Blog #3

            I believe that affirmative action has the potential to create reverse racism, but it depends on how it is carried out. In terms of education, if socioeconomic class is ignored completely, than I think reverse racism could occur, but if socioeconomic class is taken into account as well as race, reverse racism can be avoided. To communicate this better, let me provide a scenario, based on two people I actually know. Two students are applying to college, one is black and the other is white, and they have very similar grades and extracurriculars. The black student’s family is in the upper-middle class, his father graduated from Harvard law school, and was offered a job with the Obama administration. The white student’s family belongs to the working class, his father dropped out of school in elementary school to provide for his family, and his mother only has a high school education. If class and background were taken into account along with race, reverse racism wouldn’t occur because it would be evident that the white student had to work harder to get those grades due their socioeconomic status. On the other hand, if the college was just taking into account race with their use of affirmative action, than the black student might have been taken, and this would be an instance of reverse racism.

            I am not arguing, however, that race should not be a major factor. If there are two students, one black and one white, but both are of the same socioeconomic class, than the black student should be admitted because of the extra obstacles that the student faces due to racism in the United States of America. In that case, it is not reverse racism since the black student also had to deal with a black person in America, which is certainly an extra burden on a child/teenager, no matter what their financial/family situation is. To wrap things up, I think that reverse racism can occur if just race is considered without also considering class, but that when correctly applied, affirmative action doesn’t have to end up causing reverse racism.

Nathan Botero - Blog Posts 1 & 2

Blog post one:

I believe that the most important topic in educational equity is the difference between public and private schools. I think this is the important part of educational equity because private schools and public schools have a completely different curriculum from each other. The public school curriculum has been planned out since september and cannot be changed because every public school has to be at the same pace. However, not all private schools have to be at the same pace, private schools make their curriculum based on how well the students are doing in their classes. The teachers in private schools also tend to be more motivated to teach their students than the teachers at public schools. In public schools there is more diversity which can help the students socially. Both schools have pros and cons that the other school does not have. However, this does not mean there is educational equity between both types of schools. I believe that to achieve educational equity between all schools, both types of schools have to take ideas from the other type of school, such as more diversification, hiring teachers that are truly motivated to teach students, to improve the curriculum so it benefits the students in that certain school and not organization between all schools. I realize that sometimes it is not the school, but the students that do not care for learning, but this is why teachers need to be motivated to teach students. If both types of schools improved more students would graduate and get better jobs thus just improving the economy and the country.

Blog post two:

I believe that since the Brown vs. Board of Ed case schools have improved so much. Educational equity is occurring a lot more every decade and we are improving so much. For example, no kid can be rejected by any type of school just because of their skin color, or where they are from. Every child that attends public school is promised the same curriculum from any public school. Even though there are many ways that educational equity has been shown in the past 50 years, there are many ways that it has not been shown. For example, depending on how good the public school is, that determines how much public funding it receives. what this does is that if a bad school has little funding it is almost impossible for the them to become good, because they have no money to make improvements in their school, such as new books new facilities and many other things. Teachers in bad schools also tend to be less motivated and do not care if their students graduate or go to college or dropout. Brown vs. Board of Ed gave educational equity to certain groups of people not schools. This is why the United States of America has not reached full educational equity. Although many improvements have been made, further improvements can also be made to further the education of many students.

Mia Cerami - Blog Posts 1 & 2

Mia Cerami 7/12/15

Blog Post 1

What topic in educational equity do you consider to be the most important?

Educational equity is when all students have an equal opportunity to gain an equal benefit from their education. A student could have an advantage over another in academics depending on socioeconomic status, gender, race, ability/disability and language. All of these issues play a role in educational equity in some ways selecting one over the other is like saying what came first the chicken or egg.   

Perhaps socioeconomic status has the possibility of overcoming the other issues. For example if parents have the chance to send their child to a private school they are giving them a higher chance to get individualized attention. Rather than a public school where the class sizes are bigger and teachers are responsible for more students. In the classroom, numbers can have a big effect. I myself have benefited from being in a private school where my average class size was around 16. This allowed me to have close relationships with teachers who knew me and my learning style. Other advantages are the environment and status of the school. In terms of helping students inside schools, getting extra help in a subject that you struggle with, getting an internship, more enrichment opportunities, getting into a college, getting a job opportunity.

Outside of school socioeconomic advantages are huge as well. For example I was tutored when I was in elementary school. I have also taken swimming, chess, soccer and dance. All of these enabled me to make friends and develop those skills. At home having more money generally makes a less stressful environment and probably a safer neighborhood.     

Blog Post 2  

In what ways has Brown vs Board of Ed achieved its goal of ensuring educational equity? And in what ways has it not?

The Brown vs. Board of Education case’s goal was ending segregation in public schools. Oliver Brown was a parent of a child who was rejected from one of Topeka’s white schools. He believed the segregation in schools was unconstitutional and his support for his claim was the 14th Amendment which states “equal protection under the law to all their inhabitants.” Before the decision black neighborhoods and schools separated from white neighborhoods and schools. Those neighborhood that were poorer had poorer schools which further perpetuated the cycle of poverty and isolation. By integrating the schools the idea was give all students educational equity. To a certain extent that has worked however there are enormous differences still today due to socioeconomic status, gender, race, ability/disability and language. Also because of people’s negative views of forced integration or quotas.  

Victoria Guardino Blog Posts 1 & 2

1. 

I think the most important topic in education equity is targeting different learners. Everyone in the world learns differently and people are either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. Being in a small classroom in my private high school with around 15 people in each class has helped me create strong bonds with my teachers. My teachers know that not all 15 kids learn the same way and with the smaller classes, the teachers are able to specifically target the way we learn and help us understand the material. I am very fortunate to have this opportunity and I know in most public schools they don't have that. When a kid is struggling in a public school classroom with 30 other kids, there is not much the teacher can do because its one of them and thirty kids. If a kid is snuggling and then stays in this rut, they will not have the motivation themselves to push themselves out of that rut. Once a kid is behind, they believe that they will always be behind wish stops them from working hard. I know we can't have tutors for every kid and I know it is hard to specifically target everyones needs, but I think that's the most important issue. When a kid is struggling we have to find the root and understand why they're struggling and then help them or else they lose the belief in themselves that they can succeed. Kids also need to understand how to advocate for themselves. I learned this from my mother at a very young age and I am fortunate that I can do that but others need to as well. Of course it is scary for some kids to ask for help but if a kid is struggling, they need to be able to build up the courage and either talk to their parent, principal, or teacher and ask for help. If a kid learns how to advocate for themselves, they will never fall behind. Kids with learning disabilities or different kinds of learners need to understand their way of learning so they can inform others and make the best of their learning experience. If we are able to help and target everyones needs in education, it would be a huge step in closing the gap in education. 

2. There are many ways that Brown vs. Board of Ed have helped with educational equity but it also hasn't helped. Looking at 1954, you can see the inequity that was happening was more drastic than it is now. But, just because it's less drastic now, doesn't mean there still aren't inequities. One of the biggest ways that Brown vs. Board of Ed has helped achieve its goal of fixing the gap in education has been integrating schools, the way it is now. However, just because whites and blacks can now sit together in class, doesn't mean everything's perfect. In most neighborhoods in the five boroughs, the kids are sent to their district public school. If the school is in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood, mostly Hispanic kids will be attending that school. If the school is in a predominately African-American neighborhood, mostly African-American kids will be attending that school. Without really realizing it, the schools are still segregated by neighborhood. The main goal in Brown vs. Board of Ed was to integrate the schools so they could be mixed but with the neighborhoods not being mixed themselves, the neighborhood schools are not going to be mixed either. I think that that is what schools show how Brown vs. Board of Ed has helped the gap and not today. Of course now there are schools that are mixed with all different races, which was the main goal, but in these segregated communities, there are segregated schools which means 60 years later, nothing has changed. It's great to see that schools are now integrated. If I was living 60 years ago I would be in a black school(which I wouldn't have a problem with) but I wouldn't have white classmates and hispanic classmates like I do now. Even though I say that, I don't think that sitting next to a white person in class necessarily changes my education completely. I am not saying I don't learn from others who are different because I do, I learn about their personal perspectives as different people. But,  sitting next to a white person rather than a black doesn't make my education better which is what I think people thought integrating schools would be like, but it's not. 

Hannah Reiff Posts 1 & 2

Hannah Reiff

Post #1

I believe that the discrepancy between individualized attention and standardized test taking in public and private schools is the most important issue surrounding educational equity. I agree with Noa, that one on one attention from a teacher shows the student that someone believes in their success, and motivates him/her to work harder. Typically In a private school class sizes are small allowing the teacher to design the curriculum based on the needs of each student. In a large underfunded public school, class sizes are large which makes it harder for a teacher to get to know each student. Additionally, a public school is forced to keep up with the Common Core Standards, which restricts a teacher from designing a personalized curriculum. The purpose of Common Core among public schools is to ensure that regardless of what state a child lives in, he or she will be held to the same standards and will be offered the same opportunities to learn. However, I believe that these excessive standardized tests fail to support each student and their individual needs in order to ensure educational equity. If a school does not reach the acceptable common core standard, or a certain standardized test score, teachers can be punished. Therefore, public school teachers become more concerned with test scores and “teaching to the test” rather than supporting each student. Students who live in low-income neighborhoods and struggle with a learning disability have to overcome so many obstacles with so little support, hindering their academic achievement. Often, this large student body performs sub sufficiently on their standardized tests. Ultimately, these scores define student’s academic abilities in comparison to the “standard,” neglecting any economic or social barriers that might affect a student’s performance. It is unfair that a student whose family may not have the means to provide support from home, including sufficient amounts of food, or can’t provide a supportive nurturing environment, is measured to the same standard as a student whose family has the means to provide resources to succeed.

Most of all, I think Common Core testing sparks negative attitudes towards education at a young age (elementary and middle school), arguably the most important academic years of a child’s life. Standardized testing creates a daunting atmosphere, and causes students to become nervous at school. I think an environment where young students are engaged in creative learning activities, rather than tedious standardized tests, will make education a fun and exciting experience. Test taking is a skill that comes naturally to some, and does not for others. If a student who struggles with test taking and doesn’t have access to helpful resources (ie, tutoring) and continuously performs sub sufficiently on common core tests, it is easy for he/she to becoming discouraged. For a student in this situation, school becomes a place where he/she is constantly told they are not intelligent. However, many argue that testing does not accurately measure one's intelligence. If one does not excel in test taking, he/she might excel in other areas. Unfortunately, most public schools fail to provide diverse curriculum because of Common Core. This lack of confidence a student might develop as a result of common core easily correlates to increasing amounts of drop out rates.

              Even though I struggle with standardized test taking, I do not think I’m unintelligent because I have been able to succeed in a school that stresses individualized attention and a diverse academic curriculum. If I were at a school that stressed standardized tests over everything I would have much lower confidence and wouldn’t enjoy coming to school. It is unfair that a student with needs similar to mine might not succeed in school solely because of the unnecessary importance of standardized testing forced upon them.

#2

The Brown vs. Board of Ed was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The Warren Court’s decision (May 17, 1954) stated that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” White schools consisted of quality materials, qualified teachers, and clean facilities, while black schools consisted of dilapidated materials, unqualified teachers, and dirty facilities. In 2015, we are more equal than in 1954, but not equal enough. There is no direct law that states schools must be segregated based on race, yet schools still seem to be segregated by race. Public schools are funded based on the income of the community. Therefore, schools located in low-income districts offer poor facilities, large class sizes, and teachers who aren’t passionate about teaching and attending to each student’s needs. Economic barriers result in racial barriers, as the majority of people who live in low-income neighborhoods are people of color. Kids who live in low income neighborhoods and have learning disables face learning obstacles despite the school they attend. By being forced to go to a school with poor education, these students only face more obstacles. On the other hand, public schools located in wealthy neighborhoods and private schools that are mostly white offer small student teacher ratios, excellent facilities, and strong academics. Today’s education system is designed so that advantaged students (mostly white students) succeed and become more advantaged, and disadvantaged students (typically students of color) become even more disadvantaged and fall behind. Overall, by encouraging students to attend schools located in their district, the government is indirectly continuing to segregate schools based on race.

Week One

In what ways has Brown vs. Board of Education achieved its goal of ensuring educational equity? And in what ways has it not?

Brown v. Board of Education was an important Unites States Supreme Court case in 1954 that said that requiring segregated schools for white and african american students was unconstitutional and illegal. According to an article I read, at the time of this decision, 17 southern and border states required their public schools to be racially segregated. I also read that even though the african american and white schools were supposed to be “separate but equal’ they were not. In fact, it was quite the opposite. For example, the african american schools only got 60% of the funding for a student that the white schools got so they did not often have funding for a number of things. The Brown case was supposed to end this unfairness.

The goal of educational equity in the Brown decision was achieved because it got rid of segregated schools by law. However it has not achieved educational equity because economics and where people choose to live are making neighborhoods more racially segregated and the neighborhood schools therefore become racially segregated as well. Even in diverse neighborhoods today, where parents can enforce integration in their local schools, they are instead shying away from the opportunity by sending their kids to other specialized public schools or private schools that are not in the neighborhood and are often not as diverse.

Orientation Week

What topic in educational equity do you consider to be the most important?

In NYC poor communities often have schools with the least experienced teachers, the least funding, and the least educational resources. The children who go to these schools do not get as good an education as those who go to schools in wealthier neighborhoods with more resources.  Even if both schools have teachers and books which would be considered social equality, if every student does not get what they specifically require to learn, or if some teachers and books are much newer and better than others, there is not educational equity. Because in the schools with less resources the  education is usually not as good, the students in those schools do not do as well on tests and are often seen as failures. The topic in educational equity that I therefore consider to be the most important is equal funding for all schools so that every school has the resources to provide each child with what that child specifically needs to learn best. That is educational equity.

In the readings I was particularly interested in the story of a high school student who was interested in becoming a doctor, but her school put her in the sewing and hairdressing courses instead of ones to help her accomplish her goals. Because of a lack of funding, her school did not have enough college prep classes and the school was unable to encourage her to pursue college or to prepare her to be successful with that goal. All communities should be concerned that all children get the education they need to meet their goals because every child contributes to the future of our city, country and world.

Zara Schreiber - Posts 1 & 2

Orientation:

What topic in educational equity do you consider to be the most important?

Educational equity is when all students, regardless of race, gender, or wealth, are provided with an equal chance to succeed.  This is different from educational equality which is when all students are provided with the same resources, but this results in some students falling behind since every child is different and might need more or less attention.  However, modern education is often neither equitable or equal.  Many students receive a lower-quality education simply because of their race, gender, or wealth.

I find the wealth gap's effects on disrupting educational equity to be the most important obstacle to overcome.  Many students receive poorer quality education simply because their parents do not make as much money as other parents.  Public schools are funded from property tax of the area they are located in, so poorer neighborhoods have poorer schools than those in a wealthy neighborhood.  These schools may not be able to afford enough materials, enough teachers, or extracurriculars such as art, sports, and music.  Thus, these students start off at a disadvantage to wealthier children their age since they do not have access to the same type of facilities.  Similarly, if a student at an under-resourced school falls behind, they may not be able to afford a tutor to help them keep up, whereas a wealthier student could fall back on a tutor.

I find this problem to be very important because it is entirely out of the child’s control.  The child did not determine their class, nor can they change it until they get older since they do not make money.  So in this way, a child receives a lower quality of education without having done anything to deserve it.  This also creates a loop, since adults with lower education levels typically receive lower paying jobs, which would result in their child going to a lower quality school, and so on.

To solve this problem, we need to stop funding schools based on the wealth of the neighborhoods they are in, and instead fund them based on the number of students they educate, or another such factor.  Doing this would be a big step towards educational equity.

Week 1:

In what ways has Brown vs. Board of Ed achieved its goal of ensuring educational equity? And in what ways has it not?

Brown vs. Board of Education made it illegal for schools to reject an applicant based solely on race.  It is often discussed as the key factor in the desegregation of schools in the US.

            Before Brown vs. Board of Ed, schools were separated into white schools and black schools.  Although they were supposed to be “separate but equal,” black schools were of a much lower quality than white schools.  They received worn materials and could not afford many resources that white schools provided.  After Brown vs. Board of Ed, this was supposed to stop and schools were supposed to integrate.  

            Brown vs. Board of Ed has definitely had some success.  Although it was originally met with much resistance, schools are far more integrated today than they used to be.  However, despite this progress, integration is far from complete.  In New York, public schools are largely made up of African-American and minority students, whereas the large majority of students in private schools are white.  On top of this, private schools tend to be better funded than public schools, so that not only are schools still separate, they are also still not equal.

            The case may have been a step in the right direction for educational equality, despite its deficiencies, but it does not promise educational equity.  Even if all schools were completely racially integrated, that would not put an end to educational inequity.  Equity requires more than the mixing of races within schools.  It means that the whole educational system is committed to providing every student with the tools they need to succeed, while realizing that every student is different so will need different tools.  So although Brown vs. Board of Ed may have been a step towards educational equality, we need to take a bigger step towards educational equity.

Diana Kofman - Posts 1 & 2

Diana Kofman

7/11/15

1.     What topic in educational equity do you consider to be the most important?

I agree with Ashley that the growing economic/wealth gap is the most important topic that needs to be discussed when talking about educational equity. Unlike resourced and well-funded schools, under-resourced schools will more often not be able to provide students with individualized learning methods that meet one’s needs. Students in New York City that do not attend private school are required to attend their zoned elementary and middle schools, which are the most crucial years of learning for a student. For those students that come from a low-income family, that might mean that their zoned public school is located in a low-income community, resulting in a school that may not receive the funding necessary in order to provide its students with updated books and technology. As a result, they start their educational journey already behind students who go to either a well-funded public school or private school.

Another result of attending a school that receives little funding is that the teachers that work their often aren’t the most enthusiastic about their jobs, since the students may sometimes be a little more rowdy and the materials they are provided with are outdated. Having a teacher that isn’t particularly thrilled to be teaching can be a major setback for most kids, as they feed off the energy and behavior of the teacher. These students might go their entire educational careers with teachers such as these, who do not motivate or inspire them to push harder; whereas in a well-funded school, the teachers are more enthusiastic about their jobs and want their children to do well, since they know that the better the students do, the more funding the school receives. Under-funded schools also may not offer as many AP and honors classes that funded schools are able to offer, which then puts high school students at a disadvantage as colleges like to see students take APs.

Along with all of these, what a student’s family is able to provide the student with is just as crucial to their educational growth. In a higher-income family, parents may be able to provide their children with tutors and extra help when necessary; however, this may not be possible in a lower-income family who cannot afford a tutor. This becomes especially apparent when the time comes to take the SAT. Wealthier families are able to send their children to either a prep course class or even a private SAT tutor, while lower-income families may not be able to. In a 2009 study, it was shown that students who had come from a family that received a yearly income of sixty-thousand dollars or less scored in the low 400-500 range out of a possible 800, and students that came from a family that received a yearly income of $140,000-$200,000+ scored in the top 500s in all three sections out of a possible 800. Along with this, it was also released that students who attended a religiously-affiliated or independent high school scored higher than those students who attended public school. Ergo I believe that the wealth gap between students is the most important issue when dealing with educational equity.

2. In what ways has Brown vs. Board of Ed achieved its goals of educational equity? And in which ways has it not?

            Brown vs. Board of Ed was a Supreme Court case that was decided on May 17^th, 1954. Warren’s Court unanimously ruled in favor of Brown, who wanted to send his daughter to the nearest elementary school, rather than the nearest segregated elementary school, due to the dangerous trek required in order to get to the school. The Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal was inherently untrue, which overturned the 1896 ruling of Plessy vs. Ferguson, which ruled that separate but equal was inherently true. This new ruling led to the desegregation of schools along with eventual bussing to and from towns so that students were not confined to their local school. As a result, every student, no matter race or anything else, was given the opportunity to attend any public school. Segregation was now made illegal, and no school could turn down a child based on his or her race, which was an amazing and crucial milestone for the civil rights movement.  

            However, not everyone was fond of this ruling, and many did whatever they could in order to a) slow the process or b) find ways to continue segregation. The Supreme Court themselves had potentially unknowingly helped in terms of slowing down the process of integration. They had ordered that states end segregation “with all deliberate speed”- basically allowing states to take their time desegregating, as the language used by the Court was very ambiguous, which then also allowed them to take more time to organize and think of ways to continue segregation. This ultimately led to the creating of private schools, which were geared towards white families, as they were able to pay the tuition required in order to attend. Some schools in the South were even shut down, with states rather having no schools than integrated schools.

Michael Kwan - Blog Posts 1 & 2

Michael Kwan

What topic in educational equity do you consider to be the most important? In what ways has Brown vs. Board of Ed achieved its goal of ensuring educational equity? And in what ways has it not?

The topic in educational equity that I consider to be the most important is the gap in performance between schools created by the resources available at respective schools. Public schools are given resources that reflect the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood that the school is located in. Students usually go to zoned schools, which are schools located in their own neighborhoods. In theory, this makes sense because that would be the most convenient school for those children to travel to. However, the quality of these schools may not be on the same caliber as the schools in wealthier neighborhoods. For example, if I were to compare a school like Andover to Fremont High, we would see completely different learning experiences. In the reading, Kozol explains that at Fremont High, students are not able to take the classes that they want, like Advanced Placement classes. Instead, they could only take the classes that the school had available. In a wealthier school like Andover, students could pursue whatever interests they found interesting because the school had the resources to provide these classes. In addition, the poorer schools were even noted to be unsanitary with dirty bathrooms and cafeterias and sometimes an overpopulated school.

The Brown vs Board of Education has not achieved its goal of educational equity despite that it has ruled that separate is not equal because while schools cannot discriminate admissions because of race, most schools are still either mostly made up of blacks and Hispanics In today’s society, the poorer portion of New Yorkers is mostly made up of blacks or Hispanics. As a result, their neighborhoods cannot afford the same resources and opportunities for their children at these public schools. Students of black or Hispanic origins tend to be deprived of the resources and opportunities that should be available in all schools. This leads to the result of segregated schools, which was supposed to have ended years ago, but because of the persisting differences in wealth, white students were able to enroll at private schools with more resources while most black and Hispanic students could only resort to under resourced public schools because they could not afford to go to a better school. This makes it seem like nothing has truly changed in schools because the schools are still segregated like before. The Brown vs Board of Education has failed to create education equity because overall, white students are still doing better than colored students because they go to schools that can provide them with everything they need to succeed in tests and go to college.

What topic in educational equity do you consider to be the most important?


I think the most important topic in educational equity is the large disparity between the rich and the poor. This is an important topic because a family’s wealth ties closely to a student’s access to education. Despite that students all theoretically have the same shot at getting to the best colleges in the world, it is not a coincidence that most of the students at the best schools in the world are white students that come from wealthy families. This is the essence of educational equity, the goal of making high quality education accessible by everyone. However, the wealthier families gain a distinct advantage from being able to afford tutors and give their children enriching opportunities.
This topic is especially prevalent in today’s society because of the growing gap between the rich and the poor- that it is harder for students that do not have all the right resources to get to this goal. This then becomes an endless cycle of poverty, where students do not get the help they need and get a job that does not pay as much as if he had gotten a great education and he in turn cannot get his children the best opportunities possible while the wealthier students can do well and help their children do well. To break this cycle, a student from a poorer status will have to work extremely hard to break out and this illuminates why there isn’t truly educational equity; that some students have to work significantly harder to achieve the same thing as another student that is luck enough to be born into a family that can provide them with more resources that they need.

Emilie Kern - Blog Posts 1 & 2

Emilie Kern                                                                                                                 July 6, 2015

Orientation Week Blog Post                                                                                       GO Project

I consider equal socioeconomic opportunity to be the most important topic in educational equity. Only recently has research begun to show the direct correlations of wealth income and success. However, this should not be the case. This is present in our everyday lives whether we choose to see it or not. Though there are many factors that contribute to educational inequity in our society, I believe the biggest factor is the lack of equal socioeconomic opportunity. Where one lives, how wealthy one is, and what one superficially looks like should not impact the quality of education one receives.

            As the wealth disparity throughout the United States continues to expand, there need to be programs put in place to ensure fairness within the education system. The government needs to give less fortunate kids the tools to succeed. Often times, less fortunate kids can’t afford laptops, can’t afford tutors, and therefore struggle in school simply because their family’s wealth income is lower than that of another student who can afford these tools. When this is the case, the wealthier children consequently do better in school and this indirectly tells the less fortunate students that because of their socioeconomic status, they won’t do well or aren’t smart. The older a student gets, the more visible this becomes and the bigger an impact it has.

            Equal socioeconomic opportunity is crucial to allowing students to reach their full potential within the education system and, further, in their adult lives. In our modern society, education plays a key role in determining your future. Because of the inequity in the education system that still remains, equal opportunity cannot exist for the less fortunate student who can’t afford a tutor and who can’t afford a laptop. If flaws persist in the basic structure of the education system, then education isn’t fulfilling its goal to even the playing field. Rather, it has been said that it’s simply growing inequality rather than lessening it.

            This week, the readings primarily focused on community: how to define it, who is a part of it, what comprises it, along with a multitude of other questions. In my opinion, I believe you are only a part of a community if you are truly involved in it and act as an active citizen. Unfortunately, there will never be a set of solutions to fix the flaws in the education system that are effective in every community. Thus it is necessary for members of the community to be actively involved in seeking solutions in education that are right for their community, not another.

Emilie Kern                                                                                                                 July 6, 2015

Week 1 Blog Post                                                                                                       GO Project

            The 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education ruling declared that state laws establishing “separate but equal” public schools for black and white students was unconstitutional, however more than 60 years later, one may argue schools are more segregated than they were decades ago. Indeed, the white and black-only signs have been taken down, and yes we even have a black President so we must ask ourselves, why then is it the case that public schools have such a significant lack of diversity. Brown vs. Board has integrated school districts but it hasn’t done as much as it should to aid children in undoubtedly poor urban districts. This ultimately shapes the future of these children - and thus the opportunity and education gap widens decade after decade.

            On a piece of paper, Brown vs. Board of Education integrated public schools and fueled the civil rights movements by highlighting the oppression of blacks. This Supreme Court decision was a major turning point in United States history and its legacy does not go unrecognized. Nonetheless, it unfortunately failed to and is still failing to fulfill its goals and instead the scars of segregation remain ingrained in our society. Brown vs. Board of Education did integrate schools, it allowed for an increase in black student achievement, and it paved the path for a hopeful future. Despite such gains, white achievement increased more than blacks did, schools remained largely not diverse, and socioeconomic factors contributed greatly to the success of a student.

More evident than the achievements of Brown vs. Board of Education are the failures of it. In the present, it is still largely unsuccessful in achieving its goal of ensuring educational equity and further it has failed to integrate schools as segregation persists within our society. If we consider that equity is not the same as equality, we see that “resource equality is not enough” (Strauss, Valerie; The Washington Post). Purely looking at statistics, spending per student is close to equal on black and white students, however it shouldn’t always be. Students whose socioeconomic factors put them at a disadvantage need more resources than that of a middle-class white student. When this is the case, the playing field isn’t even and there is no way to level out this imbalance. In addition, Brown vs. Board of Ed. failed to achieve its goal as the core of segregation primarily falls on the fact that because neighbourhoods are segregated, schools are segregated. We must focus on the problems that are at the root of this segregation - federal programs going unenforced and policies being ineffective, which both just ultimately add fuel to the fire.