Buffalo Rising Online

How about letting the BSD fire the worst 10% of the teachers without fear of a mega-lawsuit by the all-powerful teachers union, hmm Richard?

The only green we need to hear about in Buffalo schools should come from new jobs. All this environmental stuff is great but it don't really mean a lot to someone livin' in a house with lead paint and asbestos covered pipes. It don't mean a whole lot to the BPS students who walk by blocks of decaying buildings just to get home. This green environmental stuff is for the rich whites who have the green to spend on their tiny new cars and twisty light bulbs. Dollar tree doesn't stock twisty light bulbs or ecofriendly windex, they carry the stuff that the non elmwood folk can afford. So you gonna teach the school kids about recycling and composting? You gonna tell them all about water conservation to keep them out of the hydrants when the parks are closed in the summer? We got more important things to worry about than the personal campaign of a has been ex presidential wannabe. You gotta understand that the inner city families been green all the time, it is the rest of you that is catching on. Inner city people walk and bus everywhere because we ain't got jobs that pay well enough to afford a car. We recycle everything especially stuff that someone else has tossed out at the curb. We shop goodwill and amvets to recycle what the rich folk don't want anymore and we give it back to goodwill or to family when we are done with it. We save water all the time because the water authority will cut you off in a heartbeat if your bill isn't paid in full signed sealed and delivered by the date due every month. We all been growing trees in gutters and porches all over the city. And we recycle copper pipes and metal all the time. Is that what you plan on teaching in the school cause we all ready got that sh** on lock.

I think you two are looking at this the wrong way, a proper green education could teach children to save money and resources allowing them to live better lives. If the knew the benefits of local farmers markets, you would understand that you can eat healthier quite cheaply. I can get about 4 big linen bags of groceries (produce) for under 20 dollars. Tops or weggies you are lucky to get 1 bag of food for 20 and those are stupid little plastic ones.

A Green education would allow people to choose a style of home that would save them money, it would better inform decisions that impact their bottom line because very often environmental issues can save you money. Think about composting / recycling. If people composed their kitchen scraps and recycled what they can,you would save space space in your tote and even be able to get the smaller tote scale from the city and save some money each month. Eventually garbage is going to be billed by pound, those that are educated in ways to reducing their garbage (besides dumping in on the nearest vacant lot) will be able to save money. those that know about energy leakage can spend 50 dollars at the beginning of winter and save hundred of dollars over the months.

green education is MORE important for poor people because they are the ones most impacted by energy, food and transportation costs. Those people in Clarence are not going to change they make enough money to do what they want. The rest of us are the ones that need to educate ourselves to live better more efficient lives.

PS there are plenty of rich black folks driving around in ridiculous sized cars, just as there are plenty of poor while folks that go to Amvets, and garbage pick. No one side or income level deserves to be perched on a pedestal here. Buffalo has one of the worse canopy covers in the country a horrid recycling rate and is far from being a sustainable place to live... With a city split 50/50 by race neither side are doing a good job..

yeah I am not saying it should be the responsibility of the schools only but someone should be teaching these children how to be good responsible citizens, that ideally should fall on the shoulders of the parents but as we have seen for a couple generations now, parents are not doing the job and allowing kids to 'not care.' You know what happened when I talked back to didn't care.. I got the back hand of my grandmother's hand. Without parental involvement I think the shcools take on a role they can never fufill like that should but I guess that doesn't mean we shouldn't try because there isn't anyone else out there looking out for these kids.

It also isn't something that would take away form or detract from what they already have to teach. You learn about energy, compost and much of these topics in science classes as it is. It wouldn't hurt and might actually connect with more kids on how these issues could come home to better their lives. If they could get that new pair of shoes or that CD they wanted by saving their parents and themselves some money I don't think very many people wouldn't pay attention. I agree the schools are in a loosing battle overall but until unfortunately is the only semblance of order and discipline that many children have.