Representation in Lowest Achieving Schools
Another one of the biggest problems with the severe disparities between the qualities of schools in America is the disproportionate representation of lower-class and minority children in the lowest achieving schools. This is due to the severe income inequality in America, which has left staggeringly large gaps between the upper-, middle-, and lower-classes. This inadequate dispersion of the nation's wealth has resulted in astoundingly different lifestyles; wealthy families own large houses, multiple cars, and expensive clothes, while their lower-income counterparts often struggle to even pay their monthly bills and keep food on the table. And one of the most prominent, though sometimes overlooked, differences between the lifestyles of the rich and poor is the schools that their children attend.
There are two main reasons why the country's top schools consist primarily of children from affluent backgrounds, while the worst schools have an almost exclusively lower-class student body. The first reason is the recognition of the importance of education. Be it from their own personal experiences in attending top educational institutions, or realizing the connection between education and wealth simply from observation, upper- and many middle-class families understand the importance of quality education for successful life outcomes. They know that knowledge is in fact power, as it is well-known and well documented that there is a positive correlation between educational level and things such as job type, compensation (wages/salary), and even overall life happiness. Because of this, they actively seek out homes with great schools in the area, or will allow their children to travel slightly farther if it means attending a better school than the one nearest them. They have no problems with sending their children to a public school if they feel the quality is up to their standards, but otherwise they place them in private or Catholic schools, which are known to provide better educations than public schools in many cases. Unfortunately, the majority of middle- and lower-class families do not have this same recognition of the importance of quality education. Most of the parents themselves have not experienced quality education in their lifetimes, and because of this they do not stress the importance of doing well in school, or really see the necessity of sending their children to great schools. Sometimes based on the family's situation, education can even be deemed as less significant than things such as working to provide another supplemental income. This brings us to the second reason.
The second reason for the disproportionate representation of low-income and minority students in the lowest achieving schools comes down to a family's economic ability to send their children to quality schools. For a family with enough money to actively search different neighborhoods while hunting for a new home, it makes sense for the schools in the area to be amongst the top of the considerations. However, most families do not have that luxury. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, approximately 1.2 million families nationwide are living in public housing units. [1] These public housing facilities were established to provide "decent" and "safe" rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. (Although it is also well known that these facilities are far from being either decent [2] [3] or safe [4] [5].) These families really have no choice whatsoever in where they live as they cannot afford anything else, and therefore simply have to deal with their situations. For the vast number of families that do not live in public housing, most often they are also constrained by their economic situations from being able to live wherever they choose. They are forced to look at homes that fall within their budget, and oftentimes this means conceding on features of the home or the neighborhood in which it is located, including having good schools in the area.
Additionally, middle- and low-class families often cannot afford to send their children to private or Catholic schools, which carry hefty tuition fees. Because of this they are forced to utilize the local public school, which are often amongst the worst schools due to the fact that the schools in low-income communities do not receive the same funding or have the same educational resources as public schools in wealthier neighborhoods, they employ inexperienced teachers, and the student bodies are almost exclusively lower-income and minority kids. All of these things are proven to negatively impact academic achievement, and in turn lead to the persistence of achievement gaps between these low-income and minority students and their affluent white counterparts. The disproportionate representation of low-income and minority students in the worst schools is also a problem because this truly promotes the cycle of subordination of these people in American society.
There are two main reasons why the country's top schools consist primarily of children from affluent backgrounds, while the worst schools have an almost exclusively lower-class student body. The first reason is the recognition of the importance of education. Be it from their own personal experiences in attending top educational institutions, or realizing the connection between education and wealth simply from observation, upper- and many middle-class families understand the importance of quality education for successful life outcomes. They know that knowledge is in fact power, as it is well-known and well documented that there is a positive correlation between educational level and things such as job type, compensation (wages/salary), and even overall life happiness. Because of this, they actively seek out homes with great schools in the area, or will allow their children to travel slightly farther if it means attending a better school than the one nearest them. They have no problems with sending their children to a public school if they feel the quality is up to their standards, but otherwise they place them in private or Catholic schools, which are known to provide better educations than public schools in many cases. Unfortunately, the majority of middle- and lower-class families do not have this same recognition of the importance of quality education. Most of the parents themselves have not experienced quality education in their lifetimes, and because of this they do not stress the importance of doing well in school, or really see the necessity of sending their children to great schools. Sometimes based on the family's situation, education can even be deemed as less significant than things such as working to provide another supplemental income. This brings us to the second reason.
The second reason for the disproportionate representation of low-income and minority students in the lowest achieving schools comes down to a family's economic ability to send their children to quality schools. For a family with enough money to actively search different neighborhoods while hunting for a new home, it makes sense for the schools in the area to be amongst the top of the considerations. However, most families do not have that luxury. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, approximately 1.2 million families nationwide are living in public housing units. [1] These public housing facilities were established to provide "decent" and "safe" rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. (Although it is also well known that these facilities are far from being either decent [2] [3] or safe [4] [5].) These families really have no choice whatsoever in where they live as they cannot afford anything else, and therefore simply have to deal with their situations. For the vast number of families that do not live in public housing, most often they are also constrained by their economic situations from being able to live wherever they choose. They are forced to look at homes that fall within their budget, and oftentimes this means conceding on features of the home or the neighborhood in which it is located, including having good schools in the area.
Additionally, middle- and low-class families often cannot afford to send their children to private or Catholic schools, which carry hefty tuition fees. Because of this they are forced to utilize the local public school, which are often amongst the worst schools due to the fact that the schools in low-income communities do not receive the same funding or have the same educational resources as public schools in wealthier neighborhoods, they employ inexperienced teachers, and the student bodies are almost exclusively lower-income and minority kids. All of these things are proven to negatively impact academic achievement, and in turn lead to the persistence of achievement gaps between these low-income and minority students and their affluent white counterparts. The disproportionate representation of low-income and minority students in the worst schools is also a problem because this truly promotes the cycle of subordination of these people in American society.