One of the first steps in tackling the disparity within education is acknowledging that is a severe problem affecting our nation. This week we were encouraged to start big and acknowledge the varying dimensions of the issues we are trying to tackle. For example when trying to understand educational disparity we generally asked, “How do we level the playing field for attaining a quality education?”. Also, “What are the external forces outside of a classroom that impact a child’s education?” For example, “How does family involvement /characterisitcs impact education disparity?”
This topic is hitting hard because the more sources I read the more I realize how lucky I am to be in my circumstances. Yes, I work hard, but my parents prioritized my education and sacrificed to send me to expensive competitive educational institutions. This is not the case for every student. There are students out there working just as hard as me, but are not given the resources to step outside their circumstances. How can we build a bridge and ensure that disadvantaged students have a successful future?
I realize this is a national question,”How do rise out of the circumstances we were born into?”. How exactly do we awaken the American dream? These are the question President Obama addressed this week in the State of the Union,
“They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. That’s what drew our forebears here. It’s how the daughter of a factory worker is CEO of America’s largest automaker — (applause) — how the son of a barkeep is speaker of the House — (cheers, applause) — how the son of a single mom can be president of the greatest nation on Earth. (Cheers, applause.)”
Obama’s anecdotal references captures the beauty of the opportunity that should come with hard work. There needs to be a hope that if we work hard, we can get out of unwanted circumstances. However, it seems for certain children in the U.S. their circumstances are so brutal that they cannot imagine that life may one day cut them a break. We want to make a stronger path to get students out of disadvantaging circumstances.
There is debate on how exactly we go about this whether it be more government involvement or less or what policies to put in place, etc. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, explained the fact that Obama chose to use his first words acknowledging teachers “highlighted the importance of educators and our schools in helping our children achieve their dreams.” (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/29/obama-reaffirms-old-education-promises-in-state-of-the-union-address)
Weingarten further explained, “A vibrant economy and a high-quality public education system have been and always will be intertwined. It starts with investing in early childhood education, making college affordable, making public schools the center of communities, and, equipping students with essential life skills and offering multiple paths to graduation and the world of work through rigorous career and technical education programs.”(http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/29/obama-reaffirms-old-education-promises-in-state-of-the-union-address) I thought Weingarten’s explaination was imperative for those who fear that a more equal educational playing field may impact the economy negatively. We can find ways to improve our system without harming our economy, we just have to search and Weingarten made strong suggestions on what path needs to be paved.