Suburban School Luxury

I just got my license to be a substitute in my old high school district. Since I received the actual license and was called in to work this coming Friday, I finally decided to open "Substitute Teacher Handbook" I was given when I initially interviewed. One page of the Handbook is called "Laptop Computer Rules for Substitute Teachers."

I was reading the instructions (typically dealing with preventing students from playing games or watching inappropriate material) before I realized something: the instructions weren't talking about students bringing their personal laptops to school (the way many students at Montclair do), but it was referring to laptops that are provided to each student by the school. I'm not entirely sure how this system works (perhaps I'll figure it out when I sub there) but based on the instructions in the handbook, it appears that this district hands out laptops similar to text books: students get them at the beginning of the year, use them at will, and return them in June.

I found this to be particularly interesting, given how we're discussing all the economic disadvantages of urban schools in the Anyon book, yet here is a situation where a district apparently has so much money at their disposal schools are able to provide approximately 1000 students with laptops. Just an example of the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' that kind of hit home for me.

Taxing Rich and Poor

I appreciate Anyon's evaluation of our economic system, but one obvious question jumps out at me. Admittedly, I've only read the first 4 chapters at the time I write this, but there seems to be an "elephant in the room" with regards to her argument about a wealth tax that could have covered the $60 billion deficit that states collectively built up in 2003. Namely, she contends that a combination of corporate taxes and the wealth tax would create billions that "would be available for use in job creation and urban schools."

My question is, what makes her think that this new-found money would be spent on urban schooling? I think it's a bit optimistic of her to say that political contention and public struggle could make these funds available for the public good. Is there a precedent for that? In our current economic state (huge Government deficits, funding wars, major companies in jeopardy, etc.) I have a hard time believing any new money that becomes available to the Government would be used for improving situations in urban areas, either through job creation or education. It's sad, but I guess I'm a bit more cynical than Anyon when it comes to public spending.

Making Race Matter

The article by Cheryl Curtis entitled "Culturally Responsive Curriculum: Making Race Matter" was interesting for several reasons. I love her insistence on acknowledging the significance of race. She brings out how well-intentioned comments she frequently hears from her students such as "I don't see color" are borderline racist, as it strips her of a major part of her identity. The author brings out how teachers and students are “racial and racialized” beings, and how race impacts curriculum in many ways, including whose version of history is told. The article also touches on an unfortunate trend that is a focal point of our project: "Knowledge was suddenly about information only… it had no relation to how one lived, behaved.”

I also appreciate how the article brings out the effect of “flavors of the month” learning, such as Black History or Women’s History Month. These are certainly good foundations of a culturally responsive curriculum, but by relegating these lessons to specific times, we in fact perpetuate dominant positions.

Children of Camden

I found the 20/20 special profiling 3 children in Camden, New Jersey to be rather frightening. The amazing thing is, I know a lot of people from bad areas in New Jersey. There's a basketball court in East Orange that I used to go to a lot, where kids from East Orange, Newark, and Bloomfield (where my cousins live) would play for bragging rights. Things got heated and we'd yell a bit, people smoked weed occasionally in the back, but nothing ever got out of hand, and I never felt like I was in danger just being there. We'd always shake hands after games, have a laugh, and talk trash about next time. We go to Paterson all the time... it's the only place we can get good pita bread and tahini. I have a lot of other relatives who live in bad areas of Burlington or Willingboro. The house where my father grew up, and my grandmother lived until she passed away in 2007, is only 12 miles outside of Camden. Yet, it feels like a different world. Yeah, there were some drug dealers and some crime at night, but I've played many a basketball game in the parks there without hearing gunshots. It's sobering to see how different Camden is not only from the Saddle Rivers and Alpines of NJ, but even from some of the other urban areas in the state ("Needle Park" just flat out baffled me, but I'll get to that later).

The naive part of me, who had a rather privileged childhood, wants to dismiss the Camden story. I want to think of it as ABC's media tugging at the heart strings (seriously, Ivan and Moochie are 2 of the cutest kids I've ever seen on TV) to emphasize the class differences a year before elections, hoping to inspire people to vote Democrat. But I know better.

The stories are truly heartbreaking, and of course the obvious question is, what can be done? ABC apparently set up a way for viewers to donate, and they reached their goal very quickly, allowing them to provide some services and gifts to the children featured. But what does that really do? My father was poor growing up, and always said that he hates when people develop "white guilt" when they see the hardships of minorities, and decide to lend a hand out of pity. I hope those kind enough to donate were actually intrinsically motivated to try and improve the situation of a poor city, instead of pitying the cute kids the same way they would take a stray cat to the vet for some vaccinations.

Of course, news pieces like this are meant to evoke some emotional reactions. There's a reason they profiled adorable kids from families who were troubled enough to feel bad for, but not too troubled to alienate the viewers (for example, there was no "single mother who turned to prostitution" featured here... something tells me we'd be less inclined to donate and help that family). But at the end of the day, any significant, lasting change is going to have to come from the government, not relying ABC documentaries (that take years to film) to motivate a few strangers to open their wallets. And of course, although Camden appears to be in a worse situation than most urban areas, the fact is there are many other areas in New Jersey and in the US that need serious help. Are news pieces supposed to bring all of those to light? Of course not.

Again, the naive part of me immediately jumps to short-sighted, unreasonable questions like "we spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fix problems overseas, why can't we fix our domestic problems first?" or "ABC is owned by Disney... if they care so much, why don't they do something?" I know things aren't that black-and-white, but clearly there is a lack of effort involved in Camden's situation. Governor Corzine told the children featured in the 20/20 piece that they would clean up the parks. When 20/20 visited with the kids 9 months after they were initially profiled, Diane Sawyer visited the parks, and Moochie pointed out all the used needles still on the grounds. Clean parks for children to play in doesn't seem like an unreasonable request, yet it appears the powers that be still drag their feet. And as for ABC helping out... all I can say is in reality, it's not their place.

At the end of the day, I don't really know what to make of something like this. It's sad and depressing, but there isn't a whole lot that can be done in the short term. I just think it's great that all 3 kids managed to have truly positive demeanors, whether it was the work ethic to juggle a part-time job and high school to support a family, or the excitement of going to school and starting the long path to becoming a judge. It just shows that no matter how dire situations may be, there's always a ray of hope. Some people are unfortunately born into more difficult situations than others, and have to work a lot harder to succeed, but it certainly can, and has, been done. The kids profiled here look like they have the strength of character to overcome their disadvantages. Of course, only time will tell.

Media Portrayals

In class, we discussed various movies and songs that depict schools, either in urban or suburban settings. There were a few others on my list that we didn't get to in class:

Music:

1. Suburbs:

Straight A's (Dead Kennedys) - This was the most interesting one for me. When I think of songs about school, this is the first one that comes to mind. It's a song about a student who is under a ton of pressure from his parents to get good grades, and although he manages, he is miserable. His "friends" use him for answers and don't even like him. His parents are so strict about him getting good grades that he never has time to go out, as he constantly does homework. What makes this so interesting is that nowhere in the song does he mention where he's from. When I talked about this with my cousin, I asked whether this should be classified as "urban" or "suburban." Without hesitation, he said "suburban." I asked why, and his answer gave an inclination to some of the innate stereotypes we might have: he said "I don't think urban schools have too many nerds." Essentially, he automatically associated the pressure (and, to take it a step further, the very possibility) of getting Straight A's with suburban schools.

No Such Thing (John Mayer) - a song that brings out how futile it is to plot out the course of your life based on high school success. Some answers can't be found in books when you're 17 years old.

Jeremy (Pearl Jam) - terrifying song about a Texas school shooting. The bullied kid lashes out

2. Urban

Juvenile Delinquentz (Terminator X) - a song that critiques urban schools in every category from curriculum to disgusting lunches.

Brain Damage (Eminem) - a story about a bullied kid in a Detroit school and his efforts to avoid his fears before finally being forced to confront them.

School Spirit (Kanye West) - Kanye telling the story about how he didn't need school, and bragging about how he proved his doubting teachers wrong.

Movies:

1. Suburban

John Hughes - no, that's not a movie. He's a director who pretty much shaped every stereotype of suburban high schools in the 80's with movies like Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club.

Mean Girls - a great movie about a girl from Africa trying to fit in. I love how the character changes throughout the movie, and actually compromises who she is, just to make friends.

Revenge of the Nerds - college nerds exacting revenge on a fraternity of jocks. The title is exactly what you get.

2. Urban

Half Nelson - I love how in this movie, we don't get the "teacher riding in on a white horse to fix everything" stereotype. Ryan Gosling's character is very flawed (a drug addict) and it's interesting to see how his elementary students react to him

Sunset Park - movie about an NYC high school basketball team coached by a white woman. It really touches on every problem a team of students can encounter: teammates on drugs, on probation, in academic trouble, getting shot, etc.

Hoop Dreams - Documentary about two African American kids who commute 90 minutes so they can attend a high school with a renowned basketball program. It follows the two students over the course of five years

TV Shows:

1. Suburban

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - what makes this interesting is that it goes beyond the premise of an urban child living with a suburban family. Throughout the show, there is an underlying message that the Banks family (particularly Carlton) is "less black" than Will.

Saved By The Bell - like many movies that portray suburban schools, this show focuses on a group of stereotypical kids in school. Some of the stereotypes: the Jock, the Nerd, the Geek, and of course, the Black girl

Beverly Hills: 90210 - an insight into the lives of privileged high schoolers

2. Urban

The Wire - probably the most sobering show in the history of television. When the series shifts its focus onto the education system of Baltimore, the issues that are brought up are terrifying, but very real. Honestly, this is the only show that needs to be seen on this topic. It runs the gamut completely.

Boston Public - a great show about a troubled high school in Boston. Of course, after too many school shootings, inappropriate teacher/student interactions, lawsuits, etc., my suspension of disbelief could take no more, and the show started to feel ridiculous. But for a couple seasons, it was a powerful drama.

"They School"

When we discussed "They School" by Dead Prez in class today, it seemed to get a few people riled up. Basically, the duo talks about how the education system favors white people, and people in certain urban areas aren't taught what they need to know to survive, but instead are taught what "the man" wants them to know.

Although Dead Prez use some pretty vulgar language (par for the course for these guys), I think the song brings out some very interesting points, especially when compared to other rap songs that deal with the education system. They don't just complain about the system: they specify why it doesn't "relate" to them, and what life skills could be taught to make school more relevant (such as combating the drug problems in ghettos). Never do they say to simply dismiss education. In fact, throughout the song, they talk about the value of education, but only if education is done properly.

In so many other rap songs that deal with the education system, the message is simply that school is unimportant, and you can succeed in other ways. Kanye West, for example, brags about how he left school to chase his dreams, and it worked out for him. In the song "School Spirit" he even mentions how the person who graduated at the top of his class was a waiter at the Cheesecake Factory, while Kanye is making millions in the rap game. That's not the kind of message that should be sent through music. Encouraging people to give up on school in favor of chasing dreams that VERY rarely come to fruition is not the proper way to overcome a flawed education system. Not only that, but Kanye actually implies that success in school often leads to failure in the future (he's been critical of Valedictorians in many other songs, too). I actually have heard of many people who dropped out of school to focus on music, hoping for a record deal that never came. It's really a sad outcome, yet so many rappers talk about it like it's easy.

Other rappers do the same thing, but glorify an even more unrealistic alternative: drugs. Many Jay-Z songs talk about how he was a high school drop out and never needed school because he made enough money selling drugs until he became successful in music. Same goes for Immortal Technique. And although Jay will once in a while talk about how he doesn't condone selling drugs ("Like I told you 'sell drugs'... no, Hov did that, so hopefully you won't have to go through that") the fact is most people listening to Jay don't look at his example as a cautionary tale, but a rags-to-riches story that can be emulated.

I feel "They School" and "Juvenile Delinquentz" (by Terminator X) do the best job of actually critiquing the education system among rap songs. Instead of giving up on school, these songs mention that the system needs to be fixed. Education needs to be relatable to all students. And while I agree that "They School" makes it seem like Dead Prez is using white oppression as a scapegoat for the failures of many urban youths and might come off as a conspiracy theory, the reality is sometimes the deck is stacked against certain people. Personally, I believe the song "Juvenile Delinquentz" makes the same points, but in a more palatable manner. I like how at the end, after talking about how the school system isn't relatable to urban youths and mentioning topics that should be included in curricula, Terminator finishes by saying "we say 'f**k school', but we'll still get through." Students shouldn't be told to chase impossible dreams like Kanye, sell drugs like Immortal Technique, or have the same perspective of inevitable outcomes that Dead Prez have. In essence, Terminator admits that there are a lot of problems with the system, and it certainly needs to be fixed. But for the time being, it's possible to roll with the punches and make the most out of it.