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Post Number 5 – Josh Solomowitz
March 3, 2015 | Leave a Comment
It’s a real shame how much state and federal governments cut public education in the US. They must not realize that most of the leaders of tomorrow are getting swindled out of a decent education. Continuous under-funding and lack of overall support for the system in place really hinders us as a society. Which is why US students do not test anywhere near what is on par with its industrialized economy ranks (used to be 1st, now number 12). It’s all in the education system people! It starts from the ground up – obviously K-12 is most important – not to say college shouldn’t be focused on either.
The Washington Post article brings income equality into the realm of college education. I don’t understand how it could though – most schools are financial-need-blind when it comes to applications; how can they tell who is low income and then give them preference? I understand that students from low-income families need better college options – then they have a higher chance of getting a better job and getting themselves and/or their families out of poverty. Total reformation of the education system is needed though. Colleges and universities should not cost this much. It’s insane to believe that the amount of student debt outranks the total amount of credit card debt in the US — I can’t even fathom that.
Like the infograph shows, low-income individuals (in addition to immigrants, middle class, and almost everyone else) look towards the American Dream, or put in a ton of work and to finally making it rich. It’s too bad that close to nobody ever achieves this dream. While it’s hard enough to move up the socioeconomic ladder in the first place (with other qualities in play such as class, race, etc.), being successful in the US has many obstacles in the way. This unfulfilled dream seems to leave all of those who once pursued it utterly unsatisfied.
Innovations in technology have been on a sharp incline since the 1970’s. This requires a much higher standard of education in order to fill these tough positions. Special training and other programs that are either more intensive or stretch longer than the traditional 4-year college experience turn away potential candidates who don’t have the time or resources to put into the learning. Those that do usually are well-off and continue to stay well-off, while the rest enter mediocre positions that they are intellectually above.
The idea of the quality of education being given today is a very good point. I personally believe that it has been decreasing over the past few decades and will continue to do so. Unless there is a huge, dramatic change in our education policy, I can’t see any other plausible prediction. For example, look at California’s performance in education. Ever since their reform in the 80’s and 90’s, they have only gone downhill and now test at the bottom of the country. New York, I believe, is on its way down there too, taking after their Western brethren. Teachers are also partly to blame for the declining quality of education in the US. The idea of tenure guarantees them a position for years to come, regardless of the quality of education they give. This may lead to them not trying as hard (to keep their approval ratings high with the students, like their non-tenured counterparts) in and out of the classroom.
Cutting the arts and social studies courses is one of the bigger things that get to me. These subjects add more than just reading and math – they add color and culture to the educational experience. Without them, these students will lose out on learning about some of the most important things that we have to teach. They will all be the same with little to differentiate themselves.
Residential segregation adds a whole other view on the problem. With a low income neighborhood comes poor educational facilities, little funding, and lack of teacher quality. The teachers that do show up are usually burnt out within a few years, tops. These areas scare away the quality teachers and because of the daily lifestyle (i.e. family problems, having to work a job, etc.), children test poorly. The students who can afford private tutors will use them to get ahead, while those who don’t will suffer in the back of the classroom having no idea what’s going on. Let alone tutors, the upper class can afford all of the required books (with supplemental ones too), school supplies, summer camps, and other advantages. Graduation rates for the lower-income are much, much lower than their wealthier counterparts for both high school and college. Physiologically, high-income parents are more encouraging and spend more time with their children, a very important factor in child development. All of these together widen the gap between the poor and wealthy children in school.
A lot needs to change. Education reform should be towards the top of the list, in addition to income inequality. Both hinder our society more than we think they do. And they’re both getting worse.
