The Education Divide Certainly, being born into a privileged family have their advantages. Unfortunately, for those who are born into poverty may struggle for their success, but it is not impossible. The podcast “Three Miles” is a great example of that. Comparatively, on the surface Melanie and Raquel are two individuals coming from the same unfortunate circumstances. Although, both girls were introduced to the same pen pal program their outcomes would travel different courses. Initially, the purpose of this program is to give students from poor neighborhoods a glimpse inside their wealthier counterpart’s lives, from another school. Raquel and Melanie’s backgrounds were similar, because they were afforded the same opportunities, but they turned out differently. Raquel was driven while Melanie is unambitious. Raquel and Melanie are two poverty stricken students that attended University Height’s High School in the South Bronx, because their school was not federal funded, it lacked resources; so it does not come as a surprise, perspective students like Melanie and Raquel have more of a ...
“Windowless and nasty classrooms, retarded courses, no air conditioning and can we talk bathrooms?” As citizens, the conflicts and the issues that our society deals with every day should bring awareness and a call to take action. For instance, Jonathan Kozol came up with a plan to bring consciousness to his readers by writing an article about the struggles of the Fremont High School students, in which problems such as over crowded classrooms, teachers shortage, lack of bathroom supplies, unsanitary kitchen, basic academic courses and inequality. In order to write and put together his article, he took a tour in person and found his way to successfully achieve his goal by documenting students, teachers, and other staff members’ testimonies in which one of his main focuses was Mireya. Furthermore, Kozol’s real facts on the matter successfully make a statement on social and racial inequalities, in which the main purpose of his article was to capture the attention of his audience to find resolutions on the matters that affects a child’s future.
In his book, Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope, Jonathan Kozol pulls back the veil and provides readers with a glimpse of the harsh conditions and unrelenting hope that exists in a community located in the South Bronx called Mott Haven. Mr. Kozol provides his own socially conscious and very informative view of the issues facing the children and educators in this poverty ravaged neighborhood. Just his commentary would paint a very bleak picture of the future. It is the words of the children that give this book optimism and meaning. The courage and care exhibited by the volunteers of St. Ann's after school program and the creativity of the teachers at P.S. 30 are utterly inspiring. They work long hours and go beyond the call of duty to protect the innocence and cultivate the hope that resides in the hearts of Mott Haven's youngest residents.
As much as society tries to deny the fact that the family that one comes from determines their fate, in almost every case this very fact is true. Today, we see how infants who are born into wealthy families are treated differently than children who are born into drug and disease-stricken poverty. Higher classed people stand out in society on both a local and national level much more than the average middle class working family.
Instead of loving and caring for her baby, and forgetting about Danny, she became worse than him. Rodriguez presents many aspects of the minority class that live in the United States, specifically the South Bronx. Even though the cases presented in Rodriguez’s short stories are difficult to mellow with, they are a reality that is constant in many lives. Everyday someone goes through life suffering, due to lack of responsibility, lack of knowledge, submission to another entity or just lack of wanting to have a better life. People that go through these situations are people who have not finished studying, so they have fewer opportunities in life.
Lola demonstrated the disparities of our school system, as she is from an impoverished neighborhood with a school that hindered the progression of her education. Lisa demonstrated how community influences individuals and impoverished communities often cause young members to perpetuate their parents socioeconomically situation. However, some influences, such as church communities, can have strong positive impacts on their lives. Both girls demonstrated the importance of guidance and advocate in one’s life. Lola through her troubles in the school system, and Lisa through receiving guidance through the church. Both girls have been greatly influenced by their parent’s socioeconomic status and restricted from their full potential, causing them to fall into only slightly better situations than their parents. They are prime examples of the cycle of issues in our society, and the reason that we need to make a
When this picture was taken, it was spread throughout the nation, and the rest of the world, within a matter of days. It is discussed in congress and by the president. The picture is of a young black man being held back by a white police officer and a police dog. I feel like the media and other viewers used this picture as the symbol of the civil rights movement, although, in reality, it was a random picture that was no big deal. This shows that the dangers of misinterpretation are serious. The officer in the picture was labeled a bad man, because he was white and a police officer. They did not include anywhere that all he was trying to do was keep his dog from attacking the black man. He was a good man that was
Does it matter if a person was born into a poor or rich household? Believe or not the rich and poor share similar similarities than many people choose to accept. Weather a person falls underneath the umbrella of wealth or poverty-stricken umbrella dreams, goals, and aspirations bind with every single living human and no man is promised anything without handwork. Hatch by Fugusta L. Neal The lll is a direct & dramatic anthology series telling stories regarding individuals from varying backgrounds, and the financial spectrum that are on the brink of success, but has not quite landed on the plateau of success yet. However, these individuals persistence and aspiration propel them toward their goal, but right before the triumph usually bring about one of
Podcast #1 Main Ideas: It is possible to assess, plan, and teach small groups of readers to meet increasing demands and challenges, while still holding tight to the joy and love of literature. Jennifer Serravallo’s strategies make students think beyond guided reading and help teachers learn to analyze student data in order to form small groups. One key point she mentioned and I definitely need to put into practice more often is the idea of doing everything for the students. Time-constriction, curriculum, etc. will always be obstacles that will “facilitate” the educators’ instruction if one makes the most effort for the student. HUGE MISCONCEPTION!!! Serravallo says, “when we supplement individual conferences with small-group conferences,
“Fremont High School” an essay written by Jonathan Kozol presents a high school in need of transformation and support with educational advancement. Kozol writes about the limited educational opportunities available to the students that attend this lower class institution. Kozol addresses the overcrowding of this institution and lack of consistent staffing. The purpose of Kozol 's essay is to illustrate that lack of opportunity based on social class is an active crisis in the United States educational system, whereas addressing this crisis in the essay, Kozol would hope to achieve equal opportunities available to all socioeconomic class institutions.
... that they affect one another. A person who lives by a lower income will not have that mines and chances of become wealthy. A person in the other spectrum, which is born into a higher class, will most likely stay wealth. This leads to an endless cycle of generations staying within the working class realm. The likely hood of a person moving up a class is rare but it does exist. People need to be pushed and have a drive to keep going and to keep trying. That is why we are told we have an equal chance in life so we can all strive for better even though in reality we do not all have an equal chance. But nonetheless people should try to become successful even if they never make it in life because a life without purpose, goals, or ambitions is a meaningless life. As humans we need a reason to live, another day for people to take advantage and make the best of it.
I gulped. This was clearly not a good start to my family’s first night as permanent staff members at Rancho 3M Orphanage in Guadalupe, Mexico. I had found myself sitting in this cinderblock structure (the only blonde-hair, blue eyed girl for a solid 200 miles) on account of my parents. They had not just decided to merely move our entire family away from our hometown, but they had decided that as a family unit, we would trade our cushy, country club lifestyle to work in an impoverished area of Mexico, caring for children who had been abandoned. We all yearned to provide for them a hope and a future: a chance for an education. To be more than just street smart. To have their existence mean more than knowing which gang is better to commit their life to. My family desired for them to be book smart.
Have you ever looked back over your childhood experiences and the challenges growing up in a community with many disadvantages? How you share the same space and almost everything with your siblings. Henceforth into your career profession, or earning a degree helps you understand someone who went from having a history living in poverty. Author and poet, July Westhale use her childhood as a topic of discussion in her article. Her article reminds me of my own personal experiences growing up on the south side of Chicago. My childhood disadvantages taught me important life skills such as how to make do with very little, the quality of family time, and not allowing my childhood disadvantages experiences effect my future.
Martin knew that he could never really help his family survive the increasingly poor “neighborhood” without being the best of the best in his school. He studied hard but couldn’t always be there with his family starving at home. He needed support. He needed me. After he had to quit school because he didn’t
The first term, ascribed status plays a large role in the analysis. For example, it is the social status a person is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life. It is a position that is neither earned nor chosen, but assigned. This term depicts the two families immensely. The mother and father in both families came from poor backgrounds and lived through struggle their entire lives. This plays a large role in life because it already puts you behind people who come from successful backgrounds. It is not easy to work your way back out of poverty if you were born into it. Nobody asks to live that way, but some are just assigned to live that way, and cannot do anything about it to fix it.
When I walk the hallways of my tiny high school, it’s hard not to wonder the impression I leave on my fellow students. I want people to know that I’m just another teenager, a work in progress that is optimistically unsure of the road ahead, even if I also have a high GPA and big dreams for college. I want them to know I don’t deny that, but I also don’t want them to overlook my differences. I’ve had it rough just like anyone else, as a child raised in an abusive household, a pansexual feminist in a close-minded community, a Latina confronted by my country’s negative views on my culture, and every other part of me that’s different. There are pieces of me that sometimes stay behind the curtain, but those are what have allowed me to survive and to thrive as I conquer whatever may come my way.