[Harry Doyle]

:thatsfunn

...Wow...That may be THE most inane statement I've read in a very long time. Seriously? Kids are smart because their parents are? No, it doesn't quite work that way. Kids are smart because they choose to be disciplined with their academics, work hard at it, and their parents are supporting academics in the home and ensuring that is the focus of school, not just athletics. I'm a father of two kids, both of whom have over 3.0 gpa's, and both excel in athletics, but understand if they don't make the grades, I will sit them down even if the coach won't. A strong principal can make a huge difference in a school

Really? Maybe you should try not looking though at the world through rose colored glasses. The socioeconomic environments and the family(s) that he/she come from has a whole heck of a lot more to do with how they perform academically than most want to admit. Tell ya what, why don't you head up to Jefferson County and check out Iroquis HS, Shawnee and some others that the state is all over and show me how many of those kids come from 1) Homes where there parents are either still married or, if they aren't married, both parents play active roles in their lives 2) see how many of those parents have college degrees, let alone hold a steady job 3) See how many of the kids at those schools live under the poverty level and are on free/reduced lunch 4) See how many of those kids live in areas of high crime rates on a daily basis.

You talk about why kids are successful, and everyone of the reasons you gave are dead on; but, where do you think they learn those values? Do they at school? Sure, but most of those come from home. (once again, see the kids at Dunbar and their home lives, compared to some of those in Jefferson County)

You somewhat contradicted yourself, telling the expectations that you, as a parent, have for your kids. The kids at Dunbar, for the most part, come from homes just like your kids are fortunate to come from. The kids at the school in Jefferson County that I named don't have that luxury.

Also, I agree with Eddy Creek Bay about Principals (although, there are some out there that do make a huge difference in the schools academics), I've personally never met a principal that said, "I got into administration because I enjoyed being in the classroom all day."

You show me a top knotch academic school and Ill show you a community full of parents that have extremely high expectations (academic and athletic to go along with work ethic as a whole) placed upon their children from the time they are able to walk and talk.