Comments on: Cambridge Public Schools #1 in Massachusetts… http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/08/28/cambridge-public-schools-1-in-massachusetts/ A posting every day; an interesting idea every three months... Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:44:43 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lina http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/08/28/cambridge-public-schools-1-in-massachusetts/comment-page-1/#comment-95361 Lina Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:20:29 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1071#comment-95361 The main reason that Cambridge Rindge and Latin spends so much money per student is because it is one of the only high schools in Massachusetts that has an incorporated technical school. The Rindge School of Technical Arts is located right within the CRLS building. We have a fully functioning media arts building right across the street, along with an auto mechanics shop. We have a graphic communications wing equipped with topnotch technology. There is a biotechnology lab on the first floor of the school. The technical school provides an opportunity for students to take regular high school classes while getting a head start in vocational education. It's an opportunity that very few other schools in Massachusetts can provide for their students. The main reason that Cambridge Rindge and Latin spends so much money per student is because it is one of the only high schools in Massachusetts that has an incorporated technical school. The Rindge School of Technical Arts is located right within the CRLS building. We have a fully functioning media arts building right across the street, along with an auto mechanics shop. We have a graphic communications wing equipped with topnotch technology. There is a biotechnology lab on the first floor of the school. The technical school provides an opportunity for students to take regular high school classes while getting a head start in vocational education. It’s an opportunity that very few other schools in Massachusetts can provide for their students.

]]> By: jck http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/08/28/cambridge-public-schools-1-in-massachusetts/comment-page-1/#comment-87610 jck Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:15:55 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1071#comment-87610 My children go to school in Brookline and I teach in Cambridge. While there is a huge effort in both schools for high academics the bottom line is the children walk in the doors differently. The children in Brookline for the most part come from well-educated parents, not first generation Americans and are much wealthier. The kids go to afterschool programs, lessons and activities. They read better are able to compute better and reason better. The few students in Brookline that need assistance get the assistance and are in the minority. By the time the students get to middle school, they act and look like scholars. In one of the schools in Cambridge I work in, the students spend the majority of the time attempting to distract one another. The children by first grade are reading at overall a one to two year higher level than the children in Brookline--the actual education in Cambridge is excellent. The instruction thorough and more well-rounded for students who are struggling. The project learning much better in Brookline but the basics are better monitored and taught in Cambridge. The difference is the children coming in. Two well educated parents move to Brookline and pay the exhorbitant mortgages. Two well educated parents who move to Cambridge sometimes send their kids to private school or to the few schools in Cambridge with "good reputations". But the difference is the econonomics and education of the parents and therefore the kids and not the education. My children go to school in Brookline and I teach in Cambridge. While there is a huge effort in both schools for high academics the bottom line is the children walk in the doors differently. The children in Brookline for the most part come from well-educated parents, not first generation Americans and are much wealthier. The kids go to afterschool programs, lessons and activities. They read better are able to compute better and reason better. The few students in Brookline that need assistance get the assistance and are in the minority. By the time the students get to middle school, they act and look like scholars. In one of the schools in Cambridge I work in, the students spend the majority of the time attempting to distract one another. The children by first grade are reading at overall a one to two year higher level than the children in Brookline–the actual education in Cambridge is excellent. The instruction thorough and more well-rounded for students who are struggling. The project learning much better in Brookline but the basics are better monitored and taught in Cambridge. The difference is the children coming in. Two well educated parents move to Brookline and pay the exhorbitant mortgages. Two well educated parents who move to Cambridge sometimes send their kids to private school or to the few schools in Cambridge with “good reputations”. But the difference is the econonomics and education of the parents and therefore the kids and not the education.

]]> By: philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/08/28/cambridge-public-schools-1-in-massachusetts/comment-page-1/#comment-86122 philg Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:39:06 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1071#comment-86122 http://www.umass.edu/oapa/publications/factbooks/07-08/admissions/FB_ad_09_2007.pdf shows that those meaningless Cambridge SAT scores wouldn't be likely to get a kid into University of Massachusetts (where the average was 564/578). http://www.umass.edu/oapa/publications/factbooks/07-08/admissions/FB_ad_09_2007.pdf shows that those meaningless Cambridge SAT scores wouldn’t be likely to get a kid into University of Massachusetts (where the average was 564/578).

]]> By: philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/08/28/cambridge-public-schools-1-in-massachusetts/comment-page-1/#comment-86121 philg Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:35:25 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1071#comment-86121 Colin: Brookline isn't any "better" than Cambridge in terms of real estate prices. If anything it is cheaper to live in Brookline. SAT scores are meaningless? Tell that to a kid who is trying to get into a selective college with his 465/468 scores and Cambridge Public High School diploma. Is there mass transit from Lincoln to Cambridge? Absolutely. The commuter rail runs from Lincoln's town center to Porter Square in Cambridge, and then on into Boston's North Station, about 16 times each weekday. It is about a 30-minute ride on the train. From Hanscom Field per se to Cambridge there is an MBTA bus that runs to the Alewife Red Line station. Colin: Brookline isn’t any “better” than Cambridge in terms of real estate prices. If anything it is cheaper to live in Brookline. SAT scores are meaningless? Tell that to a kid who is trying to get into a selective college with his 465/468 scores and Cambridge Public High School diploma.

Is there mass transit from Lincoln to Cambridge? Absolutely. The commuter rail runs from Lincoln’s town center to Porter Square in Cambridge, and then on into Boston’s North Station, about 16 times each weekday. It is about a 30-minute ride on the train.

From Hanscom Field per se to Cambridge there is an MBTA bus that runs to the Alewife Red Line station.

]]> By: Colin Summers http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/08/28/cambridge-public-schools-1-in-massachusetts/comment-page-1/#comment-86120 Colin Summers Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:14:39 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1071#comment-86120 There's lies, damn lies and lies with statistics. The SAT scores are meaningless. In the better areas (Brookline) the parents are usually supplementing the education. The real thing you want to look at is the literacy rate, which started declining as soon as compulsory public education started. Nice to hear about Hascom's school district. I guess I could live near enough to the field... Is there mass transit from Hascom to Cambridge? There’s lies, damn lies and lies with statistics.

The SAT scores are meaningless. In the better areas (Brookline) the parents are usually supplementing the education.

The real thing you want to look at is the literacy rate, which started declining as soon as compulsory public education started.

Nice to hear about Hascom’s school district. I guess I could live near enough to the field… Is there mass transit from Hascom to Cambridge?

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