Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Blog Post #9 Bridging the Gap

 



Finn's article "Literacy With An Attitude" delves into Jean Anyon's research on how a student's educational opportunities are often determined by their social class. Anyon's study examined five public schools in New Jersey, all of which were located in predominantly white areas and ranged from the wealthiest to the least wealthy. The schools were classified according to social classes: the executive elite, whose families were top corporate executives with income in the top 1% in the US; affluent professionals, whose parents were doctors, lawyers, and other highly-paid professionals; middle-class families, whose parents were teachers, social workers, accountants, and the like; and working-class families, most of whom were unskilled blue-collar workers. Finn discusses how these students are educated, and how their social class greatly influences the education they receive, and as a result their level of success in life. Basically, the wealthy folks send their kids to better schools, can afford better supplies and as a result, they set their child up for better success than a lower class parent who don’t have the means of providing those services. As Delpit explains, it is a culture of power, because “the culture of the school is based on the culture of the upper and middle classes.” As a result, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. 

 In her research, Anyon discovered that lesson plans in working-class schools were very basic and lacked interactivity. Often, teachers would skip over lessons that they deemed too difficult for their students. They used books intended for "low-ability students," and the lessons followed a step-by-step approach, which didn't allow students to think outside the box. I find that this is pretty common in schools everywhere, but it's not only the divide among schools as a whole but also the divide among classrooms within the schools. Despite claims that classes are now all-inclusive and evenly mixed, the smartest children are still grouped together, while those struggling academically are separated away from them. The latter often require redirection and are likely to fall behind due to classroom disruptions. I have personally witnessed the difference in curriculum between lower and higher classes, this includes the lack of homework assigned to lower-class students, extra time to complete missing assignments, and not holding them accountable. Are we setting them up to be inferior to their peers? Perhaps. There are two sides to this argument. On one hand, all students should have equal opportunities to learn. On the other hand, if a high academic student is exposed to classroom disruptions, doesn't that hinder their education as well? As a mother, I believe that my daughter would benefit from being in a class with minimal distractions, allowing her to receive the best possible education. This doesn't mean that other students shouldn't have access to the same quality of education. Additionally, integrating students who struggle academically into classrooms with academically advanced students may lead to them struggling to keep up with the material, losing interest, and potentially increasing their likelihood of dropping out. I found a fascinating TED talk that is definitely worth watching. The speaker discusses bridging the gap in public school education and explains the devastating effects on the country when students do not have equal education opportunities.

 I found this week's reading quite interesting because it relates to an issue in my hometown. Recently, as I spoke about last week in class, there has been a discussion about closing one of the elementary schools in Tiverton. The parents in the town are in an uproar. Besides many other reasons, a big one is that the elementary school discussed is rated 3rd in the state, of the two other elementary schools, one is not far behind at 12, but the third school is ranked quite low at 81 in the state. Many parents claim that they have moved into the town, particularly to the south end, because of the highly-ranked school that is now on the verge of closing. Among several factors, the lack of state aid for FY25 is one reason for the budget deficit that the town is faced with. The cut in state aid will be discussed further next Monday but has been said to be the result of lower poverty rates and the increase in property values. As a result of the school closing, parents are faced with integrated classrooms and as a result larger class sizes and overwhelmed teachers. When I was reading this week's text I couldn't help but think about the social divide between the north and south end of this very small town, but it is quite evident. Now, the question is, is it the social class from which the children come that determines their success in school, or was their education decided the day they walked into kindergarten? Honestly, the teachers at the lower-ranked school are fantastic, in fact, many were teachers at the 3rd ranked school not long ago. I have found that the parents of the students who need services and more help academically are not the parents who show up to parent-teacher conferences. Furthermore, as we discussed Collier’s writing, we concluded that these parents often don't advocate for their child either, they may assume the teacher knows what she is doing and that there is no reason to doubt her or the admin for their child’s performance.

 This author, Finn argues that social class is the utmost influencer of one’s success not just because the child comes from a knowledgeable family but also because they have mentors who also come from a social class equal to somewhat equal to their own. They are taught in a way that sets them up for a career that fits into their social class.



Sunday, March 17, 2024

#8 It takes a Community




Rhode Island Laws and Policies set forth by RI Dept of Education, aim to ensure safe and supportive learning environments for all RI youth. In December 2010, The Rhode Island Board of Regents revised its Policy Statement on Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression which includes the following language: 

The Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education recognizes that all educational agencies must provide all people and groups with full access to educational opportunities and barriers to student participation based on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression must be identified and removed. The Board also recognizes that all students, without exception, have the right to attend a school in which they feel safe and able to express their identity without fear.

 Even with the laws put forth and recent advances in LGBTQ rights, schools are not particularly safe for queer students. According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s survey, Growing UP LGBT in America found that 42% of gender nonconforming youth report frequently or often being called names and 40% reported being frequently or often excluded. Further, over half of gender-nonconforming youth reported that they did not participate in activities offered by the school out of fear of discrimination. According to the article "Queering Our School," one study found that six out of ten LGBTQ teens reported feeling unsafe at school. Over three-quarters of students reported being verbally harassed.

It is absolutely crucial that schools provide a safe learning environment for all students. As children spend a significant amount of time in the classroom, it is the responsibility of teachers and staff to ensure that bullying and discrimination are not tolerated. If hate crimes are taken seriously and appropriate action is taken, students will be less likely to engage in such behavior. It is important for everyone involved to understand the impact this type of behavior can have on a student's well-being and success in school.

Scholars have been working for years to include people of color in classroom lessons. Now, it's time to do the same for the LGBTQ community. Integrating queer people's lives into lesson plans by discussing their problems, history, struggles, and contributions could be a good start to achieve social justice. This week's reading taught me about The day of silence, a day that has been around for almost 30 years. It seeks to bring attention to what LGBTQ students experience daily, not only in the classroom but also at work and other events. This year, the day falls on April 12th. 



Adam Kelley's article titled "Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality" is an essential read for every educator. The article emphasizes the importance of including LGBTQ members in the curriculum and highlights how assuming that every child has a mom and a dad could be excluding some children who may have two moms or two dads. A simple sentence such as "My mom is swimming" may not be applicable to all children, and it is crucial for educators to be mindful of these differences. 

The author of Queering Our Schools argues that speaking openly about LGBTQ and pushing for social justice within the community can create change, but it takes the community as a whole to catch up in the march toward justice.   

Teach out slide presentation

  Teach out, speak out