What Are Best Ways to Get Inner-City, Poor High Schoolers to Follow Rules & Get Their Education at School?

Question by educator: What are best ways to get inner-city, poor high schoolers to follow rules & get their education at school?
I am an educator working in the baltimore city public school system (Neighborhood/Zone Schools). I would like anyone with strategies to answer my question to help me to help the students that I service.

The students that I service are poor. Most of the students do not live with both parents. Most do not know or live with their fathers.
Many have parents that abuse alcohol or drugs. Many have been physically or mentally abused by someone in their immediate family.

The overwhelming majority are below grade level. All too often the curriculum gets watered down because the students are below grade level. Also, many of the students are graduating because of informal social promotion. This happens because teachers feel sorry for the students and/or teachers get blamed when the failure rate is too high. Schools get sanctions when the graduation rate does not meet the No Child Left Behind Act’s AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) for the school’s graduation rate.

Best answer:

Answer by Alexis C
This is hard.
I went to Oakland public schools. The best thing I found that would get us all to listen were strict rules. If you run your classroom with clearly defined rules you can offer your kids the kind of structure they may lack elsewhere.
I know a few HS teachers in my area, they have the same conflicts.
The main problem I hear is that when the teachers lay ground rules and stick to them they are often overridden by the school administration.
I’m afraid my answer doesn’t really solve anything.
Maybe you could spend some time on the playground while they have recess. It might make them feel closer to you and trust you more….?

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