American Schools: Should Be More Equitable for Students of Lower Classes and Minority Races

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American schools are in crises. There are a variety of problems that exist in American schools right now, which associate with economic and social classes, race and ethnicity, and gender issues. Although the gender differences in classrooms do have some affects on the quality of American education, they are not the main reasons why American schools are in danger. The most serious problems in American educational system are the barriers that students from both lower classes and minority races are facing. In K-12 schools, standardized testing seems to be the one issue that creates problems. In terms of enrolling into college, the financing is the most common reason that blocks lower classes and minority race students from colleges. In both K-12 and postsecondary schools, lack of mentoring and helpful faculty members has negative influences on students in terms of both academic achievements and social skills. Therefore, decreasing standardized testing, changing college financing, and increasing mentoring would be the three solutions, which seem the most practical and reasonable in terms of solving those problems.
Standardized testing is thought to be a method of encouraging students from K-12 grades to perform well in the academic environment. However, it does not do what it is meant to do. In Peter Sacks’s article, “Do No Harm: Stopping the Damage to American Schools,” Sacks points out the fact that standardized testing actually discourages students’ intent of studying, especially to the students who attend schools in poor school districts (44-47). Lower classes and minority races as African Americans and Asian Americans are mainly in those poor school districts. Due to the low family income and tax rate, poor school district...

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...ducation 78.3 (2009): 277-289. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 May 2014.
Haveman, Robert, and Timothy Smeeding. “The Role of Higher Education in Social Mobility.” Education Matters: Exploring Issues in Education. Ed. Morgan Gresham and Crystal McCage. New York: Longman, 2008. 49-74. Print.
Phillips, Michele. "Standardized Tests Aren't Like T-Shirts: One Size Doesn't Fit All." Multicultural Education 14.1 (2006): 52-55. Education Source. Web. 13 Apr. 2014
Sacks, Peter. “Do No Harm: Stopping the Damage to American Schools.” Education Matters: Exploring Issues in Education. Ed. Morgan Gresham and Crystal McCage. New York: Longman, 2008. 37-49. Print.
Tokarczyk, Michelle M. “Promises to Keep: Working Class Students and Higher Education.” Education Matters: Exploring Issues in Education. Ed. Morgan Gresham and Crystal McCage. New York: Longman, 2008. 84-92. Print.

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