What are the major influences that shape schools, those in urban centers in particular?

The assignment readings were an “eye opener” or call to reality for me. Being a relative novice in terms of US History and especially as it pertains to education, coupled with my ignorance of the particulars of Brown vs. the Board of Ed, I was forced to do some additional research on the supreme court ruling, the circumstances that led to it and the aftermath of the ruling – which Fruchter very aptly dissected in his first chapter. I must say, growing up outside the USA, I had one perception of what life in the USA was supposed to be. However, now that I’m living within the USA and reading and learning more about the country’s history, I am becoming more and more convinced that sometimes outsiders get a very perverted picture of the situation, irrespective of subject area.

In Chapters 1 and 2 of Norm Fruchter’s Urban Schools Public Will, the failure to effectively implement the mandate of the Brown vs the Board ruling is assessed, the factors contributing to the failure to integrate urban schools are investigated, the measures that can be taken to improve education of students of colour are explored and finally, changing the culture of schooling is proposed as a means to bridge the achievement gap that currently exists between races in urban neighborhoods. In the excerpt from the book by Steinberg and Kincheloe, the troubles associated with classification of urban versus rural versus suburban were raised and the innate problems of the individual classes or subgroups were investigated, highlighting some statistical data used to explain the differences between the classes. The myths associated with the different societal subgroups we also discussed with such delicate precision. The ability to manipulate statistical data to “tell” one’s story of preference is an ethical issue dealt with across varying fields of academia, and pedagogy is no exception. One point emanating from both readings is that policy makers tend to use/manipulate data and race in varying ways in order to promote their personal ideologies – a phenomenon which can sometimes have devastating effects on a society at large.

Based on the aforementioned and additional readings, I am of the notion that some of the major influences that shape schools include;
- Population densities and area demographics
- Policy formulation and the preference of legislators (Including adequate funding for education related projects in urban centres)
- The mindset of teachers (trained or untrained)
- The political will to do what is right (e.g. implement the dictates of the courts re improving the atmosphere to facilitate learning.
- Racism and Classism

Media Influence Revised

Movies

Lean on me - Urban

Morgan Freeman plays the role of a principal who is more concerned about the well being of the students – even breaking the laws in an effort to protect the students when necessary. He seems more like a drill sergeant than a school principal. His forceful methods, while not entirely appealing to some of his co-workers do get results. What’s more interesting is that this film was based on a true story – thereby confirming that one man’s dedication can bring about that change that is sometimes so necesary.

Dangerous Minds - Suburban

I loved this movie a great deal. Again it shows the potential result of dedication and an indefatigable attitude on the part of the teacher. Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching to gain the trust of the students. She made the students realize the value of an education and how meaningful it can be to the direction their lives take post graduation.

The Breakfast Club

When five students are thrown together by Saturday morning detention, each begins to see the others apart from their stereotypes. Andrew, the jock; Brian, the geek; John, the wastoid; Claire, the popular Prom Queen; and Allison, the psycho girl; each finds qualities about the others that make the Saturday morning change their lives. At first, they argue and hate each other, but after smoking some marijuana, they pour their hearts out to each other, and tell about their fears, secrets, and their deepest emotions, and problems.

Songs / Music

Gangster’s Paradise – Coolio - Urban

That song reflects a sad reality of poverty and crime plagued life of most urban communities, speaks about a life with little expectations, where money is king and all efforts should be directed at acquiring some of that power via money. It speaks of the loneliness, fractured families and life of crime that plagues those living in a “Gangsta’s Paradise. This song also highlights the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor in urban areas.

Dear Mama - Tupac - Suburban

I really love this song. Tupac is viewed by some as one of the most violent of rap artists and this song shows he has that more emotional and reflective aspect of his life. This song was actually composed whilst he was in prison. Therein, he reminisces on the contribution of his mother to his life and pays tribute to her for all the struggles she endured while raising he and his sister. He highlights the life of a troubled teen growing up with no one but his mother to care for him. Were it not for her efforts his demise probably would have come even earlier .

Crossroads – Bone Thugs n Harmony - Rural

Shows

The Cosby Show - Suburban

The Cosby Show is said to have broke down racial barriers in TV by portraying an African-American family comfortably assimilated in upper-middle-class white America. With Mr. Huxtable as an obstetrician/gynecologist and Mrs. Huxtable as a lawyer, the show presented a picture to the world that African Americans “can be successful too”. It gave hope of a comfortable life amidst the much often publicized pictures of African American youths partaking in gang related violence, killing each other, falling by the wayside or going astray. Furthermore, the show went to the heart of the racial divide by being staged in and venturing into precincts traditionally dominated and controlled by whites. The show brought black upscale role models to a medium that too often tended to use blacks, when they were employed at all, as diverting clowns. It gave black youths hope that the too can have a successful family one day. This could also be identified by the kids in the show; each was portrayed as a high achiever whose thoughtful behavior and emphasis on education were seen as reflections of their parents'.

Saved by the Bell – Urban

Saved by the Bell gave us another more positive insight about what school life in like in the US. The show offered a world that reflects the ultimate high school experience – fun, some learning, friendships, cliques, underage drinking, “posies”, sexual innuendoes and the like. It showed us a high school experience that was mainly void of violence, drugs and crime as we would so often see in “school related movies.

Frames of Reference

Growing up in the Caribbean island of Dominica, a country with an area of circa 750 sq km and a population of approximately 70,000, the ideas of rural versus urban were never really clearly defined. The general idea was that the capital city or Roseau and to a certain extent, the second largest city Portsmouth were considered the urban areas while everywhere else was considered rural. Looking at the two sets of areas, the main parameters in which clearly observable differences could be seen include, the tall buildings (tallest being the government headquarters which is 5 stories high) in the capital city, a higher population density and more commercial activity in the two cities.

As far as acquiring an education was concerned, everyone wanted to “go to school in town” since “town school” was considered the best and most successful, prestigious and most desirable. The students from the schools in the capital city of Roseau (The Convent High, the Grammar and the Academy) always topped the final external exams. Students attending these schools in the city were always well behaved and envied by those attending schools in other parts of the island. We were of the opinion that in addition to having the best and top performing students, the best teachers were also recruited by the town schools. The urban areas were also perceived by many to be void of school violence or other social ills such as drug abuse and promiscuity.

Conversely, in the rural areas, the students who attended those schools were the ones who were not expected to excel. These were the ones who supposedly (and actually) came from broken homes and were considered trouble makers. It was believed that the teachers at those schools were below par when compared to the teachers of the urban areas or town schools. The drop out rate in these schools was much higher than those in the cities, be it perceived or real. The students attending these schools were plagued with social factors and conditions which seemed to gravely affect their performance. Teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, poverty, sexual and physical abuse from guardians are just a few of the much publicized issues faced by students in the rural areas.

If I were to base my perception about urban centers, schools, teachers and students purely on my experience as a student attending a school in a rural area in my island home, I would probably be at the end of this monologue. However, have had the opportunity to reside and attend school in Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States, my experience in these countries has informed and assisted in my developing a better, more diverse view on the issue of urban schools. I have come to a realization that there is a stark contrast in urban schools in my island of Dominica and other more industrialized countries. While stereotypes are rampant and can sometimes be misleading, more often than not, urban schools in the US and UK are associated with gang violence, overcrowded classrooms, bureaucratic red tape, poor performance, standardized tests and under-funded institutions. The teachers, while trained in content delivery are sometimes lacking in all the skills needed to adequately deal with students who come to class hungry, frustrated and unmotivated. The school environment can sometimes be a contributing factor to the overall problem since some schools are established in previously healthy neighborhoods which have become defunct, broken, violent, crime and drug infested.

The aforementioned synopsis tends to presents a bleak outlook of the situational analysis of urban schools on a whole but while I understand that students can sometimes be the product of their collective environment, I also subscribe to the adage that goes “whatever the mind of man perceives, it can achieve”. Students, given the right support and assistance can excel academically and otherwise irrespective of the circumstances surrounding their upbringing. I have learnt that being a teacher does not just involve dissemination of information as contained or described in the curriculum but also playing a supportive role in the life of one’s students. As such, teachers must also seek to work with each other and share experiences in dealing with problems which may arise at their institution. One teacher might be better able to deal with rowdy or dysfunctional students while another might have a keen sense of identifying students who are more “hands on” than academic. I have learnt that students sometimes want their teacher to listen to them before attempting to teach them and that a student who is hungry and stressed will find it very difficult to learn in class – no matter how exciting and interesting the teacher tries to make the class. As such it is my intention to continue to be a role model and “father figure” to my students, seek to make a difference by promoting a sense of calm, belonging and purpose in the classroom. I also believe students learn best when they are comfortable with the teaching environment or where a variety of teaching aids are employed. I intend to strive to create that enabling environment which makes students comfortable enough to speak about external problems that may impact upon their ability to learn in the classroom. While subject matter intake by the student is critical in the duties of a teacher, I have learnt that as teachers, we are also responsible for the overall development of the students who are entrusted to us for the few hours each day.

It is expected that this course will help further shape or form my beliefs about the level of ease / difficulty associated with making a positive contribution to the public school system in the Newark (urban) area. Most importantly, what can an individual teacher do to contribute to a change in perception about urban centers or schools?