Calvin
Kennedy
Presents
A black
man’s
Struggle
with education
4/1/13
On
average, African American 12th graders read at approximately the
same level as a white 8th grader!? Do I read on the same level as a
white 8th grader? I mean I never struggled with reading in school,
and I always felt very capable when it came to reading out loud. I’ve heard
about all of the saddening facts about African Americans in school and I’ve
always wondered if any of them applied to me. But this isn’t about me I want to
figure out why African Americans struggle in school and what does their community
have to do with it.
Gail: Well you have to take into consideration the
upbringing of most of these African Americans. Most likely these children grew
up in an urban community, struggled financially and because of the bad economy
in that community they probably experienced quite a bit of violence as well.
Calvin: So how does that affect them academically? I
mean most celebrities and great people throughout history started off in a
struggling family.
Gail: Yeah but the thing about celebrities is that
they are the minority, and because they are celebrities does not mean they are
educated.
Calvin: I agree, but what about the masses of black
people that don’t obtain an education.
Gail: Well if you grew up in a community that
struggled financially chances are you did to. So when it comes to school your
parents are more concerned with getting the next paycheck and don’t have time
to pay attention to how their kids do in school. So if you come home every day
and you parents do not have time to talk with you about what you’ve learned
then most likely you will lose interest in your own education because your
parent failed to instill how important an education is. Don’t get me wrong most
parents do think that an education is important it’s just that in their heads
other things are more urgent than talking about how your day in school was.
Calvin: I see, so what you are saying is that in a
struggling household most parents may not be able to spend valuable time with
their child because they are too busy trying to make ends meet.
Gail: Exactly so as a result the child grows up
valuing what their parents’ value which in that case is making money and
surviving.
Marcia
Caton speaks up
Marcia: Oh this conversation is getting very
interesting I have to add my seven cents.
Calvin: Well seeing as I cant control the voices in
my head I guess I can’t stop you.
Marcia: Hey don’t sound so sour you should be happy
I’m here.
Calvin: Okay well what do you have to say?
Marcia: Well what I wanted to say is that in school
African Americans are the majority of students expelled, or suspended,
especially males. This comes from two things. A parent not disciplining their
child and the child’s low value of education. Both of which extend from the
parent’s absence due to work or other things, incarceration for one thing. Did
you know that African Americans also lead the nation in single parent
household?
Calvin: Ok so are you saying that poor parents are
the leading reason for why African Americans struggle in school?
Marcia: Yes
Gail: No
Marcia: What do you mean no?! If parents had a high
value of an education then they would be able to pass that on to their
children.
Gail: But those parents would be able to if they had
that “time” to give it is because of the lack of money in the community that
makes it harder for parents to get jobs and the violence in the community comes
from that struggle to make money.
Marcia: What does violence have to do with the
students?
Gail: Well a violent community could cause them a
loved one or their lives, also on a psychological level it makes the students
less social which could have all kinds of results on a child’s mindset about
those he/she goes to school with.
Marcia,
and Gail’s voices fade out of my mind.
They
both make a point but I have a feeling that there is more to this community
impact on a student than what we have covered. Monica Caton pries her way into
my thoughts
Monica: Calvin your right to think so. Many people
forget that the community also impacts the school itself. Most of the teachers
and faculty come from neighboring communities and probably lived there for a
while.
Calvin: Yeah that was definitely the case for my
school but how does that affect the school’s curriculum?
Monica: Well see it doesn’t necessarily affect the
curriculum just how well the students absorb the material. In most of these
schools there are teachers who are not qualified to teach effectively and they
may not even value education, or at least how well their students do. So the
students receive a poorly taught education because the delivery was weak. Now
I’m not saying that every teacher is unqualified to teach, but if you take 6
classes and 2 of your teachers didn’t do a good job then you may struggle in
those areas further down your academic career and start to doubt all of the
opportunities you could receive through a good education.
Jacqueline: Hold on their missy you are totally
overlooking a big part of how the community impacts the school.
Calvin: Hey Jac—
Jacqueline: Shut it loser!
Monica: Wooh there what’s the attitude for?
Jacqueline: Its for you, how could you assume that
the teachers are the only reason for why schools are ineffective. Did you
forget about the social battleground that schools have become. In an urban
community your clothes have to be named brand, and if you can’t relate to most
of the people around you, then you become a daily target for the cruelties that
kids bring to school every day. Most of these behaviors and norms that stem
straight from the community the school was placed in.
Monica: Okay I hear what you are saying but even if
the students were socially united they still wouldn’t be able to learn a thing
because of the growing numbers of poorly trained teachers that populate these
urban schools.
Jacqueline: Yes but a united group of students will
fight for a better school, just like the kids that ask for a better playground
or new basketball court. The thing about a united youth is that they will be
able to bounce ideas off each other and thus learn how to better their lives.
Calvin: I actually agree with Jacqueline I can’t say
that I have witnessed students take charge of their learning outside of
studying and working together. However if we didn’t have a lot of social barriers
between each other than that could definitely be possible.
Monica: Well this is your head we are talking in and
I guess I cant make you agree with what I say.
Janice: Hey everyone sorry I’m late I was busy
trying to find my way into your thoughts. But I would like to talk a little
more about the community aspect.
Calvin: Really? What more could you say?
Janice: Well I want to talk about all of the people
that report and discuss the things that happen in the community and how their
statements may lead communities to move in the wrong direction.
Calvin: Okay well do explain.
Janice: Well most of these news reporters who talk
about students who have difficult lives don’t actually understand how the
community impacts the student academically. So when they report their opinion
of the matter the schools become defensive and try to make quick irrational
changes without truly understanding how to fix the problem.
Calvin: Yeah well the thing I learned at the
beginning of my research is that there is a reason for why this issue has
plagued us for years. My head and heart feels a little irritated because the
more I learn the bigger this task seems to get.
All Sources: Well Calvin nothing worth doing is ever
easy!
FIN
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