Issues In Urban Education Essay

In our current political climate, there are a variety of issues that face urban education, some of which are long-standing concerns while others are more recently acquired.

One of the most influential long-term issues in urban education today is the lack of funding and support- particularly for schools that have higher instances of low-income families and students with complex needs. In these areas of extreme poverty and high needs, rarely are school districts in a financial situation to be able to allocate an appropriate amount of funding to schools that are struggling. These pervasive funding concerns affect many aspects of education: the number of highly qualified staff, class sizes, the number of special educators and related service providers- which further determines opportunities for students with disabilities, extracurricular and supplementary opportunities for students, as well as the number of support schools, can provide for low-income families in their communities.

These issues are widespread across this nation- disproportionally among students of color. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Education's “The Condition of Education”
In the words of Paula Kluth, I believe that Special Education is not a place; unfortunately, this is not a reality for many students who receive special education services across this country- particularly in secondary education. Lack of resources and qualified staff creates isolated hubs for special education services, creating the sick educational trope of “special ed. kids get taught in the boiler room”. With the disproportionate rates of identification of specific learning disabilities and emotional disabilities with students of color (specifically boys), this is not only an issue of segregation based on ability but also its' intersections with race and