improvement, especially relative to suburban schools.
And this isn't just abstract wonk talk; school quality affects me personally. I'd like to keep living in the city, with the confidence that my kids will have good teachers, decent extracurricular opportunities, and a bit of college application guidance even if they don't end up at Garfield or Roosevelt. But these days, the school district is closing schools in the south end of the city, despite the fact that lots of the family-oriented redevelopment has occured along the Sound Transit line between the airport and downtown.
Now, what to do about the school system here is something I'll leave for another time.
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updated by Nicholas Beaudrot on 07:47 05 October 2006
