Economic and demographic conditions of Allen Park Essay

Frankly, the demographic data I found on the city and school district of Allen Park does not come as a surprise to me. I live in the city directly south and was well aware of Allen Park's characteristics before becoming employed there. It is a very appealing city due to its middle class and low crime status in comparison to the rest of the state (Introduction to Allen Park, Michigan, 2005-2016). Overall, the community seems to please its residents with its offerings and would be attractive for new citizens to move to. Most of its residents stay their entire lives. Many choose to raise their children here as well. In fact, majority of the teachers here within the district attended Allen Park Public Schools themselves.
Most teachers stay their entire careers in the district. Teacher turnover rates are very low in Allen Park Schools. Although other districts have been cutting salaries and laying-off teachers, we have received step increases and have been hiring more. Salaries for an Allen Park Community School teacher is one of the highest in Michigan (SKORUP, 2014). The average teacher salary in Allen Park Public Schools is $48,500 (Average Teacher Salary in Allen Park Public Schools, 2016). The school district is a very well sought after one and explains the need for a lotto for school of choice students to attend here.
Based on the information I obtained by doing this paper, I do believe that I would change some of my ranking of items in the sociological inventory. I made the rankings with the information I had prior to the inventory, now with the results from census and enrollment data I would change a few things. Due to the consistency of the population characteristics and economic conditions I would move these more towards the bottom of the list. Based on the information, I feel we already have a good understanding of who makes up and will continue to make up the community. If the ethnic composition of Allen Park did change in the future, these issues would need to be addressed. This lack of diversity could very negatively affect the school climate and citizenship of those that are in the minority in the city. Economic conditions of Allen Park have remained relatively the same so we have a steady idea of the financial support available.
In light of the newly obtained information, I would move the Communication Channels and Previous Community Efforts below the Political Structure. An area of weakness that needs to be addressed is the communication and participation between the community and the schools. It appears that businesses in the community are working autonomously instead of in unison with the schools. Knowing that a strong educational system is the foundation of a strong community it is important to work with the community. Ultimately, the way to reach all members of the school and community can be done through effective communication channels. Any new proposals or changes will need the support of the community.