For your new blog response, read Jonathan Kozol's excerpt and then answer the following question:
"What specific things in the article might help you to address the question of causes of/solutions to specific problems in modern education?" (this is the same question we've been exploring for the past few class meetings) Keep in mind that we've already read Jean Anyon's excerpt and we've raised a lot of interesting points in class discussion so far (the lists from class discussions are posted below). So try to think of specific things that this article ADDS to that conversation.
Due: Before our next class meeting
Length: 1-2 well-developed paragraphs
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In Jonathan Kozol’s “Still Separate, Still Unequal,” Kozol addresses a lot of problems with education. He mainly focuses on how racial segregation of schools has defined the segregation of the levels of education different public schools around the U.S receive. Although we have gone over this topic already, I believe it is an important factor in the problems with education today. Kozol travels around the U.S and analyzes different lower-class schools. He finds that the conditions and rules of schools are appalling, yet the country wants to know why education isn’t as good anymore. After reading Kozol’s and Anyon’s except, I’ve come to the conclusion that the two biggest factors that contribute to the poor education the U.S has is racial segregation of schools, and funding of the lower-class schools.
ReplyDeleteJonthan Kozol goes on and on about the racial and ethnic problems schools encounter today. He includes numerous statistics with his statements. It's true. Brown v.s. Board of Education and Plessy v.s. Ferguson was more than a century ago, yet segragation amongst African Americans still exist within some schools. Kozol stresses the effects of education embedded within demographics. He tells about how African American schools in lower class communities don't have a lot of things that are provided in an 'average' middle class district. Kozol provides us with firsthand experiences as he visits schools in these communities, school with leaks in the roof, sinks and toilets that don't work, not enough staff, the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteSocial class and inequalities can deeply effect the way children learn. I mean, environment and adaptation has huge effects with learning styles. If a school looks and feels more prestigious, students might feel more motivated to work and learn. But if they are being sent to get an education in a dump, that's what their mentality is. I'm not saying that having a gorgeous campus comes with top of the line teachers, but it's a start where the students can actually feel like they're attending a school rather than just a place.
I believe that since society is stratified in a fashion so that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor, one can only imagine how factors which facilitate this process. A prime example which influences how individuals in society end up is the education system. I believe that ultimately, no one individual can be blamed for the way education or social statuses are, but there is a vicious cycle in which an infinite loop of apathy or greed leads to the current state. After reading the article, I can conclude that a huge factor in the way education is unequal is simply the money and where it is spent. Furthermore, because schools seem to be segregated among social classes, it presents an even bigger issue as to why education is unfair. It seems that "public" education with equal opportunities does exist, but in a deteriorating state. Only those with money can afford "free" education.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Kozol's "Still Separate, Still Unequal" focuses mainly in racial unequality in urban schools. Many students described feeling inferior because their schools were deteriorating and no one was doing anything about it, they weren't being challenged, and weren't being offered advanced classes. They were basically being told indirectly that they weren't going to succeed in anything and were just meant to be factory workers, seamstress, etc. Obviously this kind of environment discourages students to be motivated.
ReplyDeleteThese articles aim to answer the same question but have a focus on two different aspects. Kozol focuses solely on the racial imbalance of schools in urban cities and its effect on the standard of education. Anyon uses the analysis of unequal social classes within different schools to prove the same point. Kozol specifically points out the demographic of these cities and how it has changed the way that the children are being taught. Anyon's article is centering around the conscious decision made for students of different communities in regards to the education they will receive based on aspects such as community and social class. both of these articles have proved that education is being corrupted and there are a number of causes with sadly,not as many solutions. It is difficult to pin-point a sole cause for our decaying education system no matter which way you look at it. It is a combination of lack of resources,funding for teachers, and the lack of value in education.Kozol received letters from numerous grade school children with the same concerns, they can see that they are getting the diminishing short end of the stick. They speak of not having a pleasant environment to work in and how they have the want to learn art and music but there is no one to teach them. He speaks of how the classrooms are deteriorating and how the health care within these urban school have diminished over the years. Having a nurturing environment is absolutely a key to wanting to obtain a good education. If the school and the faculty do not show pride in what they are doing the children soon become just as disheartened and unmotivated.It is a vicious cycle that is crying for an end.
ReplyDeleteIn Johnathan Kozol's excerpt, "Still Separate, Still Unequal, he mainly explains about how he sees in the U.S. education of the conditions of classroom are deteriorating and the teaching practices threatening the generation of Americans. Kozol is criticizing the urban areas of the United States. He talks about the ratio of African Americans and White people in the U.S. schools that there is a much more domination of African Americans attending these schools. To summarize it, 3 out of 4 African Americas in the U.S. attends to these majority-minority schools. He also explains about the bad experiences of the environment in the schools he saw when he visited schools in the South Bronx. He also explains the decreasing of physicians in public schools. Above all the things Kozol speaks about, segregation still exists in many places in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteThe problem on education is complicated and has a number of causes. One of this issue is addressed in Jonathan Kozol’s “still separate, still unequal “excerpt has to do with race and education. It is based on two court rulings namely; Plessy V Ferguson (proposing separate but equal schools) and Brown v Board of Education ( To end deliberate segregation and establish equality). Kozol thinks that the latter has only created a contemporary form of segregation his reason is “school assignment and federal court decisions…countermanded long established policies that previously fostered integration “(241). He echo’s similar ideas and observations as Jean Anyon in her piece “social class”. The difference between the two is that he looks at it on a race point of view that the said schools are only taught how to take orders and this sets them on a certain career path. He also touches on an idea of how corporate involvement in schools influence curriculum just like Michael Moore’s passage in “An Idiot Nation” in influencing career paths for students disregarding their abilities and inherent right to equal opportunity. From the excerpt I noticed the reluctance and denial by most people to do anything or even acknowledge the existence of the problem. This is expressed by how the media (a tool that can be used to expose issues) plays a role by using euphemism instead of accurate terms thus not doing justice to the matter. Also the use of certain words like diverse in describing school demography aid in feigning that there is integration which is not the case. I did observe the lack of any opinion from the parents/guardians of the black/Hispanic students. Could it be their lack of involvement enhances the problem or the observer never looked at the role they played?
ReplyDeleteThis passage only makes observations, it poses questions and responses from some participants and provide statistics without offering any kind of solution even a suggestion on how to address the issue. In as much as it did provide examples to prove how education is affected by race by making it less in quality for Hispanics and blacks compared to white schools, I was left with more questions than answers.
In Jonathan Kozol's "Still Seperate Still Unequal" he explains how he visits various urban schools. The children voice there opinions and say how they feel forgoten and unimportant. They gave there view on their school and explained how they longed for better things like other children had. Kozol pointed out many problems with education such as unqualified teachers, lack of supplies, and schools on bad conditions. In urban schools most teachers were under paid underqualified and had no relationship with their students. Curriculum was strict and was based on standards, standarized tests were important and fun activities were not part of the curriculum for the children. Also schools were in terrible shape for the students such as, leaky roofs, crowded classrooms, lack of resources and supplies and some schools didn't offer students playgrounds, gyms or libraries. I found it shocking in the conditions that these students were expected to learn in and how they were not given the opportunites to take advance courses to help further there career goals.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Kozol points out many issues regarding schools these days. There were two main points that caught my attention, which were the massive difference in the percentage of the different ethnicities in schools and also school funding. Kozol goes on to talk about how most of the students in school right now are black and Hispanic. It later seems like he blames the case of Brown v. Board of Education on the recent segregation of schools, and why most of the students are of black or Hispanic background and the minorities are either white or Asian. School funding was also a major argument from his excerpt. When Kozol interviewed all those children on why they think their school is like that, it seemed like the cause of it was from school funding and also how the school systems wants different social classes to keep the poor, poor and the rich, rich.
ReplyDeletethe Excerpt from Kozol a specific issue that i see as very important by may have been overlooked was at the end of the reading
ReplyDeletewhen "Fortino" tells "Mireya" that she is ghetto she she has to sew
it is evident that Fortino has his mind set that hes not got get anywhere in life because he has a ghetto mentality . I think that this is a big issue why try to give fortino an education if hes made up his mind that hes not going to get anywhere in life. Mireya has hope though so she should be taken out of the school she is in and relocated. I think it should be a question asked to students half way into there education or earlier what they want to do with there lives so like this we dont WASTE money on people who don't care.
In Jonathan Kozol’s excerpt his touches basis on a few different problems with education. However Kozol’s main focus is ethnicity. How there is segregation within the schools. African Americans at one school while whites attend another. How some school receive more money than others as well as schools in certain areas have better teachers.
ReplyDeleteIn Jonathan Kozol's article "Still Seperate, Still Unequal", he adreeses that schools that were deeply segregated Twenty to thirty years ago are no less segregated now, while thousands of schoolsaround the country that had been integrated either voluntarily or by the force of law have since been resegregating. This is truly a grueling and persis tent problem for it appears that the effort of integration in the past has prove to be failing. This fact gives me a lot of think about and might help me in my writiings.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt by Kozol's "Still Seperate, Still Unequal" signifies how schools in America are publicly announced as integrated but still segerated in terms of races. He gives stunning statistics about public schools and how they are well dominated by the minorities (blacks and hispanics). Which brings me to a speculation about these public schools and that is parents jobs and motivation affecting their childrens education. If a parent isn't highly motivated and takes a mediocore/manual labor type of job, his children won't be pushed to become succesfu. Unless of course he is driven by the fact that he does not want to be like his parents. However, in most cases, blacks and hispanics are the ones obtaining the labor intensive jobs so hence, they can't afford to put their children in private schools. When this goes around America, you can see how most of the public schools are dominated by miniorites.
ReplyDeleteIn "Still Seperate, Still Unequal" by Jonathan Kozol he talks about the different schools and how different edcuations are based on race. He talks about how when parents are successful their children are pushed to be successful, and visa versa. One of the biggest problems is that most school funding goes to the rich predominately white schools, and they dont focus as much on the minorities. They are setting up this kids to fail and become the lower wages jobs. They aren't getting a fair chance to be everything they can be.
ReplyDeleteFrom the excerpt of Jonathan Kozol, there are many things that he emphasizes and repeats throughout his experiences. He brings up racial segregation and provides a lot of statistics and analytical points of view on the american society back then and today. Racial segregatiom has brought up a big point and difference to education ack then amd still does. He talks a lot about how education was disbursed unequally among americans and different ethnic race. He feel that the racial system is being hidden from the american society as he makes his research with public school students in various areas. He also brings up a point where african american people have outstanded the number of whites in all schools.
ReplyDelete