Before I comment on the actual reading, I have to say that I enjoyed finding the book on Amazon.com and seeing the two existing reviews. One is a rant about how racist the book is and, therefore, the reviewer will never read it. The other review is an appreciation of the book, "An excellent text for white people searching for an antiracist identity." The dichotomy is interesting and implies that the book touches on some deep issues, possibly in new ways or with a fresh perspective. I'm all for "undoing whiteness in the classroom", but I think that it's often easier said than done. More practical ideas are needed in this discourse. Regardless, I agree that there is a need to address this issue; as individual teachers and as a field. It's a factor within the education issues intertwined with education reform and inequality. My reflection will address quotes from the handout given in class.
When the book explains the public discourse in America, it includes these quotes "Everyone has the same start in life, with 13 years of free education... It's up to you to seize the opportunities that this country affords you"
This past Wednesday, Professor Jiesemfoek brought us to listen to the author of Teaching by Numbers, Brooklyn College Professor Peter Taubman. In his book, Professor Taubman addresses the negative results of trends in data and assessment. In his speech he included clear explanations describing the educational inequalities that exist in America. He compared Harvard University to CUNY Brooklyn College (particularly around the issues of resources) and the comparison between private schools in Manhattan compared to public schools in Manhattan. Just looking at those differences, we can see that equal educational opportunities do not exist.
I can even think back to my own teaching experiences. I taught in East New York, Brookyn, a Black and Hispanic low-income community. The kindergartners came into the school with knowledge of MLK, but not the alphabet. Their intelligence was not lower, but they exhibited real evidence that they were starting school at a different level than most middle class students whose environment provides preparation that aligns with school achievement. The way this plays out later in life can be an entire PhD dissertation... maybe even multiple dissertations!
"Often individuals are unable to see the connections between racial, class and gender discrimination and economic power because our ideology on social equality creates a climate of denial around documented inequities."
Recently at work we wrote grant proposals for Magnet schools to get funding. Magnet schools are the government's attempt at desegregation. (who knew?) They are specialized, thematic schools that are given extra funding and autonomy so that they can offer higher quality education and attract a more diverse population. It doesn't always work, but they have shown promising results. Magnet schools get about 1/4 or 1/3 of the funding of charter schools. They both have similar tactics for addressing the quality of education, but with two main differences. Charter schools are assisted with private funding, often from large corporations, and charter schools are known to enable segregation. People leading the charter school movement argue that separate can be equal and do not address the issue of segregation. Obama is a big supporter of the charter school movement, so this is not going to change anytime soon.
Many people have heard multiple times that our schools are more segregated today than they have been since before the civil rights movement. There is even a group of researchers at UCLA that publish studies within "The Civil Rights Project" aiming to fight segregation and promote desegregation - http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/. If I remember right, they (Director, Gary Orfield) were the ones to publish the findings of the current state of segregation in American schools. According to their numerous research studies, segregation does not lead to equality. Integration (racial and socioeconomic) is necessary for addressing the achievement gap. In fact, they say that White people are the most segregated group and White people who have gone to integrated schools are often advocates for desegregation and diversity. Desegregation studies show that all participants benefit from integration. Richard Kahlenberg (http://www.equaleducation.org/press.asp?staff=14), who often has his name attached to Harvard University, is another researcher working towards proving the benefits of desegregation and finds similar results. These prominent researchers have repeatedly published the benefits of desegregation. Meanwhile, there is little, or no research evidence supporting the concept that separate can be equal.
"Communication today between the privileged and economically stressed communities could not be more absent because their worldviews often derive from radically different assumptions and experiences."
When I researched desegregation at work, socioeconomic status came up a lot. It is now recognized that socioeconomic diversity is as strong, or more likely a stronger factor, regarding issues of segregation in schools. They even say that the average socio-economic status of the school is a large factor in determining success, regardless of the background of students. George Bush somehow got ahold of this point of view and outlawed decision making based on race, so that it could be replaced by socio-economic status. Why we have to have one over the other and what that's all about, I don't understand, but that's a whole other issue.
I think that class is stronger than race, although it's obviously intertwined. I just think that if someone grows up poor in America, they will have a very difficult time succeeding in achieving a comfortable socio-economic level, regardless of race. Race will hold you back even more, but it's the poverty level, that is the real detriment (along with a lack of cultural capital and lack of legacy). Unfortunately, especially in urban areas, this usually refers to people who are Black or Hispanic. I haven't studied this, so I can only speak my opinion and my personal experience.
I grew up in a working/middle class environment. My parents were educated and my father had a good job, so at home things were a little different. However, some of the people I grew up around did not value education and were skeptical of the government. My family was skeptical, but did value education. Still, we did not have a ton of money. I never thought I'd be able to go to a private college, but my grandmother helped me out. My high school friend called me a JAP (Jewish American Princess) when I went to the School of Visual Arts (SVA). She went to College of Staten Island on loans, but she did fine, especially after her cousin got her a job as an assistant casting director for commercials before she graduated college. I had another friend who also had connections to get him a job at Prudential in downtown Manhattan, so he didn't finish college... at least not on time. These were my friends from honors classes (I wish I had their connections!). My close friend who was on a lower track ended up with kids in her early 20s, not going to college and becoming a legal secretary. They all seem very happy today.
Anyway, when I went to SVA, I met people whose parents had a lot of money, whose parents were artists, who came out of high quality high schools with good art programs... I met many people and most of them had some kind of significant arts support behind them. Most of them were on a clear path to their career that they chose; something I cannot say for every 20 year old. It was a bit of culture shock for me. I spent my free time in high school hanging out with friends in parks, cemeteries and parking lots talking and drinking. I didn't do any art. I doodled/drew when I was alone and took lots of pictures, but art was not something serious. At SVA I learned a lot about class and privilege because I was always analyzing people's backgrounds and how they got to where they were. I also read about social issues in my spare time (loved belle hooks!).
I was being exposed to people who were more privileged and even though I never really struggled financially, there was a difference. At times it could have been the way our parents raised us more so than class, but class was definitely a factor. Most of the kids at SVA were white. There was some diversity, but it did not mirror the NYC population. Still, within SVA, I don't think that race determined success. However, as I mentioned before, it's definitely a factor that should not be ignored. Out of four black guys I hung out with, 3 are very successful. Out of the three of them the one from an inner city neighborhood had a tough time, where the other 2 guys from suburban areas did not, even though all three of them came into SVA with solid arts backgrounds.
I thought SVA was going to be filled with a bunch of kids taking risks to be artists and following an unsupported passion. However, most of the people I met had insight into different ways of life than I knew growing up and that I know many of the people I knew on Staten Island did not know about this either. If I knew how to prepare for SVA, how to research the field, how to network and what to expect, I might be someplace else right now. I might have known at the time that graphic design often lead to office and business jobs rather than very artsy jobs. This is not always about socio-economic status, but it often is. Class differences are often about lack of access to knowledge and experiences.
Now take my experience and imagine that there is a person who is coming from poverty, who has not been educated in a way that is relative to mainstream education in America and compare that to someone who is of such a privilege that they never struggled and easily continued on their life path that led them to an ivy league education. Many people in America believe that it's talent and hard work that lead people to such success, which is often true, but if someone was to investigate the socio-economic status of the people who go to ivy league schools, small private liberal arts colleges, or other high profile private schools, I'm sure that we would find a vast majority of privileged students coming from relatively high socio-economic backgrounds. I'm sure that if we looked at the resumes of the people in highly regarded positions we would see that they match these schools. This is true for people of various/all races. However, as I said before, race is not something to be ignored. It's very complicated, race is still an issue in America and the remnants of past racial issues are still affecting the people of our country. White people still have the power and sensitivity to other cultures is beneficial for all.
Here are a few interesting links that relate:
Gentrification and Schools in Williamsburg Brooklyn - http://www.nysun.com/new-york/unexpected-obstacle-in-plan-for-brooklyn-school/70595/
Climbing the Socio-Economic Ladder - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/17/social-immobility-climbin_n_501788.html
Generation X Parents - http://www.edutopia.org/generation-x-parents-relationships-guide
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