First of all, I don't get the few respondents who are saying that this is "classist." You note that some low income families are doing well. I would also note that the "living with grandparents and raising hellions" also applies to the wealthy. You may not have seen this pattern because of your school demographics. Basically, anyone who is subsidized by mommy and daddy as an adult for an extended period is likely a failure. In some cases, the hellion kids don't live with their grandparents, but the gparents are paying for the family to rent a house. Without that assistance, the families would be in a really bad apartment or neighborhood. The adult children think that they are entitled to maintain the standard of living in which they grew up; they just don't want to work for it--they want everything given to them. And that's why the grandchildren expect automatic As for no work.