[reflexive]

> The worst schools will never get better if all the talent is sucked out of them.

You're already lost if you're relying on the worst schools to get better. We only need a tiny fraction of the population (1% or less) to be the leaders of the next generation. Focusing on improvements within that group is likely to have far greater impact on society than trying to move the "bottom" group to the "next group up from the bottom".

[erikpukinskis]

If we're trading intuitions, my intuition is that "the leaders of the next generation" will have mostly negative effects on society. Leaders usually spend all their resources reinforcing hegemony. And many of the people having the most positive effect on society will do it in a totally inconspicuous way. And many of those folks will come from bad schools, succeeding despite lack of institutional support. I suspect interpersonal support is a better predictor of positive contribution than institutional support.

For me, if even one kid has a strong desire to learn and is hampered by a bad school, I think that's worthy of attention. I think one kid can have a very large effect, and I see no reason to believe the kids at "good schools" have a bigger net positive effect. They will probably have more hard power, because if they are in a good school in means their parents have more hard power. But hard power doesn't equate to positive contribution. If anything, hard power tends to corrupt teenagers.

[reflexive]

If we're trading intuitions, my intuition is that "the leaders of the next generation" will have mostly negative effects on society.

It's hard for me to take what you're saying seriously. You are disagreeing with the idea that leaders should be well-prepared to do their jobs, because you think they mainly are going to harm people. Therefore, you reason, we should not attempt to improve their education, because (by your argument) we want them as incompetent as possible, to minimize the damage they can do.

For me, if even one kid has a strong desire to learn and is hampered by a bad school, I think that's worthy of attention.

You seem to miss the point that everything is relative. Badness of schools is relative; there is always a "worst" school out there hampering someone. Attention is also relative; giving attention one place means taking it away from somewhere else.

If anything, hard power tends to corrupt teenagers.

Who is suggesting giving power to teenagers?

[erikpukinskis]

> It's hard for me to take what you're saying seriously.

Feel free to browse my comment history if you suspect I am trolling.

> You are disagreeing with the idea that leaders should be well-prepared to do their jobs, because you think they mainly are going to harm people.

No, I think we should prepare them just like we prepare everyone else. And I think many of them will make valuable contributions. I disagreed with your assertion that they are the only people who will contribute substantially and therefore the only people whose educations matter.

> Therefore, you reason, we should not attempt to improve their education, because (by your argument) we want them as incompetent as possible, to minimize the damage they can do.

I didn't say anything like that. I think you assumed that because I disagree with your premise (only the education of the elites matters) that I must therefore believe in the opposite conclusion (we should only educate non-elites). But I believe in universal education.

I don't mind correcting you, but this conversation would go a lot faster if you responded to my actual words rather than what you assume I must think because I am disagreeing with you.

> Who is suggesting giving power to teenagers?

Neither of us. I was saying teenagers who are already destined to be given hard power, because their parents have it, will tend to get into good schools, and will also tend to reinforce hegemony, which I consider a negative thing.

[reflexive]

> I disagreed with your assertion that they are the only people who will contribute substantially and therefore the only people whose educations matter.

Wrong. I did not assert this. I asserted that resources should be focused on improving the abilities of the group most likely to be in key positions in the future.

[myowncrapulence]

But schools are made up of the children that attend them.. If a gifted child ends up in a bad school, he can certainly boost their esteem and encourage competition among intellectual thoughts.

One good seed can really foster a lot of inspiration.