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.