I recently stumbled upon this editorial on The New York Times, “Confronting Segregation in New York City School.” After doing hours of research on socioeconomic segregation in public schools for our seminar paper, I was immediately drawn to this article. During our presentation, socioeconomic segregation was presented as a result of gentrification. The reality is, however, that low income students have been at a disadvantage for decades as a result of the political system in our country. This goes beyond gentrification and leads back to redlining, mass incarceration, faulty justice system, segregation etc. Schools with a high percentage of low income students have proven to have lower test scores and graduation rates than integrated schools. These schools are also less likely to have qualified teachers and resources compared to more affluent schools. Desegregating schools should not be done for the sole purpose of promoting diversity, but rather to promote equity in the education system.
When asked about this issue, Mayor de Blasio responded “We cannot change the basic reality of housing in New York City.” We cannot have a dismissive attitude when communities of color are constantly being denied the right to a proper education. The article points out that segregation in schooling goes beyond housing and is a result of decades old educational policies that ensure low income students remain at a disadvantage. As a New Yorker, I used to be very proud of the fact that we are a part of one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Although I am still proud to be from New York, we have a long way to go before patting ourselves on the back for being a diverse city. It is extremely unfitting for a city like our own, known for being the “Melting Pot” or “Tossed Salad” to have “one of the most deeply segregated school systems in the nation.”
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