Blog Post 7: TAL & Herbert- Connections

Listening to The Problem We All Live With was very true and straight to the point about integration in public schools. It's unfortunate how true it actually is. I can relate to this because of where I used to work, in a low income school with a high percentage of hispanic and black children. Because of where the school is located they do not have the best materials to use in classrooms which can affect the highest education they could be receiving. My last few years I moved to a different center of the same company. It was located right on the outside of the town with less poverty. This meant more white children with parents who pay a lot to have their children attend there. Being able to see the difference of the two and they were about a 10 minutes apart was incredible and not in a good way. I instantly noticed all the differences, the white people living in a middle class family were able to send their children to a higher class program where they receive higher quality teachers, the best materials and play yard. While at the other school I may have came across 3 white children out of my two years being there, very little parent involvement, no access to best quality materials and broken equipment outside. 

In the audio of This American Life Nikole Jones says "What integration does is it gets black kids in the same facilities as white kids, and therefore it gets them access to the same things that those kids get-- quality teachers and quality instruction." If there was a way for both class families to send their children to the same school to each receive the best of the best, they could all have a higher chance of a successful education. Ira Glass then goes onto discussing statistics about how the lower class families get the worst of it even if they live down the street from the "nicer" school. Nikole brings up that if you mix these children together, studies show you can tell the children living in poverty apart from others because of their test scores. She talked about a life story that she was sent to the higher class school outside of her poverty home life, she would constantly invite friends to her house but their parents wouldn't allow them, instead they invited Nikole to their home. This affects a child in a negative way especially because its' obvious to the child why they aren't ever able to go to their neighborhood. 
Nikole feeling separated from her friends has nothing to do with her skin color but because of where she is from. Which works the same way with the poverty schools and higher class schools. In the article by Bob Herbert he said "Studies have shown that it is not the race of the students that is significant, but rather the improved all-around environment of schools with better teachers, fewer classroom disruptions, pupils who are more engaged academically, parents who are more involved, and so on. The poorer students benefit from the more affluent environment." This article was very similar to what Nikole and Ira were discussing when it comes to schools being segregated. These days it's not about keeping race separate, it's more about where you are raised and what your community is like. I see this is my field placement. On my first day, I went in their trying not to judge based on the neighborhood but tried to have an open mind thinking that maybe the children get the best quality at this school regardless of what is outside their windows. Unfortunately my assumptions were right and it is a very low income school with little parent involvement, low education and old materials. I have yet to see a white student in this school as well.
I wish that all schools got the same level of education with high quality teachers and materials. From working in a low income school and doing my field placement I need to help these children and make a difference. When I become an elementary school teacher I am not afraid to teach in low income communities, I think it would be a good experience for me and help the children receive the best education I can give.