Whoa! Twice in eight hours, I've seen American schools referred to as Apartheid Schools! I guess that's confirmation that we have a tragically misshapen two-tiered school system.
The first time was in an article that was used in another blog. Speaking of the schools, Douglas Foley said, “The great cultural and political upheavals of the U.S. civil rights movement partially dismantled this historical system of U.S. apartheid, but it also provoked a powerful racist, conservative backlash that is aptly portrayed as a ‘cultural war’” (p. 225).
The second time was on an email ad from Amazon this morning. The ad caught my eye because I recognized the author from our Foundations book. It's Jonathan Kozol, who wrote the article about little Stephen, who was abused and drew the comic book figures. His book in the ad is called The Shame of the Nation: The Return of Apartheid Schooling in America. According to the ad, Kozol visited sixty schools and reports on the substandard conditions, using powerful portraits of the children (like he did with Stephen). The ad says, "Kozol discovers widespread acceptance for the notion that 'schools in ghettoized communities must settle for a different set of academic and career goals' than schools serving middle-and upper-class children." Use the Amazon link below if you want to read more.
*Foley, Douglas. "Introduction to Theme Issue: White Privilege and Schooling."
Anthropology & Education Quarterly 39.3 (2008): 225-226. Education
Research Complete. Web. 11 July 2011. <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.library.
Anthropology & Education Quarterly 39.3 (2008): 225-226. Education
Research Complete. Web. 11 July 2011. <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.library.
jcu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0f51085f-41fb-4a37-81d7-
39ca3d512c03%40sessionmgr11&vid=15&hid=19>.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400052459/ref=pe_113430_20481790_pd_re_dt_lm7
Carol, it seems sad to have all these numbers thrown at us about the deplorable state of American schools. Economics certainly plays an integral part of the issues. Property taxes are key to developing a first-rate public school system. I moved with my family on two occasions and we only looked at communities that had high-ranking school systems. Many, perhaps, most families are unable to afford such moves in order to support their children’s education. A change in the process of funding will certainly improve the education for all. Dr. Shutkin mentioned that funding for schools is unconstitutional. In 2002, the Ohio Supreme Court “declared the state funding system unconstitutional.” http://www.schoolfunding.info/states/oh/12-11-02DeRolphIV.php3 However, the court did not provide avenues to correct the issue so the matter remains moot. It seems that the many changes that Governor Kasich is attempting to create are also unconstitutional. This will be a very interesting year.
ReplyDeleteActually, I’m hoping that a lot of what Gov. Kasich proposes is unconstitutional! ;-) Interesting? I’ll say.
ReplyDeleteI think it must be unconstitutional that we’ve kept the unconstitutional property tax system so long. The levy system has a stranglehold over the schools. There are things voters don’t understand, like that money doesn’t come into the schools until the next calendar year. Way back when I was in high school, I had a letter to the editor published in the Plain Dealer, begging voters to pass an Emergency Levy so that I could finish high school without interruption. I didn’t know then that levies would plague me forever!
I think the system should be completely changed, like maybe paying for education from sales taxes and dropping that portion of the property taxes. People, who have money to buy, also have money to support kids!
School systems are far from perfect, but I’m glad we have the freedom of speech to criticize government without reprisal. I just wish there was less to criticize right now.
Great Post.. it really puts our schools system in the US in perspective.
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