Last week, the Washington Post ran an article citing a study that
found that 54% of Maryland’s black students attend a “segregated” school—a school
with more than 90% of students having a minority background.
As those who live in segregated regions know, Brown vs. Board of Education did
not translate, more than 50 years later, into schools that are integrated
racially, ethnically, or socioeconomically. With the decline of busing, housing
patterns have shaped school populations and guided schools that are
increasingly homogeneous over the last 20 years. So What?
Results are mixed on integration’s impact on student achievement.
Surely integration is better than segregation, but integration does not seem to
be a silver bullet solution for increased student achievement. Although Amy
Hawn Nelson may argue otherwise in her TEDx talk,
there are many failing integrated schools, and integration cannot be the defining
factor of an excellent education. A great education comes from instruction and
learning. Perhaps, though, it is diversity and, in this case, integration, that
can push an education from great to excellent.
I teach in one of the most diverse elementary/middle schools
in Baltimore City, with a population that is 50% white, 36% black, and 6% Hispanic/Latino.
Undoubtedly, this diversity of population does not on its own raise student
achievement. Nonetheless, as educators know, a student’s background knowledge
on a topic or skill can make or break his or her success as a learner. The more
experiences and diversity of views we can expose our students to, the more
prepared they will be for whatever learning assignment comes their way.
To ensure full clarity, I am as enthusiastic, if not more, about the exposure that white students will have to minority students, be they black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, or otherwise. Non-Caucasian people in the United States are consistently exposed to upper middle class white culture on television and in music. A television show, produced by a black man and featuring a majority black cast, is not just television or a sitcom. It is considered black television. White students, on the other hand, are rarely exposed to beliefs outside of their homogeneous communities. Integrated schooling, while perhaps not a fix all for academics, will hopefully produce adults that are thoughtful and can work well with a heterogeneous population.
To ensure full clarity, I am as enthusiastic, if not more, about the exposure that white students will have to minority students, be they black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, or otherwise. Non-Caucasian people in the United States are consistently exposed to upper middle class white culture on television and in music. A television show, produced by a black man and featuring a majority black cast, is not just television or a sitcom. It is considered black television. White students, on the other hand, are rarely exposed to beliefs outside of their homogeneous communities. Integrated schooling, while perhaps not a fix all for academics, will hopefully produce adults that are thoughtful and can work well with a heterogeneous population.
It is no replacement for instruction and academic learning,
but integrated, wonderful learning environments are the model we should be
working towards here in Charm City.
Washington Post Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/report-half-of-black-students-in-maryland-attend-segregated-schools/2013/04/18/9097c29a-a83e-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html
Poet Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v-ChtTiv80
TEDx talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ffz1qOyY3Bk
Washington Post Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/report-half-of-black-students-in-maryland-attend-segregated-schools/2013/04/18/9097c29a-a83e-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html
Poet Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v-ChtTiv80
TEDx talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ffz1qOyY3Bk
2 comments:
As teachers in Baltimore City I think that most of us teach at schools were the majority of students are African America. In the past two years a little more than 90% of the students I have taught have been African American. While I agree that integration is a magic cure all for academic achievement you are correct to point out that the more diverse backgrounds and experiences we can expose children to the richer their education will be. As a Hispanic female from California, on a daily basis I connect my own experiences to what we are learning if only to give my students another perspective. Sometimes these experiences are brushed aside, sometimes they turn into a mini lesson, but more often than not I am surprised 2 months down the road when my students reference something I had said.
As educated adults we seek out information, knowledge of other cultures, and learn from individuals experiences that are different than ours. This makes us better people on the whole. Why wouldn’t we push for the same experiences for our children? I grew up in a community of 98% Hispanic and 100% Catholic, it was not until I went to a major university that I was truly exposed to people from different backgrounds and from them I have gained a far more well-rounded education than I ever thought possible. So while no, integration of our schools won’t magically fix our schools problems, they will however provide our students with a more well-rounded education and expose both sides to things they did not even know they were missing out on.
I think that the Washington Post article makes an interesting point. Melissa makes a great point as well. I would say that whether you come from an urban environment or not, many people grow up in a more homogenious setting. This is not done intentionally or maliciously, but because of housing and comfortability, people end up living in a certain place.I too did not experience real diversity until I was in college and exposed myself to a variety of experiences. I think we have a real opportunity to create an environment where our students are able to understand different perspectives and learn from them. This creates a well rounded individual.
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