First off let's not link foxbaltimore as a source. They specifically write pieces to rile up the county folk and get clicks, they don't actually want to help. Second this is insanely ahortsighted and assumes that all these kids have no chance of ever learning which is bullshit. I mean most won't become doctors but some will and just because most won't doesn't mean they should be abandoned to "play video games", I mean wtf. There are tons of jobs that don't require a high level of education.

The problems, which are constantly laid at the feet of the school system stem from much more than failing schools. There are certainly some schools that have poor leadership and bad teachers but saying the whole system is failing means that a majority of teachers aren't doing shit amd that's bullshit. Thing is kids go to school for 6 hours a day 5 days a week assuming perfect attendance that's 30 hours a week. Take out 56 hours for sleep and that leaves 82 hours where kids are outside of school. Plenty of those kids have normal family lives with parents who care and have time to help with reading and homework but plenty have parents who are too busy to help or unable to help or no parents or any number of other issues and yet we expect them to get enough information in 30 hours a week while the 82 hours they are generally on their own and free to do what they want.

The solution is a multifaceted one that involves a whole lot more than just a school. We need mentors, community centers, before and after school programs, parenting classes, free childcare, more and better jobs for parents with free Healthcare and paid time off. But instead we just say these kids are hopeless.

I've said this a thousand times but it took us decades to get into this situation with awful policies and disinvestment and racism and segregation amd it will take at least that long to fix it if we start actually trying today.