Reflection #2: Costs of Segregated Education Systems on the Youth
There is an obvious correlation between the public school curriculum for students and their rates of success. However, there is also a large distinction between the curriculum and teaching styles offered to students of advantaged environments, versus those who are in struggling neighbourhoods. This paper is going to be referencing an article by Nikole Hannah-Jones of the New York Times called ‘How School Segregation Divides Ferguson - and the United States,’ to discuss the injustice found in the school systems and the effects it has on its students. Furthermore, the paper will use concepts including learning abilities of primary school students from P. Cook and Jens Ludwig’s ‘The Costs of Gun Violence Against Children,’ to support the claims of this correlation.
The Hannah-Jones article discusses the impacts of school segregation particularly in Ferguson, Missouri. The Normandy school district is identified as being amongst the poor and disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Missouri (Hannah-Jones, 2014). Right down the road of Normandy is the Clayton school district, where the public school has predominantly white student populations, as well as being in the top ten ranked schools of Missouri (Ibid). Other than the years of dealing with segregation, it was not until the shooting of young Normandy soon-to-be graduate Michael Brown that Normandy High became an issue to the public. Hannah-Jones recognizes that more than half of the black males do not graduate, leading to higher unemployment rates in the regions demographic. Furthermore, the lack of proper education and care discourages many of the students, leading an unmotivated lifestyle to pursue post-graduate studies (Hannah-Jones, 2014). Even though the issues of segregation are clear, Cook and Ludwig place emphasis on the impacts of incentives and teaching methods.
Cook and Ludwig argue that the cultural belief of education achievement - particularly math and science studies - do not depend on the natural abilities like majority of those in the United States think they do, but rather from studious efforts (2002, p.87). They argue that this notion of biological incompetency for particular subjects is false. This relates back to prejudiced and ignorant claims that privileged school districts made on the Normandy school district as - as many of the parents argued that by integrating both schools together the Normandy students would bring a negative impact on the ‘superior’ Clayton students through their safety and education (Hannah-Jones, 2014).
Cook and Ludwig believe that this thinking process alone hurts the students. In fact, their studies have shown that students who are given positive incentives with encouragement of their work ethics end up with higher success rates (Cook and Ludwig, 2002, p.89). However, the students who believe they are inferior to their classmates are led to failure and a term called ‘learned helplessness’ (Cook and Ludwig, 2002, p.89). ‘Learned helplessness’ is evident throughout Normandy public school. Due to discrimination of race and class, the students learn that they are not worthy nor intelligent enough as those in the same schools. Those encouraging the ignorant stereotypes of do not take into account the teaching methods presented to these students at all. In fact, they place blame on their cognitive development rather than question the teaching methods. Cook and Ludwig have analyzed that many teachers actually hold negative dispositions about certain subjects, including math and science (2002, p. 89). It would not be uncommon if teachers at lower ranked schools felt the negative dispositions and were equally discouraged as their students were, to not place as much emphasis while teaching these subjects in comparison to others such as literacy (Cook and Ludwig, 2002, p.87).
In order for schools similar to the Normandy public school to become successful, there must be a change. Although it is difficult to obtain funds in these lower-ranked schools, change can begin in the classroom. By having positive incentives to encourage the students to find a passion, they can focus their brain activities to exercises that build problem solving rather than discouragement and fear. The students who are enrolled in these schools do not come from similar backgrounds - each student has their own capabilities and potential. It would be unjust to deprive them of equal opportunities as other students, who do not hold any scientific superiority over them, in terms of their learning abilities.
Photographed above is the set graduates for Clayton County Public School.
Photograph is of supporting parents/friends of Normandy students on their first day of school.
Works Cited
Cook, P. and Jens Ludwig. 2002. The Costs of Gun Violence Against Children. The Future of Children, 12 (2) 2002, 87-99.
Hannah-jones, Nikole. "How School Segregation Divides Ferguson — and the United States." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.
