<p>“he smart, poor kids in crappy schools are bored out of their minds and have no reason to try at all.”</p>
<p>In addition, those smart kids may have to deal with being made fun of by most of their peers.</p>
<p>For instance, one of my mentees was considered brave because she was willing to be president of the school’s NHS. The NHS kids were the targets of bullying and other things simply because they stood out for getting high grades. This was true even for students who didn’t brag, and who went out of their way to help others.</p>
<p>And the students may have to struggle to be able to learn anything in classes because their teachers may be spending most of their time dealing students who are disruptive. GCs don’t have time for them either because they are dealing with students who have problems like homelessness or legal problems. </p>
<p>I’ve volunteered in a lot of inner city schools, and have seen this behavior first hand.</p>