Activism

On my campus, I have read tons of article in the student paper and student magazine about activism and questioning whether or not activism is dead. When I ask people in my family, they just look at me with empty eyes. When I ask people outside of my college community, they reply with a cynicism I recall described by Robert Reich on his FB page.

In all, what I hear is: (1) we're trying and we need more people, (2) I don't know anything about that, and (3) there's not use trying. I add one more category to what Reich has because there are many who just have no idea what is going on and who have no clue that there is a problem and it's the reason they fell oppressed day in and day out.

On his Facebook page, Reich asks his audience which category they place themselves in. Naively, I was surprised to see so many write "cynical" (that would be number 3 in my categories). Why? Maybe I am more naïve that I thought and maybe I have no clue what is going on. So many of us in the country agree that the government more and more let's go of our well being, feeds us lies and drowns us into a deeper hole, economically, socially and morally. So, our answer is there's nothing we can do about it?

My answer is: There is power in numbers. I watched the documentary Ethos on Netflix a couple of days ago. Woody Harrelson narrated and at the end he gave the key to our power. Consumerism. We are consumers and we control capitalism. When we said we didn't want trans fat and GMOs in our food, we stopped buying the products and they had to make a change.

The Deal with Public Schools and Charter Schools

This is something that I constantly find myself absorbed in. I follow the recent news about charters being pushed out of public school building owned by New York City and am really trying to understand how the divide in education came to be what it is today. Personally, I favor public schools. I have no problem stating my preference. At the same time, if I am shopping for a new home, I heed what others have to say.

So far, I understand charter schools want to be recognized as public schools. I challenge this only because public schools are run by the DOE. Charter schools are not. So what makes a chsrter school a public school aside from its open enrollent? Even the open enrollment, however, it subject to lottery and contingent with good behavior by the student and ability to keep up with the curriculum.

Perhaps, I should take another route in explaining my concerns. When the Public School Society was first established, it was to educate blacks. It later expanded to serve orphans and the poor in general. Then ward schools were created to serve another population of orphans and poor children. In an article, The public school society ceases to exist the public and ward schools consolidated the combining of the free schools and ward schools is detailed from a law perspective (New York Daily Times, 1853). The information in the article outlines a law put into place because the lines were blurred between ward schools and public schools as described in The old public school society (New York Daily Times, 1855). This second article is also somewhat of a tribute to the founders of the Public School Society. In the last paragraph, the writers sarcastically tells those who are in favor of letting history die to stay home from a town hall meeting that would cover archiving the history of public schools (New York Daily Times, 1855).

So what does all of that mean? Well, I question what it means for the debate between charter and public schools. Will history repeat itself and combine the two "types" of schools? To what purpose? I appreciate the teachers union and the tight regulation the DOE has. It provides a sense of security for "Americans", as we are. More and more unions are being taken away and it takes with it JOB SECURITY. Then there is the issue of capitalism and where it has its hand in education. Why should big business run our schools instead of "we the people of the United States..."?

I guess my first question was, why not just invest into the NYC DOE's public schools to support teachers in implementing structure that will allow for every child to succeed and in the tools necessary to make that happen. As Ms. Reiter (a wonderful woman who my siblings know well) said "The success of children comes from good teaching". Thank you Ms. Reiter.

Social Justice and Social Welfare Policy

Suppes and Wells (2013) define poverty as lacking resources to live comfortably (p. 73). The Department of Agriculture created a budget for food consumption and multiplied it by three to determine the poverty line (Suppes & Wells, 2013, p. 79). The problem with the poverty line today is that it is outdated. It was created in the 1960s and today only inflation is considered. For social justice to be attained, the poverty line should be updated to reflect changes in society over 50 years later. Another problem is the difference in the budget for the elderly and for younger people; younger people are given a slightly larger budget. Suppes and Wells (2013) believe the number of older people living in poverty would increase if the poverty line was adjusted (p. 79).

 

In addition to the poverty line being outdated, there is the issue of the term feminization of poverty. Due to the wage inequality, the term unfairly produces stereotypes about women. Decades ago, women stayed at home as caregivers. Today, women work in every profession imaginable yet are paid significantly lower wages than men. Suppes ad Wells (2013) state, “the average woman worker in 2009 earned only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man with similar work efforts” (p. 77). At the same time, women are often still primary caregivers in the home and for this reason are more likely to have certain jobs, such as receptionist or teacher. The feminization of women affects children because they are at greater risk of living in poverty. Child care is an underpaid profession but overall expensive for parents. Children are the most vulnerable because they rely on their caregivers to provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life.

               

The growing amount of poverty among women, children, and older adults is “due to deliberate social policies at the national level justified by conservative ideology” (p.89). It is the result of discrimination and wage inequality

School Segregation in the 21st Century

“We all bought our homes based on what school our kids were going to go to…it’s not a complicated concept.” (Baker, 2013), a parent explains at a hearing in Greenwich concerning the re-balancing of the racial makeup in school districts. This frustrated parent argues that he chose to live in a particular neighborhood so that his child would be able to attend a particular school. The underlying assumption is, in attending this particular school, the child will be in a safe environment and will receive an exceptional education which will increase the child's life chances of success. In 2006, the number of black students enrolled at his child’s school was 4; in the same year, one of the schools his child may be sent to had 11 blacks enrolled, still the majority of students enrolled are white (City-data.com, n.d.). The parent further explains that the top three facts offered to potential homebuyers are the price of the home, the square footage of the home and the school district (Baker, 2013). Baker (2013), stated “Connecticut is one of a few states that forbid districts from letting any of their schools deviate too much in racial makeup from any of their other schools.”

            Baker (2013) also suggests, “Segregation within school districts is not unique to Greenwich”. His statement makes sense given just this past August, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Louisiana over the implementation of its school voucher program. The question is whether the school voucher program reverses the effect of desegregation laws which the U.S. DOJ argues that the program, in fact, does. Louisiana is under strict desegregation orders following the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Flatlow (2013) stated, “school districts subject to federal oversight are tasked with assessing the impact educational changes will have on efforts to desegregate.” This measure ensures that a racial balance will exist and all children will have equal opportunity to receive a good education. At the head of the voucher program, Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal argues that the lawsuit intends to keep children trapped in failing schools (Klein, 2013). Jindal did not consider the impact the voucher program would have on desegregation. The DOJ argues that the department simply wants to ensure that Jindal’s program is in compliance with desegregation orders (Harrington, 2013); with reason one might add. Another argument is that the democratic, Obama administration wants to have its hands in state matters anywhere possible. It is worth noting that, according to Banchero (2012), “Judge Tim Kelley…ruled that the program…illegally diverts tax money intended for public schools to private and religious schools instead.”

            Racial and ethnic isolation is suggested to have a negative impact on child development. United States Education Secretary, Anne Duncan (2011) stated, "racial isolation remains far too common…and it is increasing,” (Jones, 2011). Renee Villamil said she would like for her child to attend a “white” school if given the opportunity (personal communication, October 10, 2013). If 91% of the students taking advantage of the Louisiana Scholarship vouchers are black, the population should be considered racially isolated. Duncan further stressed the importance of a racially diverse learning environment in support of globalization and noted the lack of such an environment would “breed educational inequality” (Jones, 2011). Jindal believes the students using the vouchers will be provided a better educational opportunity. This may be the case but they would still fall short in benefitting from a racially diverse learning environment.   

            This essay is looking at the way education reform is an issue concerning racism yet the issue of racism in the education system is overlooked. One can appreciate how Kozol (2005) describes of the use of “linguistic sweeteners” and “surrogate vocabularies” when race is discussed. In each other the articles reviewed in preparing this essay, identifiers were tossed around so much that understanding who would benefit most from education reform was not as clear at first. The populations mentioned were poor kids, African Americans, blacks, Latinos, low class, middle class, disadvantaged. The issues with self-identification is for another essay yet affects the very way in which this essay may be interpreted.

Many desegregation orders were removed because states believed that there no longer was a need for them. Formal equality masks the true inequalities in many areas with education being one. Kozol (2005) points to a decrease in the gap in educational achievement after the Brown v. Ed. decision followed by an increase in the gap in education achievement four decades later. He further explains the occurrence being, “in the early 1990s when the federal courts began the process of resegregation by dismantling the mandates of the Brown decision” (Kozol, 2005). The moment desegregation orders were lifted, schools began segregating. Busing, which was a big part in desegregation, was no longer required and children were being sent to schools in their own neighborhoods. The fact is that it is highly likely for African American children to reside in the same part of town based on socioeconomic status and attend the same school, giving the school the identity of being an African American school.

Believing that America no longer sees color and all are equal was a mistake on the judicial system’s part. Erwin Chemerinsky, similar to Kozol, places accountability on the judicial system for the backward trend in desegregation. He claimed that the courts ended court ordered desegregation laws and failed to identify inequalities that existed (Chemerinsky, 2003). In a sense, minorities were left to fend for themselves. Due to economic advantage, whites were able to move to the suburbs and were also able to invest into their children’s education systems.

Greenwich Public School Superintendent, William McKersie (2013) wrote, in an update proposal for action of facility utilization and racial balance, “unrestricted school choice plans often left minority schools totally segregated”. The document outlines why achievement gaps exist and offers remedies in each area. Focus on the importance of closing the achievement gap, integration, and equally distributing resources and support is highlighted in Mckersie’s document. Interestingly, the document also weighs the impact of implementing magnet schools. Superintendent McKersie (2013) explains how controlled choice programs do better but Supreme Court rulings blocking or ending desegregation plans and controls have been a hindrance to progression (p. 4). Parents can be given choice while maintaining the racial balance to ensure equal education opportunity. The document submitted by superintendent Kersie (2013) also states, “educational disparities…are highly correlated with skin color, ethnicity, linguistic, and social class status.” Racism could not be more clearly defined by this correlation.

This is America, right? America is about freedom of choice. All parents want their children to have the best education possible yet are often not able to choose what school they want their children to attend. Any parent would appreciate being able to choose whichever school to send their child. The fact is most schools have zoning rules which require that students reside in a particular zip code in order to attend a certain school. This does not need to mean that a child is put at a disadvantage or not afford the same opportunities as other children based on z zip code. Choice, in this matter, is defined differently across the board. For minorities, school choice means being able to put their children into high achieving schools; schools that will have better resources and a more rigorous curriculum. This choice can determine the child’s chance at being successful. For others, school choice means that their children will be able to attend the school down the block, close to the home they chose to live in.

Friedman (2004) points to “racism and lingering effects of past racism” as well as housing patterns to explain modern segregation of schools. It is not uncommon for ethnic groups to move into communities where they feel most at home, creating an ethnic or racial identity for the neighborhood. Here is where opposition can arise. When a parent is being told that their child will need to attend a school in a neighborhood racial identified as Black, Latino or other. It is the stereotypes that they are concerned with along with the fear of sending their child to a low performing school. Low performing schools are identified by the neighborhood it is located in and white flight patterns are still common. When Whites see that a neighborhood is changing racially or ethnically, they move. Lockette (2010), proposed rethinking the meaning of school choice. Going with McKersie’s ideas, choice can still be given to parents but with guidelines. The DOJ also offers guidelines in maintaining racial balance in schools. McKersie (2013) notes how housing segregation creates inequalities in education (p.4). His solution includes controlled choice programs where parents still have a choice in what school their child will attend while schools can maintain racial balance.

Looking back at Jindal’s claim that the DOJ wants to keep kids in failing schools, racial isolation should be considered. McKersie stated, “poorly performing schools cannot be turned around unless their isolation is addressed.” Jindal claims the achievement gap can be closed by sending the children to a new school yet McKersie on the other hand shows how the achievement gap cannot be addressed without addressing racial isolation. Reports suggested that charter school students do not perform better than public school students on the standardized tests. .Even if you take the student out of the poorly performing school, the student is still not being exposed to diversity, putting the student at a disadvantage.

            High performing schools have great enrichment programs such as music and art. Renee recalls how her art class in middle school encouraged her creativity giving her an open mind to modern expressions of art (personal communication, October 10, 2013). She feels that her child is losing out because for her son to have art class he would need to attend a specialized school. A teacher describes, “We lost our technology room, our music room, our art room” (Gonzalez, 2013). Perhaps this is why the Greenwich parent was so frustrated with the idea of re-zoning. Maybe his concern is that his child will attend one of the schools without all the great programs. Whites make up 85% of the Greenwich population; it is unlikely that his child will suffer since Greenwich is a well to do suburb.

            It is interesting how headlines change or differ over an issue covered by the media. Headlines read “Louisiana’s voucher system increases school segregation” and “Louisiana’s Voucher Program Is Making Segregation Worse” when the U.S. Department of Justice initially filed suit against the state. Over just two months, the language began to change. The program was being referred to as the Scholarship program and the focus was less of the idea of the schools being segregated and more on Jindal versus the United States government. People probably did not want to hear about race, racism and segregation. That would be too hard, too taboo and might even change things.

            The concerns in Connecticut over the racial diversity law, proved to be interesting as well. Headlines in the North versus South differ notably. The headlines in Connecticut point to race without stutter yet the conversation still appears to hide ideas that racism is modern. Unlike the southern state of Louisiana which preferred to focus on the politics over education flaws and remedies.

            My analysis is that racism is normal. It happens every day and people do not necessarily want to see change. Minorities do not necessarily want to integrate yet want equality. Whites are not concerned over whether or not minorities have equality as long as they are on the other side of the street. It is sad and disappointing to read about the Greenwich parents grumble about the racial balance laws in their state. It is even more disappointing to watch the state and federal governments bicker over whether one or the other is playing the race card while children sit in limbo waiting for the adults to make their life decisions.

A Mother's Son Pushed Out of Head Start

When President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty in 1964, Head Start was put in place to support children being left behind. As such, the program has since provided preschool education to thousands of children and likely more each year. On the NYC Administration for Children's Services website, Head Start is described as an agency able to help families with housing assistance as well as work with children with disabilities. Yet, one mother tells her son's negative experience with Head Start staff.

Her son was identified as a preschool student with disabilities and in September 2013, she enrolled her son into East Harlem Bilingual Head Start. Once the staff learned of his disability, the school immediately told the mother the staff was not properly trained to deal with children who had disabilities since there were no special education teachers on staff. The child was given a Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) to be with him in classes. The school was not satisfied with 3 hours per day of SIET with the child. The mother volunteered to spend time in the classroom to help the teachers understand her son a bit more and to offer suggestions on working with him.

What the mother noticed is lack of proper supervision in the classrooms, maltreatment of her son, and unprofessional behavior from staff. She reports seeing teachers gossiping outside of the classrooms while the children sat either doing nothing or the children sitting at the table waiting for 10 minutes sometimes for the next activity.

While working with the child one day, the SIET mentioned to the mother that a staff member out loud said "I hope he gets some help and soon because he needs it". The SIET has no doubt the child heard the comment. The mother began to snoop a bit more and noticed a substitute teacher snatching items from the child when she peeked into the classroom. The regular teacher was apparently at a meeting.

When the child's mother spoke to the assistant director, the assistant director said that she should have been notified sooner and that they would do what they could to keep it from happening again. For the next month, the child's mother often spoke with the assistant director about issues she noticed and was told the concerns would be addressed.

The child's mother began to receive more and more phone calls from staff saying the child needed to be picked up because he was having a hard day, was not in the mood to be in school, and they were not able to work with him. The calls became more frequent and occurred on consecutive days. Out of frustration the mother told the staff she did not feel the school was working with her child but was pushing him out. She further expressed that she would not return her son to the school until her concerns were addressed.

A week later, after numerous phone calls, the child's mother received a letter stating her son was dis-enrolled. When she sought answers, she was told they were too busy. The mother was pretty upset since she was juggling school and was in the middle of midterms and finals while dealing with their demanding, unprofessionalism.

She feels that her son was pushed out of Head Start. How does a single mother with little means, attending college and caring for a child with special needs (whether obvious or not) deal with this? Who can she turn to for answers. She made a complaint with the Office of Head Start located in Washington, DC. but has not heard anything back. She had a final conversation with the director of East Harlem Bilingual Head Start and was told the it was her fault for not saying anything sooner. She was blamed for not "speaking up". Perhaps the director didn't know she had been requesting a meeting for weeks.

I think there needs to be more regulation on what goes on in the program. Why are the teachers not supervised to prevent maltreatment of the children? Should they be allowed to snatch items from the children? They definitely shouldn't be grabbing a 4 year old's arm as done with this child. Any thoughts on what can be done with this story?