Inequalities in American Public Schools (Segregation)

Mae-Domenica Beauford
Critical Reflection #1
Hot Topic: Inequalities in America’s Public School System

Segregated Schools- Do they still exist in 2008?

“No matter how complex the reasons that have brought us to the point at which we stand, we have, it seems, been traveling a long way to a place of ultimate surrender that does not look very different from the place where some of us began (Kozol, 2005, p. 10).” Inequality and segregation are problems that people often think of as an issue of the past that left with the court case Brown v. Board of Education but it is one of the heaviest burdens weighing our country down. “The most recent statistics-compiled, analyzed and released by the Civil Rights Project, at Harvard-reveal that America's schools are now in their twelfth year of a continuing process of racial resegregation. The integration of black students, the new study shows, had improved steadily from the 1960s through the late 1980s. But, as of the 2000-01 school year, the levels have backed off to lows not seen in three decades (Orfield et al, 2003).” Although inequality is an issue I have seen my whole life, after reading Jonathan Kozol’s “Shame of the Nation,” and getting the opportunity to have first hand experience in some of the classrooms, and schools that suffer the repercussions of these inequalities, I have truly realized how much this continuation of segregation based on social, economic, and ultimately racial status is hurting our nation; A nation that has decided to punish and deprive certain groups of people of a equal and rich education. “Segregation is the social condition that shaped those proverbial "unlevel" playing fields (Orfield et al, 2003).” How does one decide whose leg to break before the race has even begun? Mainly those who are poor, which just so happens that in many areas, especially urban areas, are African American and Latino groups, are often subjected to low funded education, inexperienced teachers, and poor resources yet still left on their own to succeed. “Studies have shown that high-poverty schools are overburdened, have high rates of turnover, less qualified and experienced teachers, and operate a world away from mainstream society (Orfield et al, 2003).”
The topic of inequalities, concentrated in the segregation of public schools is deeply embedded in education because it is an issue that relates and often connects the other “hot topics” together. These discriminations and ultimate lack of caring is the cause of many other problems such as social promotion, not being able to meet the requests of standardized tests, President Bush’s No Child Left behind Act, and disparity of funding. If these inequalities based on socioeconomic standards did not exist, and every child received the same educational direction and privileges to fulfill their potential, there would probably not be as many problems within the public school system. It also relates to the use of affirmative action, another very controversial topic in American education. “Affirmative action may well be the only tool left with the potential to ameliorate the negative effects of a college applicant's prior twelve years of segregated schooling (Orfield et al, 2003).”
The absence of integration in many schools also is very unrealistic in relation to many societies, especially in urban areas that tend to be multi-cultural. Once children leave the public school system and either proceed with higher education or get a job, what they have been sheltered from all their whole life will suddenly hit them. In “Shame of the Nation,” Kozol refers to one of his experiences within a classroom when a student asks him “What’s it like over there where you live (Kozol, p.15).” I think that learning and interacting with people from different cultures, countries, and races is an extremely important aspect of getting an education, especially in America, which is often termed as the melting pot. As stated in Johnson et al, “a diverse student body and faculty make it possible for students not only to learn about others but also to interact in authentic settings with people from different backgrounds (Johnson et al, 2005, p.115).” There are so many benefits of multi-cultural education including being able to facilitate conversation as a future educator. The classroom is a great place to introduce children to beautiful, rich cultures.
Like any inequality, segregation and unequal education is something that is unfair, and devalues certain children in our society. As an aspiring educator, if no one else believes in these children who are being subject to a lesser education than how are they supposed to believe in themselves? Although some children do persevere, that number is not high enough. I wonder, do these children not matter in our land of the free, home of the brave? Even if that is not the case, by having a shortage of outdated books, inexperienced teachers, little funding, and isolation from other groups of people, this is ultimately the message being sent to the children in these schools as they sit at their desks. Despite all of this, these children are still expected to succeed, to get an education, to pass standardized tests, and to be prepared to compete with other children that have had more years of quality training. Martin Luther King Jr. said “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere,” and I as a future educator, believe that all children should receive the same educational opportunities, and that it is important to empower children with the desire to learn, and confidence to succeed. If all children are not being given equal chances to learn, it only hurts the whole nation.


References

Johnson, J.A. Musial, D, Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., & Dupuis, V.L. (2005). Introduction to the
foundations of American education. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

Kozol, Jonathan. (2005). The shame of the nation: the restoration of apartheid schooling in
america. New York: The Rivers Press.

Orfield, G., Eaton, S.E. (2003). Back to segregation. Third World Traveler. The Nation
Magazine, March 3.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Education/Back_To_Segregation.html