Inequalities Of Public Education
Public Education, as said by the government, is a right that every and all children have in the United States. Public Education is meant to be equal and give our youth the necessary information to further their education or make a career out of what they have learned. The United States has history of segregating schools by race, but schools in the modern day have been shown to segregate students based on their family's income. While public education has many inequalities, income of a child’s family affects the quality of public education, by segregating the poor and giving unequal resources to those who are segregated. In Savage Inequalities the author, Jonathan Kozol, investigates schools around the country to find the corruption and inequalities
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found in public schools,in hope to expose the hidden truth. Learning can almost be impossible without resources. Can a teacher demonstrate a math problem without a chalkboard? Can a child write notes without pens or pencils? Basic resources are needed for the students in schools to succeed. In Camden, New Jersey these basic materials are not provided for them. “ Camden, New Jersey, is the fourth-poorest city of more than 50,000 people in America...Nearly 60 percent of its residents receive public assistance. Its children have the highest rate of poverty in the United States” ( Kozol 137). Schools should still be able to teach despite the income of its residents. The schools, as described by Kozol, “ In a sixth grade classroom, brownish clumps of plaster dot the ceiling where there once were sound-absorbing tiles. An eighth grade science class is using workbooks in a laboratory without lab equipment” ( Kozol 139). Butt in Cherry Hill, a town approximately 7 miles away from Camden, students have the chance to go to a separate school. In Cherry Hill the school meets the basic needs and beyond. A student who is in the Camden public school system talks about differences between her school and Cherry Hill “We’re no different. And, you know, there are smart people here. But then, you know, they have that money going’ to their schools. They have a nice clean school to go to. They have carpets on the floors and air-conditioned rooms and brand-new books” (Kozol 152). Income in Camden, New Jersey is affecting children's quality of public education. Camden students are getting less of a education and Cherry Hill students are getting more of a education because of their families income. Reading is a key factor to everyday life.
Without reading, communication would not be as easy. Information would move slower around the world. An important part of school is learning how to read. But in Chicago a study said “ Reading levels are the lowest in the poorest schools. In a survey of the 18 high schools with the highest rates of poverty within their student populations, Designs for Change, a research center in Chicago, notes that only 3.5 percent of students graduate and also read up to the national norm” (Kozol 58). If students are not given the opportunity to read then they later on will find difficulties getting jobs, etc. Research has also reported that “ The researchers find there’s a very strong correlation between family income and cognitive skills” (Researchers). In poor areas, like Chicago, key skills and information are not being taught in the public education system. The lack of learning may be from inadequate teachers, lack of funding, or lack of resources to teach. Socioeconomic status and quality of education are believed to strongly relate to each other. A study says that,”Using the 1995 TIMSS data, we found that the correlation between socioeconomic status and achievement was stronger in the United States than in 32 (out of 40) other countries” (Schmidt). This shows that students with lower family income do not receive education that sets them up for a successful career and therefore their achievement is lower. The schooling systems do not prepare students with basic skills, let alone skills to carry on to a higher
education. Segregation in public schools, based on family income, is something that goes on in many school districts throughout the United States. This segregation leads to unequal education systems in nearby towns, extremely low reading levels, and low achievement for poor communities. Many people do believe that money does not affect quality of public education but while public education shows many inequalities, income of a child’s family affects the quality of public education that child receives.
found in public schools,in hope to expose the hidden truth. Learning can almost be impossible without resources. Can a teacher demonstrate a math problem without a chalkboard? Can a child write notes without pens or pencils? Basic resources are needed for the students in schools to succeed. In Camden, New Jersey these basic materials are not provided for them. “ Camden, New Jersey, is the fourth-poorest city of more than 50,000 people in America...Nearly 60 percent of its residents receive public assistance. Its children have the highest rate of poverty in the United States” ( Kozol 137). Schools should still be able to teach despite the income of its residents. The schools, as described by Kozol, “ In a sixth grade classroom, brownish clumps of plaster dot the ceiling where there once were sound-absorbing tiles. An eighth grade science class is using workbooks in a laboratory without lab equipment” ( Kozol 139). Butt in Cherry Hill, a town approximately 7 miles away from Camden, students have the chance to go to a separate school. In Cherry Hill the school meets the basic needs and beyond. A student who is in the Camden public school system talks about differences between her school and Cherry Hill “We’re no different. And, you know, there are smart people here. But then, you know, they have that money going’ to their schools. They have a nice clean school to go to. They have carpets on the floors and air-conditioned rooms and brand-new books” (Kozol 152). Income in Camden, New Jersey is affecting children's quality of public education. Camden students are getting less of a education and Cherry Hill students are getting more of a education because of their families income. Reading is a key factor to everyday life.
Without reading, communication would not be as easy. Information would move slower around the world. An important part of school is learning how to read. But in Chicago a study said “ Reading levels are the lowest in the poorest schools. In a survey of the 18 high schools with the highest rates of poverty within their student populations, Designs for Change, a research center in Chicago, notes that only 3.5 percent of students graduate and also read up to the national norm” (Kozol 58). If students are not given the opportunity to read then they later on will find difficulties getting jobs, etc. Research has also reported that “ The researchers find there’s a very strong correlation between family income and cognitive skills” (Researchers). In poor areas, like Chicago, key skills and information are not being taught in the public education system. The lack of learning may be from inadequate teachers, lack of funding, or lack of resources to teach. Socioeconomic status and quality of education are believed to strongly relate to each other. A study says that,”Using the 1995 TIMSS data, we found that the correlation between socioeconomic status and achievement was stronger in the United States than in 32 (out of 40) other countries” (Schmidt). This shows that students with lower family income do not receive education that sets them up for a successful career and therefore their achievement is lower. The schooling systems do not prepare students with basic skills, let alone skills to carry on to a higher
education. Segregation in public schools, based on family income, is something that goes on in many school districts throughout the United States. This segregation leads to unequal education systems in nearby towns, extremely low reading levels, and low achievement for poor communities. Many people do believe that money does not affect quality of public education but while public education shows many inequalities, income of a child’s family affects the quality of public education that child receives.