Reading "Savage Inequalities" has really opened my eyes to the disadvantages of low income schools. I have learned a lot about specific schools that Kozol wrote about, but mainly how unfair the education system really is to these students. The different situations that they have to deal with on a daily basis seems like it is way too much for a young child to handle; helping out a younger brother, working at a young age, or taking care of their family. Not only are they somewhat robbed of a childhood at home, but they are not given the educational opportunities that they should be given. I have also learned how important it is for me to understand their backgrounds and make adjustments where it will be needed. Making adjustments will also be important when I am placed in a school where they can't afford to buy enough books for each student. Although they have funding, it isn't nearly enough. Kozol has showed me that we still have a very segregated education system and not much is being done about it. It's unfortunate that these students are treated like they don't matter; by not providing them with proper materials, we tell them that they aren't important to us. This book has really made me see the areas that our education system needs to improve, but also has given me a challenge to try and help in any way that I can.
I still have a lot of questions about diverstiy after reading this book, honestly I think I may have more at this point. Is there a reason that this situation of inequality in funds is compeltely ignored? I don't understand how people aren't outraged at the disadvantages given to these students. Perhaps they are outraged, but they don't have enough of a voice to speak out loud enough for everyone to hear. Also, what can I do as a white teacher to make sure my students are comfortable with me? I don't want them to think I'm there to judge them in any way, I hope that I can exemplify that through the way I interact with them. My main question is, what can I do to help? After reading this book I want to go through to every school that is struggling financially and help in any way possible. I know that's unrealistic, but I do wonder what I can personally do to help this situation.
After reading this book, I see I have a lot more to learn. I would like to read more about understanding diversity in the classroom. Something else I definitely need to educate myself on is the distribution of funds in Illinois public school system. I don't want to be ignorant to these types of situations, so I'm going to do what I can to grow professionally. Lastly, talking about these situations with cooperating teachers, professors, and other people in the education field with experience will help give me a better understanding of how to handle situations.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
The Dream Deferred, Again, in San Antonio
In this final chapter, Kozol discusses the different attempts and fails of different school districts trying to gain more financial help. Usually through going to court they are able to receive these funds. However, in this chapter we discover that, although they have tried numerous times, different districts are unable to receive the funding they need. This chapter was a little bit frustrating to read because he explains the different reasons people give to not giving more money to these underprivileged schools. Jonathon Kozol opens our eyes to the true greed that exists in the education system along with the corrupt leaders of the states who are in charge of the distribution of funding.
"Inequality is mediated for us by a taxing system that most people do not fully understand and seldom scrutinize. How this system really works, and how it came into existence, may enable us to better understand the difficulties that will be confronted in attempting to revise it" (207). This statement really hit me, mainly because I know I am one of those ignorant people that doesn't compeltely understand the taxing system. The only way I know anything about how the taxing system doesn't work is because I can see it in the inequality between districts. However, I think it is very important, especially for me as a teacher, to better educate myself on this system as a whole. If I want to make a difference in changing the system, I need to understand how it works first. Throughout this chapter, we are shown different ways of how people have constantly tried to change the system; Brown vs. Board of Education is one example he uses. People realized that the schools were divided by race and saw that it wasn't fair, so they "fixed" it. A lot of division is still evident in our school system today, and it is our job as teachers to educate ourselves and learn how we can help the school district we will be working in.
"The argument here is not that the children in districts having relatively low assessable property values are receiving no public education; rather, it is that they are receiving poorer quality education than that available to children in districts having more assessable wealth" (215). I think this is an important point to really keep in mind. It isn't necesarily the money that they are fighting to gain, although it would be a big help, they're fighting to be able to provide their students with the best education possible. Anyone fighting against this has to be out of their mind, but unfortunately people argue that they are given the same opportunities and materials that every other school is given; which is completely false. It's unbelieveable that people can ignore a problem that is so blatantly obvious. Kozol goes on to talk about how students are not receiving enough one-on-one attention from teachers because the class sizes are so big. They are not able to do homework because they can't take the books home since there aren't enough for everyone. Students don't have the same educational experience in science labs because the school can't afford the supplies. In other districts students get to have these types of experiences because they live in a wealthier neighborhood. The town you live in shouldn't affect the edcuation that you receive. These differences definitely affect the quality of education, and it should be understood that something needs to be done about it.
"'We don't want to take away the good things that you have. We just want to lift the poorer schools a little higher.' Political accommodation, rather than conviction, dictates this approach" (222). It's sad that this has to be explained to the wealthier districts. Any time they go to court to try and gain more funding, the wealthier schools always try to fight against it, worrying that it will take away from their own funds. These other districts need to be convicted of the inequalities that are present between the two different types of schools and have sympathy for them. As fellow educators, they should be doing whatever they can to give those teachers and students the same opportunities that they have been given. It's surprising to me that there is this kind of rivalry between the schools. No middle ground seems to be met through all of these situations, and that's really disappointing to me. I hope that other schools can better sympathize with one another and help in any areas that they can, simply because it's the right thing to do.
This last chapter was much different than the others, talking more about the numbers than the personal stories that we have heard. However, I think it was important and needed to be addressed. "Savage Inequalities" really is the best title for this book. The differences between the districts are horrific. Anyone should be able to see that and should want to respond and help in any way that they can. This book really has opened my eyes more to the differences, greed, and selfishness that is going on within the education system. I really look forward to learning more about this in my future years as an educator.
"Inequality is mediated for us by a taxing system that most people do not fully understand and seldom scrutinize. How this system really works, and how it came into existence, may enable us to better understand the difficulties that will be confronted in attempting to revise it" (207). This statement really hit me, mainly because I know I am one of those ignorant people that doesn't compeltely understand the taxing system. The only way I know anything about how the taxing system doesn't work is because I can see it in the inequality between districts. However, I think it is very important, especially for me as a teacher, to better educate myself on this system as a whole. If I want to make a difference in changing the system, I need to understand how it works first. Throughout this chapter, we are shown different ways of how people have constantly tried to change the system; Brown vs. Board of Education is one example he uses. People realized that the schools were divided by race and saw that it wasn't fair, so they "fixed" it. A lot of division is still evident in our school system today, and it is our job as teachers to educate ourselves and learn how we can help the school district we will be working in.
"The argument here is not that the children in districts having relatively low assessable property values are receiving no public education; rather, it is that they are receiving poorer quality education than that available to children in districts having more assessable wealth" (215). I think this is an important point to really keep in mind. It isn't necesarily the money that they are fighting to gain, although it would be a big help, they're fighting to be able to provide their students with the best education possible. Anyone fighting against this has to be out of their mind, but unfortunately people argue that they are given the same opportunities and materials that every other school is given; which is completely false. It's unbelieveable that people can ignore a problem that is so blatantly obvious. Kozol goes on to talk about how students are not receiving enough one-on-one attention from teachers because the class sizes are so big. They are not able to do homework because they can't take the books home since there aren't enough for everyone. Students don't have the same educational experience in science labs because the school can't afford the supplies. In other districts students get to have these types of experiences because they live in a wealthier neighborhood. The town you live in shouldn't affect the edcuation that you receive. These differences definitely affect the quality of education, and it should be understood that something needs to be done about it.
"'We don't want to take away the good things that you have. We just want to lift the poorer schools a little higher.' Political accommodation, rather than conviction, dictates this approach" (222). It's sad that this has to be explained to the wealthier districts. Any time they go to court to try and gain more funding, the wealthier schools always try to fight against it, worrying that it will take away from their own funds. These other districts need to be convicted of the inequalities that are present between the two different types of schools and have sympathy for them. As fellow educators, they should be doing whatever they can to give those teachers and students the same opportunities that they have been given. It's surprising to me that there is this kind of rivalry between the schools. No middle ground seems to be met through all of these situations, and that's really disappointing to me. I hope that other schools can better sympathize with one another and help in any areas that they can, simply because it's the right thing to do.
This last chapter was much different than the others, talking more about the numbers than the personal stories that we have heard. However, I think it was important and needed to be addressed. "Savage Inequalities" really is the best title for this book. The differences between the districts are horrific. Anyone should be able to see that and should want to respond and help in any way that they can. This book really has opened my eyes more to the differences, greed, and selfishness that is going on within the education system. I really look forward to learning more about this in my future years as an educator.
Friday, November 2, 2012
The Equality of Innocence
In this chapter, Kozol writes more specifically about the role that race plays in public schools. He talks about the inequality in funding and opportunities between predominately white schools and black schools. The big questions he tries to answer in this chapter is: How can we find equality in these two different schools? Basically his answer is that we can't, but we can try; which was a little discouraging at the end. While studying a school in Washington, D.C., he also talks a bit about the role of the teacher and how the race of administrators and teachers can affect the way people look at the schools and also how the students will look at you as a teacher or administrator differently depending on the color of your skin.
"What they prescribe, is something that resembles equity but never reaches it: something close enough to equity to silence criticism by approximating justice, but far enough from equity to guarantee the benefits enjoyed by privilege" (175). During this part of the chapter, Kozol is sharing with us the inequality of the budgets from different states. For example, he talks about how some states have actually said that 100% equality was too expensive. They weren't willing to give the same amount of money to the suburban and urban schools because they couldn't afford it. Rather than finding a place to meet in the middle, they gave the urban school districts 75% of what the suburban districts received. Although it's only a missing 25%, its a lot more than it seems. This translates into schools not paying their teachers more, not providing enough books for the students, class sizes, etc. They give them just enough so that it isn't an outrage, but they still leave them in the dust. Honestly, as I continue looking back at this chapter its almost as if these districts are completely used. They're not cared for and it shows through the way that they distribute funding. Greed in people is disappointing, but its even more disappointing when they're willing to put a child's future in harms way because they are not willing to give more money to pay for books in a district. It really is an outrage the way that these schools are treated, tossed to the side, and forgotten about. The more I read, the more I hope that there is something I can do in my future that could possibly help stop this type of inequality.
"So they know this other world exists, and, when you tell them that the government can't find the money to provide them with a decent place to go to school, they don't believe it and they know that it's a choice that has been made - a choice about how much they matter to society" (179). Kozol practically makes this entire chapter about the lack of funding for urban school districts. Although it may upset faculty that they don't get enough funding, we need to also remember the message it is sending to the students. Many of them already have a low self-esteem from the homes that they come from; then we go on to not give them a nice school like the neighboring towns because of where they live, it ruins that self esteem even more. We send them a message that they're not worth it, and if we're telling them that at such a young age why would they ever think differently? It's our fault that these inequalities exist, we allow the states to fund schools unfairly and treat urban districts like they do not matter. One of the students when asked about how they felt about their school responded "By doing this to you, we teach you how much you are hated" (179). A young boy was talking about how he knows that other schools have more money, and he see's it as an attack against him, his friends, and family. We need to open up our own eyes and see the harm that these types of situations are causing.
"The schools is dirty. There isn't any playground. There's a hole in the wall behind the principal's desk. What we need to do is first rebuild the school. Another color. Build a playground. Plant a lot of flowers. Paint the classrooms. Blue and white. Fix the hole in the principal's office. Buy the doors for the toilet stalls in the girls' bathroom. Fix the ceiling in this room. Make is a beautiful clean building" (181). That statement was coming from a fifth grader in Anacostia. She is well aware that her school isn't what it could be. The walls are dull, the schools is run down, students don't have anywhere to play, and the inside of the school looks like a prison. This is something that is really unacceptable to me. How can an elementary school feel like a prison? That is the last place that should be dull looking, and there should be people willing to help fix that. I'm currently working with a teacher at Hoover Elementary. On the outside it does somewhat look like a prison, but they have done what they can to make it an inviting and colorful school. Last summer the teachers and parents took time to go outside and plant flowers. They have been allowed to paint their classrooms, but most of them just decorate it with vibrant colors. It isn't difficult to make a school look more inviting, and I understand that the funding may not be there to help with this. However, I think with a little extra work, the faculty could at least make it look like a fun place to learn. Elementary students have the fun aspect about them, which is why I want to teach elementary. If we don't provide them with a fun and inviting environment, I feel like we're cheating them. Everyone deserves to have a friendly and welcoming school.
"It is truly gifted black officials who seem often in the most unenviable role; and this is the case especially in public education. Some of these people pay an awful price for the symbolic role they fill: a symbolism that at times appears to freeze their personalities and drain them of their normal warmth and humor" (196). Towards the end of the chapter, Kozol writes about the differences between white and black administrators. It seems that the outside media puts more pressure on black principals and disregards when a white principal is unable to fulfill the job. Many of them enter the school enthusiastic, but after a year or two they usually leave because they can't handle the outside pressures. It's disappointing when someone is going in to try and help a school in any way that they can, but are constantly badgered. He also mentions how the students also look at black and white teachers differently. They feel more comfortable with someone like them, which isn't a surprise by any means; but they grow more anxious when talking with a white teacher. He gives an example of a young student who was grasping onto his inhaler so tightly while talking to a white teacher, then begins a conversation with a black teacher in a completely different manner. The student is much more composed and relaxed. This is something that is important for me to understand since I have the desire to work in a low-income school. Hopefully I will have the ability to make the students feel as comfortable around me as they would with anyone else.
Although this chapter focused more on race than education, I still really enjoyed reading and learning more about it. I need to understand that I probably will be looked at differently since I am a white teacher. It may take me more time to earn their trust, but that is definitely something I'm willing to work hard for. Along with that, I hope that if I am in a school that feels like a prison I will be able to find others to help me make it feel like a more inviting environment. I would hate to work in an elementary school that had no personality, and I can't imagine the students would enjoy learning in a place with dull colored walls. Jonathon Kozol is really helping open my eyes to some of the problems I may face in my future teaching career.
"What they prescribe, is something that resembles equity but never reaches it: something close enough to equity to silence criticism by approximating justice, but far enough from equity to guarantee the benefits enjoyed by privilege" (175). During this part of the chapter, Kozol is sharing with us the inequality of the budgets from different states. For example, he talks about how some states have actually said that 100% equality was too expensive. They weren't willing to give the same amount of money to the suburban and urban schools because they couldn't afford it. Rather than finding a place to meet in the middle, they gave the urban school districts 75% of what the suburban districts received. Although it's only a missing 25%, its a lot more than it seems. This translates into schools not paying their teachers more, not providing enough books for the students, class sizes, etc. They give them just enough so that it isn't an outrage, but they still leave them in the dust. Honestly, as I continue looking back at this chapter its almost as if these districts are completely used. They're not cared for and it shows through the way that they distribute funding. Greed in people is disappointing, but its even more disappointing when they're willing to put a child's future in harms way because they are not willing to give more money to pay for books in a district. It really is an outrage the way that these schools are treated, tossed to the side, and forgotten about. The more I read, the more I hope that there is something I can do in my future that could possibly help stop this type of inequality.
"So they know this other world exists, and, when you tell them that the government can't find the money to provide them with a decent place to go to school, they don't believe it and they know that it's a choice that has been made - a choice about how much they matter to society" (179). Kozol practically makes this entire chapter about the lack of funding for urban school districts. Although it may upset faculty that they don't get enough funding, we need to also remember the message it is sending to the students. Many of them already have a low self-esteem from the homes that they come from; then we go on to not give them a nice school like the neighboring towns because of where they live, it ruins that self esteem even more. We send them a message that they're not worth it, and if we're telling them that at such a young age why would they ever think differently? It's our fault that these inequalities exist, we allow the states to fund schools unfairly and treat urban districts like they do not matter. One of the students when asked about how they felt about their school responded "By doing this to you, we teach you how much you are hated" (179). A young boy was talking about how he knows that other schools have more money, and he see's it as an attack against him, his friends, and family. We need to open up our own eyes and see the harm that these types of situations are causing.
"The schools is dirty. There isn't any playground. There's a hole in the wall behind the principal's desk. What we need to do is first rebuild the school. Another color. Build a playground. Plant a lot of flowers. Paint the classrooms. Blue and white. Fix the hole in the principal's office. Buy the doors for the toilet stalls in the girls' bathroom. Fix the ceiling in this room. Make is a beautiful clean building" (181). That statement was coming from a fifth grader in Anacostia. She is well aware that her school isn't what it could be. The walls are dull, the schools is run down, students don't have anywhere to play, and the inside of the school looks like a prison. This is something that is really unacceptable to me. How can an elementary school feel like a prison? That is the last place that should be dull looking, and there should be people willing to help fix that. I'm currently working with a teacher at Hoover Elementary. On the outside it does somewhat look like a prison, but they have done what they can to make it an inviting and colorful school. Last summer the teachers and parents took time to go outside and plant flowers. They have been allowed to paint their classrooms, but most of them just decorate it with vibrant colors. It isn't difficult to make a school look more inviting, and I understand that the funding may not be there to help with this. However, I think with a little extra work, the faculty could at least make it look like a fun place to learn. Elementary students have the fun aspect about them, which is why I want to teach elementary. If we don't provide them with a fun and inviting environment, I feel like we're cheating them. Everyone deserves to have a friendly and welcoming school.
"It is truly gifted black officials who seem often in the most unenviable role; and this is the case especially in public education. Some of these people pay an awful price for the symbolic role they fill: a symbolism that at times appears to freeze their personalities and drain them of their normal warmth and humor" (196). Towards the end of the chapter, Kozol writes about the differences between white and black administrators. It seems that the outside media puts more pressure on black principals and disregards when a white principal is unable to fulfill the job. Many of them enter the school enthusiastic, but after a year or two they usually leave because they can't handle the outside pressures. It's disappointing when someone is going in to try and help a school in any way that they can, but are constantly badgered. He also mentions how the students also look at black and white teachers differently. They feel more comfortable with someone like them, which isn't a surprise by any means; but they grow more anxious when talking with a white teacher. He gives an example of a young student who was grasping onto his inhaler so tightly while talking to a white teacher, then begins a conversation with a black teacher in a completely different manner. The student is much more composed and relaxed. This is something that is important for me to understand since I have the desire to work in a low-income school. Hopefully I will have the ability to make the students feel as comfortable around me as they would with anyone else.
Although this chapter focused more on race than education, I still really enjoyed reading and learning more about it. I need to understand that I probably will be looked at differently since I am a white teacher. It may take me more time to earn their trust, but that is definitely something I'm willing to work hard for. Along with that, I hope that if I am in a school that feels like a prison I will be able to find others to help me make it feel like a more inviting environment. I would hate to work in an elementary school that had no personality, and I can't imagine the students would enjoy learning in a place with dull colored walls. Jonathon Kozol is really helping open my eyes to some of the problems I may face in my future teaching career.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Children of the City Invincible: Camden, New Jersey
In this chapter we are introduced to a school in Camden, New Jersey. Obviously it has a similar situation to the past few schools we have learned about; there are too many students, not enough materials, and not enough room to even fit all of the students comfortably in a classroom. This chapter discusses how in some situations the classrooms take place in storage closets, and students often have to sit on the floor. Reading through these, it is unreal the situations these students are dealing with; but it is good to be introduced to these types of problems.
"This school may be the safest place in life for many of these children" (141). Before Kozol wrote this, he was discussing some of the horrific home lives that these children have. Many of them have to deal with an absent parent, abusive parent, or not even living with their parents but living with friends or grandparents. School, Kozol writes, is a place where the children are able to feel safe. There is a system in school and a consistency that is absent in many of their homes. While we continue reading, Kozol talks about what happens when that consistency and comfortability ends. There was a situation at school where a student set fire to a science classroom. By losing that trust with the student body, teachers begin to lose their students. I think this is a very important point to understand as a future teacher. We need to make our students feel safe at school, because it may be the only place that feels safe to them. When something interrupts that feeling, its important to talk about it with your classroom. Letting them know that everything will be resolved is a way of reestablishing that trust.
"They do not learn to think, because their teachers are straitjacketed by tests that measure only isolated skills. As a result, they can be given no electives, nothing wonderful or fanciful or beautiful, nothing that touches the spirit or the soul" (143). It's very discouraging to think about the number of students who don't have the same opportunities I did growing up. I know this is a blog about diversity, but sometimes I completely forget about the simple things that some students may be missing out on that many other students take for granted. Having the option of going to art, gym, music, etc. is a great opportunity for young students. I know I certainly enjoyed all of those specials when I was younger; but since some schools don't have much funding, they are not able to provide those classes for their students. This really is heartbreaking to stop and think about. I found so much joy in expressing myself through art and music when I was younger, there was a freedom in those classes that didn't exist in the regular classroom. It was where creativity was encouraged. If we are not giving students the opportunity to express themselves in a creative manner, what are we doing for them? Teaching them facts, preparing them for a test; that is all we are doing for them in these situations. People need to be more aware of these types of situations and take action, because it is completely unfair to have so much for some schools and so little for the others.
"Six hundred children enter ninth grade... By eleventh grade we have about 300" (146). I have seen this type of situation near my own town. In this part of the chapter, Kozol is talking about the Camden High School and how many students dropout. Many of them drop out to start working earlier, have children, or get into the wrong types of activities. This is something that has been observed in schools for as long as I can remember. It has been a known statistic of dropout rates in urban schools being higher than those in the suburbs. Kozol writes about the different programs they have for students with children or with drug problems, but it still isn't stopping students from dropping out. I'm not sure what can be done to fix this problem because I'm not an expert, but I think we need more than advisers talking to them and programs that will help watch their children. Although it would be a lot of work to start fixing these types of problems, its work that I'm passionate about and needs to be done.
"For the brightest kids, the ones who have a chance at four-year college, we cannot provide an AP program. We don't have the funds of facilities" (150). I think this is honestly one of the most important quotes of the book that I have read yet. We all believe that everyone has an equal chance, and that statement is partly true. All students have the opportunity to learn and go to school; but some of them have a disadvantage. Students in schools like Camden High School can excel just like anywhere else; there are intelligent students in all schools. However, since they are unable to fund an AP program, these students are left out on their own. Although they show promise, they will not be given the same material to learn as other students in suburban schools. However, they will be given the exact same tests as those students even though they haven't been given the same material. This is what is looks like to give everyone an equal chance at success? I would definitely have to disagree with that. People say everyone has the same opportunities in life, but this is a perfect example showing how that statement is completely false. They don't have the same opportunities, and students from low-income schools have a very powerful disadvantage when it comes to their futures.
"It is a betrayal of the best things that we value when poor children are obliged to sing these songs in storerooms and coat closets" (160). This quote needs a bit more explaining. Before writing this, Kozol was talking about how the students are able to attend a music class once a week. When they meet they are required to go into a storage room where only about 15 should be able to fit comfortably; but they manage to put about 25 in there, sometimes more. He goes on to talk about how the students were singing songs like "This Land is Your Land", and how ironic it is for them to be singing that while they are in this situation. The optimism of the song is fantastic; good morals about sharing the land and talking about brotherhood. However, they are singing this song while there are students in the suburban areas attending music nearly every day in a comfortable room that could fit 50, but they only put about 25 in there at a time. The irony of this is quite astonishing. I've always known that it was unequal, but having Kozol go through and visit these different schools while explaining the situations is eye-opening. I never realized the "savage inequalities" that really existed, I suppose that really is the perfect name for this book.
It's completely unfair what these students have to go through. They don't choose where they're born, and they don't have a way of changing that when they're younger. Although they do have a chance of going to college it's not an equal one. This chapter really made me start to see the unbelievable inequalities that are present in our public schools today. It's very disappointing that people don't draw more attention to this. Perhaps they are trying, but we need to try harder. These inequalities need to be dealt with on a national level. I know people are doing what they can to personally help the students, but that can never be enough to restore what has been done to these schools.
"This school may be the safest place in life for many of these children" (141). Before Kozol wrote this, he was discussing some of the horrific home lives that these children have. Many of them have to deal with an absent parent, abusive parent, or not even living with their parents but living with friends or grandparents. School, Kozol writes, is a place where the children are able to feel safe. There is a system in school and a consistency that is absent in many of their homes. While we continue reading, Kozol talks about what happens when that consistency and comfortability ends. There was a situation at school where a student set fire to a science classroom. By losing that trust with the student body, teachers begin to lose their students. I think this is a very important point to understand as a future teacher. We need to make our students feel safe at school, because it may be the only place that feels safe to them. When something interrupts that feeling, its important to talk about it with your classroom. Letting them know that everything will be resolved is a way of reestablishing that trust.
"They do not learn to think, because their teachers are straitjacketed by tests that measure only isolated skills. As a result, they can be given no electives, nothing wonderful or fanciful or beautiful, nothing that touches the spirit or the soul" (143). It's very discouraging to think about the number of students who don't have the same opportunities I did growing up. I know this is a blog about diversity, but sometimes I completely forget about the simple things that some students may be missing out on that many other students take for granted. Having the option of going to art, gym, music, etc. is a great opportunity for young students. I know I certainly enjoyed all of those specials when I was younger; but since some schools don't have much funding, they are not able to provide those classes for their students. This really is heartbreaking to stop and think about. I found so much joy in expressing myself through art and music when I was younger, there was a freedom in those classes that didn't exist in the regular classroom. It was where creativity was encouraged. If we are not giving students the opportunity to express themselves in a creative manner, what are we doing for them? Teaching them facts, preparing them for a test; that is all we are doing for them in these situations. People need to be more aware of these types of situations and take action, because it is completely unfair to have so much for some schools and so little for the others.
"Six hundred children enter ninth grade... By eleventh grade we have about 300" (146). I have seen this type of situation near my own town. In this part of the chapter, Kozol is talking about the Camden High School and how many students dropout. Many of them drop out to start working earlier, have children, or get into the wrong types of activities. This is something that has been observed in schools for as long as I can remember. It has been a known statistic of dropout rates in urban schools being higher than those in the suburbs. Kozol writes about the different programs they have for students with children or with drug problems, but it still isn't stopping students from dropping out. I'm not sure what can be done to fix this problem because I'm not an expert, but I think we need more than advisers talking to them and programs that will help watch their children. Although it would be a lot of work to start fixing these types of problems, its work that I'm passionate about and needs to be done.
"For the brightest kids, the ones who have a chance at four-year college, we cannot provide an AP program. We don't have the funds of facilities" (150). I think this is honestly one of the most important quotes of the book that I have read yet. We all believe that everyone has an equal chance, and that statement is partly true. All students have the opportunity to learn and go to school; but some of them have a disadvantage. Students in schools like Camden High School can excel just like anywhere else; there are intelligent students in all schools. However, since they are unable to fund an AP program, these students are left out on their own. Although they show promise, they will not be given the same material to learn as other students in suburban schools. However, they will be given the exact same tests as those students even though they haven't been given the same material. This is what is looks like to give everyone an equal chance at success? I would definitely have to disagree with that. People say everyone has the same opportunities in life, but this is a perfect example showing how that statement is completely false. They don't have the same opportunities, and students from low-income schools have a very powerful disadvantage when it comes to their futures.
"It is a betrayal of the best things that we value when poor children are obliged to sing these songs in storerooms and coat closets" (160). This quote needs a bit more explaining. Before writing this, Kozol was talking about how the students are able to attend a music class once a week. When they meet they are required to go into a storage room where only about 15 should be able to fit comfortably; but they manage to put about 25 in there, sometimes more. He goes on to talk about how the students were singing songs like "This Land is Your Land", and how ironic it is for them to be singing that while they are in this situation. The optimism of the song is fantastic; good morals about sharing the land and talking about brotherhood. However, they are singing this song while there are students in the suburban areas attending music nearly every day in a comfortable room that could fit 50, but they only put about 25 in there at a time. The irony of this is quite astonishing. I've always known that it was unequal, but having Kozol go through and visit these different schools while explaining the situations is eye-opening. I never realized the "savage inequalities" that really existed, I suppose that really is the perfect name for this book.
It's completely unfair what these students have to go through. They don't choose where they're born, and they don't have a way of changing that when they're younger. Although they do have a chance of going to college it's not an equal one. This chapter really made me start to see the unbelievable inequalities that are present in our public schools today. It's very disappointing that people don't draw more attention to this. Perhaps they are trying, but we need to try harder. These inequalities need to be dealt with on a national level. I know people are doing what they can to personally help the students, but that can never be enough to restore what has been done to these schools.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Other People's Children/ Public Education in New York
Savage Inequalities is continuing to teach me so much. It is revealing different aspects of teaching that have always recognized but never really paid attention to. In these two chapters I have read for this past week, they both discussed a lot about very obvious aspects of educating in different schools that we may not notice. In "Other People's Children", Kozol discusses different situations; but the main discussion is about a teacher named Corla Hawkins who teaches a fifth and sixth grade combined classroom. "Public Education in New York" discusses the difficulties teaching in New York.
"Kindergarten classes almost anywhere are cheerful places, and whatever damage may already have been done to children here is not initially apparent to a visitor" (43). This is one reminder that I really appreciated in this chapter. Young children are so innocent and naive; no matter what is going on at home they still seem so happy and cheerful when you see them in school. I can definitely relate to this because last semester I was in a placement where a young boy lost his grandmother. It was a kindergarten class and he was absolutely torn up about it; but once he got back into the routine with the other students he had a completely different attitude. He was able to play and laugh with the other students after about five minutes of being back at school. Young children have such a free spirit about them and are easy-going.
"The rationale behind much of this writing is that pedagogic problems in our cities are not chiefly matters of injustice, inequality or segregation, but of insufficient information about teaching strategies: If we could simply learn what works in Corla Hawkins's room, we'd then be in a position to repeat this all over Chicago and in every other system" (51). In this part of the chapter, Kozol argues that teachers aren't being educated enough with the situations around them. He talks about how difficult it is for teachers to understand lives that they have never experienced before; and how impossible it is to teach to a student you don't understand. Corla does her best to understand and know her students background before teaching. I think this is an excellent example of what all educators need to do. It's important to understand our students and their needs before we try overwhelming them with instruction. So, one aspect that is important to take away from this is the fact that this isn't just a problem of segregation or injustice, but also the fact that teachers are not getting the proper training on how to approach these students.
"It is part of our faith, as Americans, that there is potential in all children" (67). Kozol discusses how most of the teachers have given up in different areas because they are unable to reach the students. We need to remember, as educators, that all children have the ability to learn. Although some may be quicker than others, or may be able to learn different aspects more in depth; we need to remember that it is our responsibility to work with these students. We need to do our best to help them achieve their best. Without having faith in our students, they will not have faith in themselves. Unfortunately, the different situations we will find ourselves in may include our student's parents not believing in them. Especially if this is happening at home, it is our job to make sure we instill confidence in our students.
"It's amazing to me that these children ever make it with the obstacles they face. Many do care and they do try, but there's a feeling of despair" (90). This is a sad truth that we may find in our students. Especially for me, I plan on teaching in Chicago Public Schools, I know many of my students will have to deal with a lot on a day to day basis. For example, some of them may be responsible for younger siblings, others may have to help work to put food on the table. The students that have to deal with all of that stress outside of school with have a very difficult time focusing on doing their best in school. Although they may be doing their best, they may still have an attitude of despair. We need to recognize this in our students and possibly make accommodations for those that have to be a mother or father to a younger sibling when they leave from school.
I really appreciate Kozol's honesty in his writing. So many of these situations seem ridiculous and unbelievable, but it's important to see that these situations do exist and need to be addressed. I am excited to be able to start working in schools like this where I may be able to help, in the same way that Mrs. Hawkins did. She was discussed in the first chapter, and she did everything she could to accommodate for her students and try to ensure success in every single one of them. She took time to work with them individuality, but focused on their main needs first. I really admire teachers like this, and I hope I will be able to be that inspiration for my students as well.
"Kindergarten classes almost anywhere are cheerful places, and whatever damage may already have been done to children here is not initially apparent to a visitor" (43). This is one reminder that I really appreciated in this chapter. Young children are so innocent and naive; no matter what is going on at home they still seem so happy and cheerful when you see them in school. I can definitely relate to this because last semester I was in a placement where a young boy lost his grandmother. It was a kindergarten class and he was absolutely torn up about it; but once he got back into the routine with the other students he had a completely different attitude. He was able to play and laugh with the other students after about five minutes of being back at school. Young children have such a free spirit about them and are easy-going.
"The rationale behind much of this writing is that pedagogic problems in our cities are not chiefly matters of injustice, inequality or segregation, but of insufficient information about teaching strategies: If we could simply learn what works in Corla Hawkins's room, we'd then be in a position to repeat this all over Chicago and in every other system" (51). In this part of the chapter, Kozol argues that teachers aren't being educated enough with the situations around them. He talks about how difficult it is for teachers to understand lives that they have never experienced before; and how impossible it is to teach to a student you don't understand. Corla does her best to understand and know her students background before teaching. I think this is an excellent example of what all educators need to do. It's important to understand our students and their needs before we try overwhelming them with instruction. So, one aspect that is important to take away from this is the fact that this isn't just a problem of segregation or injustice, but also the fact that teachers are not getting the proper training on how to approach these students.
"It is part of our faith, as Americans, that there is potential in all children" (67). Kozol discusses how most of the teachers have given up in different areas because they are unable to reach the students. We need to remember, as educators, that all children have the ability to learn. Although some may be quicker than others, or may be able to learn different aspects more in depth; we need to remember that it is our responsibility to work with these students. We need to do our best to help them achieve their best. Without having faith in our students, they will not have faith in themselves. Unfortunately, the different situations we will find ourselves in may include our student's parents not believing in them. Especially if this is happening at home, it is our job to make sure we instill confidence in our students.
"It's amazing to me that these children ever make it with the obstacles they face. Many do care and they do try, but there's a feeling of despair" (90). This is a sad truth that we may find in our students. Especially for me, I plan on teaching in Chicago Public Schools, I know many of my students will have to deal with a lot on a day to day basis. For example, some of them may be responsible for younger siblings, others may have to help work to put food on the table. The students that have to deal with all of that stress outside of school with have a very difficult time focusing on doing their best in school. Although they may be doing their best, they may still have an attitude of despair. We need to recognize this in our students and possibly make accommodations for those that have to be a mother or father to a younger sibling when they leave from school.
I really appreciate Kozol's honesty in his writing. So many of these situations seem ridiculous and unbelievable, but it's important to see that these situations do exist and need to be addressed. I am excited to be able to start working in schools like this where I may be able to help, in the same way that Mrs. Hawkins did. She was discussed in the first chapter, and she did everything she could to accommodate for her students and try to ensure success in every single one of them. She took time to work with them individuality, but focused on their main needs first. I really admire teachers like this, and I hope I will be able to be that inspiration for my students as well.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Life on the Mississippi
I am genuinely happy and excited I chose to read this book. Throughout my time reading, I find myself wanting to quote everything that was happening. The reason not necessarily being that it was encouraging, this chapter was actually very discouraging; but I really want to have this experience make a lasting impression. As I said in my earlier post, this book is about the inequalities that are still so deeply rooted in our education systems. Jonathon Kozol takes us into "Life on the Mississippi", which is the title of the chapter. More specifically, we learn about the schools of East St. Louis. What I want to do is take you through some of the most memorable moments of this chapter that stuck out to me and I have been forcing myself to reflect on this past week.
"Many people seemed to view the segregation issue as a 'past injustice' that had been sufficiently addressed" (3). I will be the first to admit that I considered myself one of these people. Since segregation was made illegal after the Brown v. Board of Education case, I assumed that was the end of it. As we will see throughout this chapter, that is not the case at all. There are so many disheartening and bone-chilling moments that Kozol discusses throughout the chapter.
"Smokey says his sister was raped and murdered and then dumped behind his school. Other children add more details: Smokey's sister was 11 years old. She was beaten with a brick until she died" (13). Just stopping and thinking about the situation of these students I feel is important. When we learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, safety is one of the top ones mentioned. How do we expect to teach our children if they don't feel safe? This young boys sister was murdered, and her body was dumped behind the school he attends every day. Since I have never experienced anything like this, I can't say how that little boy feels. It is just another sobering reminder that we need to take the time to get to know our students. My desire is to teach in a low-income area, similar to the ones I will be reading about. It is important for me to learn about their fears and how different my students' lives are and will be from my own situation growing up.
"Assemble all the worst things in America - gambling, liquor, cigarettes and toxic fumes, sewage, waste disposal, prostitution - put it all together" (17). This isn't an over-exaggeration of the events happening in East St. Louis. As I read, I learned more about the schools that Kozol was visiting. In one district, they had sewage back up into the food preparation area; school was cancelled until they were able to get the mess cleaned up and get everything back to code. As he said this quote, he also encouraged the reader to think about where those activities happen in America. In the end, he came to the conclusion that it was mainly in the predominately African American schools. I continued thinking about this and realized he had a really good point. Honestly, I can't think of any predominately white schools that any of this would happen in; at least not that I have been in.
The school I am working in now is Hoover Elementary, and it is a predominately black population of students. This past week they were having a sewage problem as well. The floors of the girls bathroom was covered in water, and the boys bathroom was having issues too. It's disappointing to realize that the education system has failed in a lot of ways. We are unable to give teachers the pay they need, the supplies they need, and a reasonable number of students to try and manage. This is a reality that I need to accept because I have a desire to teach in these schools; even though sometimes I wish that desire would go away, especially after reading some of these situations!
I never really thought about the inequalities there were in education. There were always obvious differences when it came to funding; some schools had more books, nice facilities, good equipment for labs. However, I never considered the fact that predominately black schools usually ended up on the worse end of the bargain. It makes you wonder: is segregation gone, or just ignored? Do we turn the other way because we don't want to make that realization that there is something deeply rooted in our society that needs to be changed? Are we supposed to change it? These are questions I have been wrestling with all week as I have been going to my placement at Hoover and thinking about my future teaching job.
Although this was a difficult chapter to read, I'm oddly very encouraged and excited for my future job as a teacher. I also realize I have a lot to learn about the different schools I may be encountering. Even if I don't work in a school exactly like this one, it's important to be informed about what is out there. I'm excited to continue reading and learning about the different schools we will be visiting on this journey.
"Many people seemed to view the segregation issue as a 'past injustice' that had been sufficiently addressed" (3). I will be the first to admit that I considered myself one of these people. Since segregation was made illegal after the Brown v. Board of Education case, I assumed that was the end of it. As we will see throughout this chapter, that is not the case at all. There are so many disheartening and bone-chilling moments that Kozol discusses throughout the chapter.
"Smokey says his sister was raped and murdered and then dumped behind his school. Other children add more details: Smokey's sister was 11 years old. She was beaten with a brick until she died" (13). Just stopping and thinking about the situation of these students I feel is important. When we learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, safety is one of the top ones mentioned. How do we expect to teach our children if they don't feel safe? This young boys sister was murdered, and her body was dumped behind the school he attends every day. Since I have never experienced anything like this, I can't say how that little boy feels. It is just another sobering reminder that we need to take the time to get to know our students. My desire is to teach in a low-income area, similar to the ones I will be reading about. It is important for me to learn about their fears and how different my students' lives are and will be from my own situation growing up.
"Assemble all the worst things in America - gambling, liquor, cigarettes and toxic fumes, sewage, waste disposal, prostitution - put it all together" (17). This isn't an over-exaggeration of the events happening in East St. Louis. As I read, I learned more about the schools that Kozol was visiting. In one district, they had sewage back up into the food preparation area; school was cancelled until they were able to get the mess cleaned up and get everything back to code. As he said this quote, he also encouraged the reader to think about where those activities happen in America. In the end, he came to the conclusion that it was mainly in the predominately African American schools. I continued thinking about this and realized he had a really good point. Honestly, I can't think of any predominately white schools that any of this would happen in; at least not that I have been in.
The school I am working in now is Hoover Elementary, and it is a predominately black population of students. This past week they were having a sewage problem as well. The floors of the girls bathroom was covered in water, and the boys bathroom was having issues too. It's disappointing to realize that the education system has failed in a lot of ways. We are unable to give teachers the pay they need, the supplies they need, and a reasonable number of students to try and manage. This is a reality that I need to accept because I have a desire to teach in these schools; even though sometimes I wish that desire would go away, especially after reading some of these situations!
"'Gifted children,' says Dr. Parks, 'are everywhere in East St. Louis, but their gifts are lost to poverty and turmoil and the damage done by knowing they are written off by their society'" (33-34). It's terrible to think of a gifted student giving up on himself or herself because society doesn't expect enough out of them. I really wanted to reflect on this thought. Am I someone that isn't expecting enough out of a student because of their background? Do I automatically assume that a student is incapable? I would like to think not at all, and throughout this past week I have stopped and asked myself that question at my placement. To be honest with myself, I'm not sure whether I do or not. I know there are very intelligent students in the class. Even if I don't make assumptions about capabilities, I should be encouraging my students to strive for excellence no matter what.
I never really thought about the inequalities there were in education. There were always obvious differences when it came to funding; some schools had more books, nice facilities, good equipment for labs. However, I never considered the fact that predominately black schools usually ended up on the worse end of the bargain. It makes you wonder: is segregation gone, or just ignored? Do we turn the other way because we don't want to make that realization that there is something deeply rooted in our society that needs to be changed? Are we supposed to change it? These are questions I have been wrestling with all week as I have been going to my placement at Hoover and thinking about my future teaching job.
Although this was a difficult chapter to read, I'm oddly very encouraged and excited for my future job as a teacher. I also realize I have a lot to learn about the different schools I may be encountering. Even if I don't work in a school exactly like this one, it's important to be informed about what is out there. I'm excited to continue reading and learning about the different schools we will be visiting on this journey.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Introduction
I was very excited when I heard about this project for class. Over the summer I had the opportunity to read a few books written by other teachers about education practices. However, one thing I never touched on was reading about diversity in schools. It is one thing to talk about diversity in a classroom, but it is entirely different when you read and begin to understand what diversity may look like in my own future classroom. I've chosen Jonathan Kozol's book because it seems that he has had a lot of experience in situations of diversity in a school. In his writings, he looks at the public school system as a place of great inequality. I'm very excited to read this book and be able to take hold of my own growth and learning.
In his book, Jonathon Kozol will be writing about the inequalities in the public school systems. Although we are now decades after segregation ended in this country, Kozol argues that in many ways we are still as segregated now as we were then. Throughout the book, we will be taking a journey through many inner city schools and getting to know some students that are not being given the same opportunities as we would care to believe. Kozol will be arguing as to why we need to recognize the inequalities in our school system; along with taking it into our own hands as educators to learn to be as fair as possible.
I am definitely looking forward to reading this book and learning more about what I may not be able to see myself. In the future, I really want to teach in the Chicago Public School system; but I know I have a lot to learn about the schools and their situation. Reading Savage Inequalities will give me a good start as to what to expect when I begin teaching. I understand reading about something and experiencing them are completely different; but I think this book will give me a good opportunity to grow and have a new understanding of an unfamiliar situation.
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