11-14-2005
I really enjoyed hearing Jonathan Kozol speak tonight. He’s written several books--or narratives, as he terms them, about the plight of inner city schools in America. He was also fired from teaching 4th grade once in the 1960s, I believe, because he taught a Langston Hughes poem, which wasn’t part of the curriculum. I have only read Savage Inequalities.
*****
It was an assigned text in my English 112 class. I took that class in 1993 and I still remember that book and how its stark depiction of the differences between the inner city school and the affluent school across the way--literally just across the state line, I believe. I recently read the excerpt from his new book Shame of the Nation that is featured in the September issue of Harper’s. I want to read it in its entirety when it becomes available in paperback. Even though I’m a college teacher, issues of inequality in our schools affect me because they have affected many students I have taught and will teach. And these inequalities simply piss me off. It’s fucking 2005. “Minorities” aren’t really minority now are they? Blacks make up almost half of Milwaukee’s population. Hispanics follow them, and Hmongs follow them. So probably at least half or God no more than half of Milwaukee’s population are “minorities.” It’s so ridiculous that we--mostly, but not solely, middle class, educated whites--have to keep theorizing about “minorities” like they are some alien species that needs to be examined, especially when it comes to children. It seems like such common sense. Treat all children of all race and class backgrounds equally.
*****
But Kozol reports that in America, there’s a form of apartheid occurring--his term. Most inner city/urban schools are composed around 90% if not more of Latino and African American students. Most of these schools have much less financing than other schools in the suburbs or wealthier urban areas. For example, Kozol recounted that the school system spends $11,000 per child in The Bronx, but in its northern suburb, which is a ten minute train ride away, the school system spends $19,000 per child and there is a 0% child poverty rate, which is unheard of in urban areas. Kozol talked about schools where the children/teens tell him to come in see their cafeterias, many of which are housed in dank basements. Their schools often have failing plumbing, so sometimes even the bathroom facilities are beyond sub-par, and/or the building’s roof leaks. If you think I’m exaggerating, just find that Harper’s article or his book. It’s all there. At one school he mentioned, there are 7 lunch periods because there are so many students. SEVEN LUNCH PERIODS. The first one starts at around 9:30am! Nonsensical! This may be the school in LA that houses 5000 students. And I thought there were a lot of kids at my high school (around 2700). We had a huge cafeteria, pretty small class sizes (around 20, if not less--some of these urban schools pack in 40 students per class.) We had the nice salad bar that also worked as a taco salad bar and baked potato bar. We were able to purchase ice cream cones and other sweets for desserts. Upper classmen/women could leave campus. I can’t imagine what’s available at some of these schools, and it’s so strange to think that in a way I was blessed by being able to go to that suburban school that I detested.
Kozol also threw in several barbs at George W. and the rest of the “arrogant politicians,” which the packed crowd of Milwaukee area teachers appreciated. He staunchly critiqued Bush for feeling that he is calling for something new when he says teachers must “strive for excellence.” Kozol commented something like, “Does he think we [teachers] are somehow innately programmed to strive for mediocrity?” and went on to lambaste Bush for calling for high stakes testing but not even providing all schools equal materials and means to go about achieving such “high standards” (not that Kozol is in favor of such standardized tests.) He also asserted that the politicians who criticize teachers so easily should try to teach a class one full day in our shoes, although he then admitted that Bush should not be allowed to enter a classroom! He sadly reminded me that in schools these days, there is no room for the children’s (or the teacher’s!) “tears,” “laughter,” or “joy,” something bell hooks writes about passionately in Teaching to Transgress. There has to be room for students, especially little ones, especially teens grappling with hormones, especially teenagers wondering what to do with their lives, to experience openly emotion in classrooms and not just be dictated to in order to do well on some stupid tests that hardly measure a student’s capabilities. I think teachers across America would have to collectively revolt to achieve a major change, but then George W would just replace them all with robots. It’s a very fucked up state of affairs. I feel limited enough teaching First Year Composition; I can not imagine how these public school teachers get through the day. As he concluded (after an audience member had to be removed out of the bookshop by paramedics!), he said he was passing on the torch to all the young teachers he saw in the audience and that he was counting on us. That inspired me; gave me a bit of validation that is hard for me to find these days.
I really enjoyed hearing Jonathan Kozol speak tonight. He’s written several books--or narratives, as he terms them, about the plight of inner city schools in America. He was also fired from teaching 4th grade once in the 1960s, I believe, because he taught a Langston Hughes poem, which wasn’t part of the curriculum. I have only read Savage Inequalities.
*****
It was an assigned text in my English 112 class. I took that class in 1993 and I still remember that book and how its stark depiction of the differences between the inner city school and the affluent school across the way--literally just across the state line, I believe. I recently read the excerpt from his new book Shame of the Nation that is featured in the September issue of Harper’s. I want to read it in its entirety when it becomes available in paperback. Even though I’m a college teacher, issues of inequality in our schools affect me because they have affected many students I have taught and will teach. And these inequalities simply piss me off. It’s fucking 2005. “Minorities” aren’t really minority now are they? Blacks make up almost half of Milwaukee’s population. Hispanics follow them, and Hmongs follow them. So probably at least half or God no more than half of Milwaukee’s population are “minorities.” It’s so ridiculous that we--mostly, but not solely, middle class, educated whites--have to keep theorizing about “minorities” like they are some alien species that needs to be examined, especially when it comes to children. It seems like such common sense. Treat all children of all race and class backgrounds equally.
*****
But Kozol reports that in America, there’s a form of apartheid occurring--his term. Most inner city/urban schools are composed around 90% if not more of Latino and African American students. Most of these schools have much less financing than other schools in the suburbs or wealthier urban areas. For example, Kozol recounted that the school system spends $11,000 per child in The Bronx, but in its northern suburb, which is a ten minute train ride away, the school system spends $19,000 per child and there is a 0% child poverty rate, which is unheard of in urban areas. Kozol talked about schools where the children/teens tell him to come in see their cafeterias, many of which are housed in dank basements. Their schools often have failing plumbing, so sometimes even the bathroom facilities are beyond sub-par, and/or the building’s roof leaks. If you think I’m exaggerating, just find that Harper’s article or his book. It’s all there. At one school he mentioned, there are 7 lunch periods because there are so many students. SEVEN LUNCH PERIODS. The first one starts at around 9:30am! Nonsensical! This may be the school in LA that houses 5000 students. And I thought there were a lot of kids at my high school (around 2700). We had a huge cafeteria, pretty small class sizes (around 20, if not less--some of these urban schools pack in 40 students per class.) We had the nice salad bar that also worked as a taco salad bar and baked potato bar. We were able to purchase ice cream cones and other sweets for desserts. Upper classmen/women could leave campus. I can’t imagine what’s available at some of these schools, and it’s so strange to think that in a way I was blessed by being able to go to that suburban school that I detested.
Kozol also threw in several barbs at George W. and the rest of the “arrogant politicians,” which the packed crowd of Milwaukee area teachers appreciated. He staunchly critiqued Bush for feeling that he is calling for something new when he says teachers must “strive for excellence.” Kozol commented something like, “Does he think we [teachers] are somehow innately programmed to strive for mediocrity?” and went on to lambaste Bush for calling for high stakes testing but not even providing all schools equal materials and means to go about achieving such “high standards” (not that Kozol is in favor of such standardized tests.) He also asserted that the politicians who criticize teachers so easily should try to teach a class one full day in our shoes, although he then admitted that Bush should not be allowed to enter a classroom! He sadly reminded me that in schools these days, there is no room for the children’s (or the teacher’s!) “tears,” “laughter,” or “joy,” something bell hooks writes about passionately in Teaching to Transgress. There has to be room for students, especially little ones, especially teens grappling with hormones, especially teenagers wondering what to do with their lives, to experience openly emotion in classrooms and not just be dictated to in order to do well on some stupid tests that hardly measure a student’s capabilities. I think teachers across America would have to collectively revolt to achieve a major change, but then George W would just replace them all with robots. It’s a very fucked up state of affairs. I feel limited enough teaching First Year Composition; I can not imagine how these public school teachers get through the day. As he concluded (after an audience member had to be removed out of the bookshop by paramedics!), he said he was passing on the torch to all the young teachers he saw in the audience and that he was counting on us. That inspired me; gave me a bit of validation that is hard for me to find these days.
posted by Jen Threat at
1:28 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home