Jan 23rd Poverty and Education

In the clip from Waiting for Superman, a reciprocal  relationship between failing neighborhoods and failing schools is revealed. Growing up in a neighborhood where that was the reality, it is true that the failing education system is indeed a contributor to the breakdown of communities and an increase in poverty. Different policies addressing education, like that of the Mckinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Act, agree that schools provide a sort of stability for students to succeed and find their strengths, especially those living in poverty. It is evident that education is an essential part of the human experience and well being. So then what policies will work best to tackle this daunting issue? Well, first of all, we must decide what level to approach the issue at- the individual, societal or economic level. If we look at it from the individual level, I believe that Sir Robinson's philosophy of a paradigm shift would be greatly impactful in the lives of students. Furthermore, students would not be forced to conform to roles of "academic" and "non-academic learners." Rather, by working in groups, as Sir Robinson suggests, and mixing the "academic" and "nonacademic" students, there would be greater capacity for students to grow in their individual strengths and learning patterns. It's a far stretch but an ideal one nonetheless.

 If we were to look at this problem from a societal standpoint, targeting the home- parents and families- would act as the best option. Moreover, the education system needs policies that will engage the parents of these children in creative and constructive ways. Some Charter schools are approaching education in this way and seeing great results. Another societal solution is that of the spill over effect, this speaks to the idea that when group of educated people come together in one place, that knowledge is spread in very productive and efficient ways. Imagine if educated people moved into the inner cities and began sharing their culture of spill over knowledge. What would be the affects? The community, over a period of time, may grow sensitive to this culture and a ripple effect would ensue. In downtown Phoenix, this is beginning to occur. Arizona State University is beginning to spread its roots into tutoring programs in the central city,educated people are meeting in coffee shops, and moving into nearby neighborhoods, and the inner city is becoming a place of gradual spill-over knowledge.

 Now, let us take a leap into the last level- the economic. Now this level proves a bit perplexing. In the reading, a sufficient amount of data reveals that spending among districts, cities and states varies greatly so much so that high-poverty school districts receive significantly lower amounts of resources than low-poverty districts, spending even varies across race. Yet, studies have also shown that spending more on education doesn't necessarily produce better outcomes. For example, James S. Coleman, an education expert who partnered with President Johnson, found that resources had very little to do with outcomes. Instead, family backgrounds and the economic state of the community bore greater weight on outcomes, which supports the previous claim about the importance of the home and parents. However, bringing a greater sense of centralization to the system would at least give Americans the assurance that their children had equal access to resources and ultimately success.

Jan 12-17

For assignment two I will take the perspective of a childless couple. In the search for a location to live, being childless has many advantages. For instance, finding a good school or the safest neighborhood is no real concern to my partner and I. We have yet to establish a family and do not plan on doing so in the near future. Also, we do not carry the same financial burden that other couples do as parents and have the freedom to spend a little more money on a home or do just the opposite and choose to live in a home that is less valuable, meaning we would chose land use over land value. We both have stable jobs as social workers and at this point can choose to commute to our workplace. According to the cocentric zone model, an ideal place for a couple like us exists in the skilled workers zone and those that follow, which would require a commute. However, my partner and I are less interested in living comfortable lives away from the city and more interested in sustainability, community development and gentrification.  Because of the nature of our interests and influences, we will choose to live in the central zone, making our commute less of a hazard on the environment. We will make it a priority to strengthen the already existing communities by way of our involvement in social work and community organizations and express our desire to include these existing communities in the gentrification of downtown Phoenix (gentrification meaning the transformation of a downtown's culture). Being near the central business district would also give us a place to enjoy some play. With all that said, the best location for us to live would be between the central business district and the skilled workers zone, which works great for our cause as a couple because it is where the impoverished neighborhoods are located. Furthermore, work and play would be provided in the cbd, our commitment to community development would be met in the transition zone and friends and family would still be accessible in the outer circles. Thus, we have chosen a home in the center of the city.

Background:

I based this example on a couple who live in my neighborhood. They are childless, the husband is a social worker and his wife is a graphic designer but the time she devotes to others is a social work in of itself. They both grew up in Scottsdale and have steady jobs. However, they long to see their neighborhood and state transformed beginning in the inner city and making its way outward. Thus, they have chosen to live in an impoverished neighborhood just a minute or so from the central business district of downtown Phoenix. Community is a great strength and passion of theirs. They host neighborhood meetings, porch parties, Sunday brunch and community work days. They are currently partnered with the organization of mention in my previous blog.

Jan 5/10

Hello interested reader! My name is Raquel Denis. I am a student in the college of public programs and I am currently studying nonprofit management.  I care a lot about community and the well being of people; I specifically have a big heart for Phoenix and would like to be of use in bettering it. Thus, I plan on sticking around in this city for a while to see it change and evolve. After the reading, I found that a lot of what I care about pertains to urban policy. I live in a pretty rough area of town, 15th Ave and Van Buren, with a community of Christians who desire to make a difference in Phoenix, especially in our neighborhood. When I ride my bike around the area, I get really frustrated and wonder why there is a such a disparity in livelihood between the neighborhood I live in now and the neighborhood just across the freeway. For a few years I've wondered why certain parts of Phoenix and, more recently, why central phoenix has been neglected in a lot ways. With that said, I am encouraged by the fact that I will be learning the background and answers to such questions. Some of my questions were addressed in the reading.

In the first chapter of Urban Policy Reconsidered, I was informed of just how complex the authority of a city is. Cities don't have a lot of say because of the power States hold over them. However, they are not completely powerless. The problem is that when city officials can make decisions that influence the well being of  their cities, they find themselves caught between what's best for the city and what will keep them elected. For example,  having to please businesses and support developmental policies even if they'd like to help the poor. This explains why when I look around my city I see things that are so obviously in need of change but have yet to move in that direction. Also, another point from the reading that I resonated with was a quote from Grogan: "Cities will thrive when they fix the things that ordinary people can fix in the neighborhoods." I very much feel that way. Apprenticeship to Jesus, the community I intern with, encourages its participants and its neighbors to take ownership of the space through community efforts. We are attempting to do that in very practical ways, like making use of the rec center across the street, going to monthly neighborhood meetings and participating in community work days. Our neighborhood really does care and we are learning that we do have the ability to fix some things that city officials have failed to do. Thus, it goes without saying that I really do believe in the communitarian approach to improve urban cities and especially Phoenix. And it really is true that once a group of people come together for a collective effort, their individual pursuits can flourish. It's exciting! I can't wait to explore and learn more about urban policy.