The Problem We All Live With - This American Life
"...I find this one thing that really worked, that cut the achievement gap between black and white students by half...Integration."
As I listened to The Problem We All Live With, I thought it was a very strong introduction to plainly say the one thing that helps close the achievement gap between white students and students of color. According to Investigative Reporter, Nikole Hannah Jones, integration closes the achievement gap by half. When stated so matter of fact, it seems simple.
Despite the monumental decision to eliminate segregation in schools with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, segregation remains a constant presence in classrooms and communities across the country. As Jones states, "...Black people first arrived on this continent as slaves in 1619. So it was 352 years to create the problem. So yeah, another 17 to cut that school achievement gap in half? Pretty fast."
This American Life then dedicates the remaining 58 minutes of their program to showing how difficult actually implementing integration is and how rigged the system is to prevent such occurrences.
So what's the problem?
Jones begins by delving into schools with children growing up in poverty. She states "(Low Achievement schools have high concentrations of children who grew up in poverty. Those kids have greater educational needs. They're more stressed out. They have a bunch of disadvantages. And when you put a lot of kids like that together in one classroom, studies show, it doesn't go well."
As soon as I read this section of the transcript, I immediately thought of my own students. I am an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at a high school in Rhode Island. Latino children in Rhode Island have some of the lowest achievement scores in the entire country. According to Providence Journal, they rank 49th out of the 50 states and only because Vermont had no data to submit.
According to the article, "Rhode Island’s Latino children scored dead last in the United States on an index that measures factors that contribute to a child’s success as an adult...A study by the Latino Policy Institute reported then that English-language learners faced a crisis, with one of the lowest achievement scores in the country."
In The Problem We All Live With, Jones goes on to name that the lowest achievement schools are often those with the worst teachers. I couldn't help but insert myself into the equation and wonder if a first year Teach for America educator was really the right person for the job.
"There's a lot of data that shows that black students going through court-ordered integration, it changed their whole lives. They were less likely to be poor. They were less likely to have health problems...And the opposite is true for black kids who remained in segregated schools."
Families of color that are forced to remain in schools with poor achievement is deeply troubling. To earn a living, to be healthy, and to succeed are not unreasonable requests. But how do you provide that to students when the systems in place are so deeply rooted and established?
I found that Jones asked such critical questions throughout, particularly with Superintendent Charles Pearson. He was the third superintendent in three years and charged with completely revitalizing Normandy schools.
Jones was blunt in her questioning, asking Pearson what he could possibly do to change the systems in place that have been challenged countless times to no avail. Pearson's response was both crushing and hopeful to hear.
"An entire district has never turned around. It has never happened. But that doesn't relieve us of the charge to attempt to do it. So you're right, it hasn't been done. However, our obligation to attempt to do it, it still remains. The kids are here. So you're right. It hasn't been done. But it's our watch."
In all honesty, I have found this podcast to be pretty emotionally draining. I feel stressed and somewhat defeated. I've exceeded my word count and this blog entry has become more of a rambling diary entry of sorts as opposed to a thoughtful analysis.
I don't want to be consoled or told I'm doing what I can. I think that's selfish when I'm not the one suffering the consequences. I can only hope to help close the achievement gap and serve the students within my class and community.
Blah...
I really appreciated your honest reflection on Nikole Hannah Jones' The Problem We All Live With. It's true, the system does seem rigged and the problems insurmountable. You mentioned that you are a Teach Across America teacher and I was wondering if you could tell us more about that program when we meet in class next time. Would you say the Teach Across America scholarship is a program designed to bring energetic, caring and competent teachers like yourself into disadvantaged schools? If that is the case, and I think that is what I have heard, statistically how many of those teachers move on to other school districts after their commitment?
ReplyDeleteIt was also interesting to learn that Rhode Island came in second to last with regard to Latino student performance. I think of how small our state is, and imagine the possibilities. If only we had the right leadership and could use existing resources more wisely..... Rhode Island has the potential to be a model for other states, but instead we are the poorest performing out of 49 states?
"..it changed their whole lives. They were less likely to be poor". This was in response to what happened when black children were bused out to other schools, that were predominantly white. These schools, presumably, had better course offerings, better qualified, and more experienced teachers. For whatever reason, or a combination of many factors, the lives of students (of color) that were bused in from poorer, lower performing schools, were improved for the long run. It was heartbreaking and eye-opening to hear that Michael Brown's mothers' first reaction was the effort it took to keep her son in school; to have him graduate. Desegregation works; my question is two-fold: if it works, why don't we do it more? More importantly, why aren't quality programs with qualified teachers available to every child, in every school, in every district?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your self reflection on the role TFA might play in the dynamics here. It's pretty complicated. Looking forward to talking more in class.
ReplyDeleteTo speak to the role of TFA, I often find myself wondering the same thing. As a fellow 2017 Corps member, I often wonder if I was qualified for the job I had. During the onboarding process, one TFA corps member who had previously worked in City Year in Providence was talking to me about chronic teacher absences in Providence Public Schools. He said that while he may not be an incredible teacher or transform the lives of his students everyday, he could at least make sure to show up. I often think about this conversation as a touchstone. When we have days where we are struck by the inequality of the systems we work in or have a difficult day in the classroom, at least we are coming back tomorrow. By showing up alone and showing up with courage, even if I can't be a great teacher in my first year, at least I'm there making sure my kids know that someone is rooting for them (and trying to teach them math!). In the larger picture, its not enough, but at least its something.
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