The Importance Of Education In Education

With landmark Supreme Court decisions in regards to education such as Brown v Board of Education, which made segregation within schools illegal, one would be inclined to believe that modern schools are void of any inequality. However, at a deeper glance, it is apparent that there is a glaring inequality within public school systems at the national, statewide, and even district-wide level. Such an inequality has drastic results as the education one receives has a high correlation to the college they will attend, and the job they will work. It is in society's best interest that public school systems be improved to equally supplement students with the tools necessary to succeed. While the public school system aims to reduce the inequality within it, they have proven ineffective in guaranteeing children of all races and economic classes an equal education.

As a nation, we currently provide foundational education (K-12) to any and all. Despite the fact that public schools have built the educational foundation within the United States, these schools can be riddled with inequalities that target marginalized identities. Due to the prevalence of inequality within public schools, many are fighting for the reformation of these schools. Many public schools do not obtain enough funding from the state or federal level, as a result, these schools rely on funding from the local level, which is detrimental to the development of schools in low-income communities. These classist boundaries create public schools that are overcrowded, underfunded, and required to follow an ineffective uniform model of teaching based on curriculum expectations. According to the United States Department of Education, failing to ensure that districts start with a ‘level playing field’ in terms of federal funding allocated to support student needs, both creates and exacerbates a system of ongoing inequity. According to American Progress, schools with 90 percent or more students of color spend a full $733 less per student per year than schools with 90 percent or more white students (Spatig-Amerikaner, 2012). The system does not distribute opportunity equitably, as much of the public education funding is derived from local property

From an early age, individuals in America have tried to do everything in their power to reduce the inequalities of gender and race; however, the inequalities of education have proven to affect the future of the country the most. Education is a fundamental human right that is indispensable to both the well-being of an individual and society. To many people, it is considered a great equalizer in America, improving the lives and opportunities for children from a young age. Nevertheless, the great equalizer is constantly threatened, affecting the developments of these opportunities. The unequal distribution of wealth affects students of all ages in the education system. In order to reduce education inequality, the funds allocated to the low-income neighborhoods in a state should to be increased not only to decrease the gap between rich and poor and decrease the amount of poorly paid teachers, but also to provide schools with enough resources to ensure success.

Martin Luther once said, “When schools flourish, all flourishes.” Schools are the institutions where students’ foundations for lifelong success are built. One would think, or at least hope, that sixty years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, all schools in America would be flourishing or near flourishing. How wonderful would it be, if politicians and other people in power realized how true Martin Luther’s words were. Unfortunately, this is not the case. As Jonathan Kozol explicitly depicts in his 1991 novel, Savage Inequalities, inequality in American public schools still exists despite segregation being outlawed. Even though this book was written twenty-five years ago, it still applies to this day. There are many schools in America that are still segregated, and the complete opposite of flourishing. This is due to one main reason: inadequate funding. There is a tremendous amount of inequality in funding between the poor, city schools, and the affluent, suburban schools. Kozol explores these various schools in his novel, and demonstrates how by underfunding schools that are in dire need of funds, we are essentially setting up our future generations for failure. We are inhibiting them from reaching their potentials and showcasing their talents. We ourselves are ripping their chances of a bright future out of their hands. We are allowing our society to believe segregation in schools is ok.

“Experts agree that the bulk of poor and minority students will not receive educations comparable to what is available in America’s best suburban schools. Either public or private, until the deeper structured question of funding is revolved.” Education inequality is wrong, all education to people should be equal. “There is an overtone of inequality involved in these disparities since, at least in urban areas, the poor districts tend to be heavily minority and the more affluent are heavily white.” Education inequality wrong, education isn’t provided us much to some races over others.

Sixty years have passed since Brown v. Board of Education, the definitive supreme court case that outlawed segregation, and schools all around the U.S.A. look as if nothing has changed since then. The biggest difference is now it is not only African Americans who experience segregation, there also exists a problem with the segregation of social class. Many school districts have unequal distribution of educational resources and funding, resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy for students who are less fiscally privileged. School districts with more money get better test results, higher rates of graduation, and create a functional and safe learning environment.

Its sad to see that United States’s public schools are so segregated years after the civil rights act of 1964. Race and income are huge factors that aid in segregation of schools across America. More recently another factor has joined the others which would be wealthier families, preferably send their children to private schools rather than let them go to school with the children in their area. This gives children who aren’t as well off less hope that they desperately need. Income and Race keeping children separate needs to stop for all children to have the same opportunities.

The tax dollars are at work, but for whom, when it comes to education. Some can say, they do not think that their child is getting the best education, they can get from their school district. There is inequity in education because we are still divided, we have various advisory boards for the different races at school such as ELA (English learner Advisory) AAPA (African American Parent Advisory). It should be just a parent advisory in order for everybody to have the same learning achievement. As for inequality in education that is depending on the area, the school is located, I do not see the schools in the upper-class neighborhood complaining that their kids are not getting the best education. The negative consequences of this social problem are that there are children being left behind, retention in grades, suspension, and expulsion (Musu-Gillette, Robinson, McFarland, KewalRamani, Zhang, & Wilkinson-Flicker, 2016). The importance of changing this problem is so we can make sure our children are ready to lead the country when the time comes and make the best decision for us all as it relates our nation and politics. The equity in education is a problem and it needs to be changed through prevention measures, society, and reform.

One place where inequality can be clearly seen is in our school systems. Virtually all educators believe that a school affects its students’ intellectual and social development, and that “good” schools have more favorable effects on their students than “poor” schools do. But not all educators agree on what constitutes a “good” school. It seems that all educators would agree that a thriving school has access to more resources than struggling schools, and

The strength of education being used as the protagonist in the civil rights discussion is the overall product of this inequality in the education system. In essence, we are continuing a system of disproportion and depriving children the same opportunities as others. Furthermore, just because Brown v. Board eliminated segregation in schools, does not mean that minorities are not still feeling the ramifications of their once segregated ancestral past. It is no secret that minorities make up the majority of the lower socioeconomic class, while whites the opposite. This diminishes the “American Dream”, what it means to be an American Citizen, which is the idea that anyone can make it through hard work.

George Washington stated, “The best means of forming a manly, virtuous, and happy people will be found in the right education of youth. Without this foundation, every other means, in my opinion, must fail” (Educational Quotes from our Founding Fathers, Tilus). Most schools have an education mission statement that usually talk about a goal of preparing students for a mix of lifeline success, citizenship, college, and careers. Although many schools have great education, as a whole, schools are failing to teach kids character by failing to teach morality. Instead, the American education system bases the education off standardized testing. There must be a revolution in education from moral relativism to Judeo-Christian values in order for the next generation to receive the full benefit of education.

I used to work with children with IDD, doing in home school building. I think that children with learning disabilities can be mainstreamed with standard classes and should not be at certain times of their schooling process. I feel it is a great idea to have separate classes and allow the child with a IDD additional consideration, such as due date modifications and extra time on test. I feel it is important to give children growing up what they need in order succeed in the world, and giving that child extra time to grasp and learn information can work out for the best. I strongly feel, the only time that children with a learning disability should be mainstreamed with a standard class, if they are showing tremendous progress in remedial classes and displays that they can uphold the same responsibilities as the other children in the standard class. It is not a smart thing to just mainstream these two types of classes together, because it runs the risk of creating other issues in their lives and academic failures, it needs to be a smooth transition from one type of learning to the next.

First class of the day is genetics at 8:00 am, still waking up, I sit in my chair and listen as the professor drones on and on about DNA and other things I wont remember after class today. After two hours of genetics I have five minutes to run from one class to another. Now I sit in my chair, in a different class, and listen to another professor lecture for another two hours. My hand begins to cramp up from all the note taking, and I feel even more tired than I did at 8:00 am. My day isn't over yet, I still have to try and keep my eyes from closing as my math teacher goes on about shapes or multiplication or something math related. A full day of school down and I am left with more questions than answers. I feel like I know less now, than I did when I came to school this morning.

We are in a point of education that change is inevitable. In the essays written by YoY o ma and by Graemer Wood a common position the both seemed to have was that education needs to be changed be it the way we approach teaching or learning. If we can improve the techniques then we are able to create a more successful life for future generations. The goal of education is to teach and to improve society as well as education. However, to improve an area one must work in that area and change the stability of that area such as how wood and Ma discuss.

So how has America gotten to this point in history where segregation was supposedly abolished in 1954 but only continues to grow today. Well, the answer may be much simpler than one might think. Certainly, demographic and socioeconomic factors play a big role in the differences between affluent schools and lower income area schools. McCarthy puts it as, “Modern segregation in schools today is largely attributed to neighborhoods becoming more and more segregated as affluent families move to locations where school districts have better reputations and better resources.” Events throughout history specifically the Plessy ruling contribute to this discrepancy in school environments today. The culture that was established in the 1800s is only continuing its deep and dark path. All citizens of the United States should be able to gain the highest level of education possible. Unfortunately, the way things are set up demographically and structurally today this will be hard to come by. Thus, calling for a more extensive look at human rights and more importantly the right to an education that every person has. However, we have already begun to see movements promoting education equality throughout the United States.