Lana Lopez Lopez 01
Ms. Williams
English 1A
07 October, 2013
9 Paragraphs
There are many schools that are fortunate enough to be funded with the necessary materials needed for a higher standard education. Schools such as Rye prep school are provided with classes that prep students for college, for example “The typical student, he says, studies a foreign language for four or five years, beginning in the junior year high school, and a second foreign language (Latin is available) for two years. Of 140 seniors, 92 are now enrolled in AP classes.(Kozol 152).” Students who are fortunate enough to have funding for programs like this are more likely to get into college and have a better future. Funding can make a big difference when it comes to education and the results it has on a child's future.
There are many schools that are unfortunate and are not provided funding needed for necessary basic education. Students are deprived of teachers and basic classes needed to graduate high school let alone even have hopes to attend college. As Kozol states in Savage Inequalities “At Bowen High School, on the South Side of Chicago, students have two or three “ study halls” a day, in part to save the cost of teachers (Kozol 64).” If students cannot understand materials provided and do not want to ask questions during study hall then the money being “saved” by not providing a teacher is wasted. These students in poorer neighborhoods need more teachers because the loss of the education has a tremendous negative effect on their future.
The school funding does not have an effect on the education of a student the home environment is the factor. No matter how much funding is provided to a school district the home environment in the main factor of how a student will succeed in school. As a group of fortunate students discuss the 3 positions of funding with Kozol a students states “ ‘will probably make no major difference’ since poor children ‘still would lack the motivation’ and ‘ would probably fail in any case because of other problems’(Kozol 153).” There are many different factors that effect a child's education, if they do not have a stable home environment and support they may not have good odds to succeed. Its very hard to judge if an increase of funds would make a major difference in a less fortunate students outcome if they face major problems at home.
There are circumstances where school resources do not matter because the environment a teacher provides makes up for the lack of funds. Teachers like miss Hawkins who go out of their way to make a difference with no help with funding, for example “ The children are at work, surrounded by a clutter of big dictionaries, picture books and gadgets, science games and plants and colorful milk cartons, which the teacher purchased out of her own salary (Kozol 58).” When a student feels cared for and knows someone is hoping they will strive for a better future they build confidence in themselves. In these rare cases funding doesn’t matter its the connection a teacher builds thats makes a child's efforts worth while.
In circumstances when schools and leaders show little faith in students failure is inevitable. As Kozol sits with the head of counseling at Chicago’s Calumet High School and states “ We have second and third grade readers... We hope to do better, but we wont die if we don’t (Kozol 64).” If a students is given up on due to being behind then how will they ever catch up? Leaders like this should be ashamed, if every effort is made and a student is educated on why things are important then they begin to connect lessons into life lessons. A student in a poorer neighborhood needs more motivation in school and they aren't being provided this in Calumet High School.
There are unfortunate circumstances where funding would be appreciated but parent values is the real issue. In poor neighborhood’s like Winnetka, Chicago children face the battle of education alone because parents themselves are uneducated. As Kozol discusses unjust circumstance in Winnetka; he reads “The Journal” and points out the major issue at hand and states “ ‘Changing parent values’ is the ideal answer to the search because, if it were possible, it would cost nothing” (Kozol 164).”The major fight of funding in poor neighborhoods and whither it would help could go in circles, but it is a proven fact that if a child has the help needed at home he/she will excel in school. These unfortunate children are fighting a losing battle with no help at home to endeavor for a change a cycle of uneducated parents and children in these poor neighborhoods will continue until someone finally lends a helping hand.
When students are fortunate enough to be provided with proper materials a quality education is what reflects their character tremendously. Students at Rye High School in New York are confident and well spoken Kozol states “ Throughout the discussion... there is a degree of unreality about the whole exchange. The children are lucid and their language is well chosen and their arguments well made...” (Kozol 153). When students are provided with materials for a quality education they have the confidence needed to have debate or discussion, whereas a uneducated student wouldn’t know how to start a debate. A quality education builds more then just a GPA it reflects the confidence a student has in ones self expression.
When proper materials aren’t provided a child's inner creativity may never be discovered and their dreams may be diminished in the process. Children discover themselves through many different creative processes such as; art, music, sports and even science but in Savage Inequalities Kozol discusses a school like Goudy and how these less fortunate children are never provided these materials. For example, “ there are no science labs, no music or art classes and no playgrounds (Kozol 80).” Children who go to schools like this never get an opportunity to express themselves in a creative way, therefore they lack social skills needed as adults to fulfill their dreams. Children need creative programs to learn self expression , therefore they can turn their dreams into reality.
When materials are supplied in abundance a child may begin to feel that this now owed to them instead of a luxury. In Savage Inequalities Kozol discusses how wealthy children begin to feel superior and entitled when discussing less fortunate children. For example, “ Using federal taxes for the poor ‘would be like giving charity,’ and ‘ charitable things have never worked... Charity will not instill the poor with self-respect.(Kozol 157).” These wealthy children do not realize how fortunate they are being funded with supplies and materials, therefore they begin to look down upon the less fortunate and speak poorly of them. This entitlement is not what we want children to become accustom to, wealthy children need to understand the supplies and funds being provided for them are a privilege.
