For 26 years, my father embraced the role of a “tough as
nails” high school language teacher in the city of Pittsburgh by making sure
that his students were present, alert, and ready to learn at 7:30 am sharp. It didn’t matter if little Susie was
tired. It didn’t matter if little Johnny
had a tummy ache. All that mattered to my father was his ability to provide his
students with the best education a Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher could offer. He frequently stressed that
schools (classrooms in particular), were places strictly for learning, not
socializing, which may explain why a majority of students in his class were
quiet and attentive…that is, until he was required to work as a substitute for
middle school children at University Prep. That is a whole other story
entirely. The point of the matter is that his stern, neutral demeanor
translated into a safe and fair learning environment that led to each and every
student receiving equal attention and treatment, regardless of race, gender,
age, or even home life. This, in turn,
led to a higher level of learning in a majority of his classes over the years,
which was also evident in his extra-curricular activity positions as a board
game club founder, swim team coach, and an assistant coach in softball. To say
he was well known throughout Schenley High School (now Barrack Obama Academy of
International Studies), would be an understatement, as he made it his duty each
and every day to ensure that none of his students fell behind when it came to
the learning process.
I tell this story for a few reasons, both of which concern
the overarching issue of children living in poverty and how their levels of
academic attainment are fairly low compared to students of a higher economic
status. While it is true that every
child has the ability to learn and learn well, not every child has the chance
to use and strengthen that ability, especially if the child in question lacks
the most basic of necessities (healthy food, clean clothes, stable home
environment, etc.). Educators and teachers like my father are, indeed, a solution to the problem as many are led to believe, but they are only half of that solution. In other words, teachers cannot be expected to do it all, even if
their job requires that they take on characteristics of other jobs from time to
time such as that of a police officer, psychologist, bodyguard, nursemaid,
babysitter, lawyer, and so on. In essence, the other half of the solution to
providing children in poverty with a quality education lies in the hands of
city and state governments, as well as Washington, itself.
Unfortunately, with all the hemming and hawing that the U.S
government seems to be doing these days in regard to handling the rising
poverty rates, the pressure is on for individual cities
and states to take the initiative and enact change within the lives of
children who struggle with learning on account of poverty weighing them
down. According to an article from The Atlantic by author, Sarah Garland,
Atlanta has and continues to make progress in this area through their
integration efforts in the East Lake neighborhood, a location that was once
riddled with crime in the 1990’s. The Charles Drew Charter School is one
example provided in the article that shows how efforts to integrate White and
African American students have led to a substantial increase from last to
fourth best in standardized test scores in the entire state of Georgia. One
major reason for this neighborhood’s success in providing quality education for
all children involves the charter school combining itself “with federally
subsidized housing for impoverished tenants with market rate apartments that
attract university students.” This then attracted the attention of middle-class
families, along with various stores, markets, and community businesses that
eventually helped to change a poverty-drenched neighborhood into an integrative
and thriving environment. Granted, integration efforts, alone, will not help to
“close the achievement gap”, according to Garland, but they are one of the
first steps in achieving that goal, along with the mission of providing quality
education to all children.
Finally, according to an article by USA Today author, Oliver Thomas, “poverty is the most relevant
factor in determining the outcome of a person’s educational journey.” Thomas
continues by saying that one of the major reasons for why “a good education is
seldom available to children living in poverty” is simply that “spending on
education has not kept pace with the rise in child poverty.” More specifically, from 2001-2011, “poverty
grew by 40% in the Midwest and 33% in the South” while any and all spending
towards education increased by a mere 12%.
This process of “keeping the pace” may prove to be a critical aspect in
the development of future public policies, but again, it is only one side of
the poverty coin. In the end, it is a combination of both government and
teaching efforts that will help a poverty-stricken child achieve greatness in
the world of education and beyond.
Author, Sarah Garland, discusses the transformation of East
Lake Meadows, a 1960’s housing project in Atlanta, into a thriving neighborhood
via various efforts to integrate community members in the area, as well as
students at a local charter school.
USA Today author, Oliver Thomas, discusses the issue of
childhood poverty and its effects on education attainment. He also offers a few
suggestions regarding what should be done to guarantee that every child receives
a quality education.
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