Final Entry

In this class, I learned that the education system is screwed up beyond repair, the deck is stacked against any one outside of the suburbs, and I better pray nightly to make sure I don't end up getting placed in an urban school...

Obviously, I'm joking. This class was very interesting overall, and perhaps the thing I'll take away most is all of the encouraging stories of students from urban areas. I know the system is flawed. I hadn't really looked at it from an educational standpoint, but as an Economics major, I studied a lot of public finance, and the inequity is pretty blatant. But I really enjoyed hearing stories of people who overcome those inequities and are able to make the most of their academic opportunities. Because honestly, that's what life is about. We're never going to have an equal system. There are the "haves," and there are the "have nots," and it will always be like that. All we can do is try to make the most with what we're given. I don't want to use the "when life gives you lemons..." cliche, but the point is, we do what we can.

Granted, it's frustrating how little we can actually do. Anyon's book, which I loved (I'm a numbers guy), called for a total revolution. Fructher pointed out how to integrate educational and community movements. The sad reality is, I really don't think there are enough people with influence who want to fight this battle. I don't see much changing. But that isn't an excuse to get downhearted. People in urban areas may have disadvantages from a socioeconomic and educational standpoint, but they can be overcome. I look at my father, who grew up poor in Burlington, and how he managed to make it to an Ivy League school and provide a great life for his family. It's certainly not easy, but it's doable, and if educators have the proper mindset and can instill confidence in their students, we'll see more success stories from the poorest of districts.

As for what could have been done differently... honestly, I can't even assess a class that's crammed into 4 weeks. It's just so different from a normal class. I will say, though, that I was a bit disappointed we never got to go on that field trip to an urban high school. It's understandable, considering the time of year, but I was looking forward to that.