Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Where Did You Go to School?

Where did you go to school for your undergrad education? Do you have happy memories from your time there? Are there special places on campus that stand out in your mind? Events you enjoyed? Teams you participated on? Adventures you had? People who made your time there, special?

Do you recall how you were treated by the admissions staff, the faculty or residence life assistants? Was the food good, were the buildings clean and grounds kept? Would you pay to send your own child there or promote the school within your sphere of influence?

Chances are, if you had a positive experience at your post-secondary educational institution that you are presently invested in its ongoing health, either financially or figuratively, perhaps both. Most high school aged students across N. America don't pick where they will attend high school, in fact, many attend the school designated for their neighborhood area. If you had the money to pick the high school where you would attend, what factors would you consider?

In my reading for my multicultural education class today, I came across some characteristics of successful, upper and upper middle class schools. These facts come from a book by Banks & Banks titled: Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives. Think about this with me if you will.

Characteristics of most upper- and upper-middle-class high schools and private schools



1. The grounds are spacious and well-kept

2. The computer, laboratories, language and athletic facilities are extensive

3. Teachers are well educated and responsive to students and parents

4. Small class sizes (15 or fewer)/Small school sizes 1200 or fewer students in the school

5. Every student studies a college prep curriculum

6. There is a considerable amount of homework assigned

7. Most teachers do not have tenure or belong to unions so they can be replaced if they are considered unresponsive to students or parents

8. Numerous AP courses offer college credit

9. Students have a pride in being smart

10. Students do not watch a lot of TV

11. There are multiple opportunities for extracurricular activities such as debate and drama clubs, publications and music and chances to learn sports that colleges value such as: crew, ice hockey, squash and lacrosse *participating in one or more extracurricular activities increases a student's desire to attend school

12. Students have both academic and personal advisers who monitor their progress, help them solve problems and try to help have a successful school experience.

13. There is a robust tax base to help support annual costs which in the 2000's exceeded $15K per pupil

14. School board members are elected by members of the community that know them

15. Private schools are run by self-perpetuating boards of trustees, many of whom are grads of these schools.

16)The school head is chosen by the board of trustees and may be replaced by them if they are not satisfied.



What do these schools have in common?


  1. Money (tax base/funding)

  2. Community (=students who desire to achieve, do their homework and participate in extracurricular activities, and faculty and administration that desire to keep their jobs by staying responsive to the parents and accessible to students etc = good customer service and alumni that are willing to continue their investment in the next generation of students)

  3. Small/Manageable class sizes (fewer discipline problems)

  4. Unified curriculum, everyone is held to the same high, academic standard and is able to achieve it because they are unified in purpose, goal and consistent academic achievement.

Urban Schools on the other hand:

1. Large classes/larger, bureaucratic school system

2. Offer varied courses of study: academic, vocational, and general curricular tracks

3. They lack political and economic resources (low to no tax base due to housing segregation)

4. School board generally elected on a city-wide basis, generally sending their own children to private schools and they have little knowledge about or power over the daily operations of the public system (no personal investment)

5. Authority of teachers is empowered by bureaucratic procedures and unionization of teachers and administrators (organizational paralysis vs. governance)

The disparity in educational expenditures has consequences for the condition of school buildings, hiring of qualified staff and faculty, class size, and the lack of extra curricular activities. When educational opportunities suffer, so does the way children learn, how long they stay in school, the graduation rates, and the rates at which they pursue continuing education.

Picture three babies born at the same time but to parents from different social-classes. The first child is born to wealthy, well-educated parents in a business or professional family. The second is born into a middle-class family in which both parents attended college and have middle-level managerial or social service jobs. The third is born into a poor family in which neither parent finished high school or has a steady job. In a land where equal opportunity is promised to all people, will these children receive the same education?

2 comments:

  1. Man I'm a hack. I signed your guestbook twice, delete your least favorite Malathionman picture. And I commented on this post in the comments for your "people-pusher" post. You would think I never did this before.

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  2. Mal,
    Thanks for the post brother. Yes, the guest book is pretty cool, glad you like it!

    Early childhood education is where it's at. I agree. That's where it all begins and where the courses of many a child's educational future are decided. I'm tired, it's late, and I'm not sure that sentence made any sense. -Rigel

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