Inequalities in the public school system
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Authors
Taylor, Nancy
Issue Date
1998
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Teaching
Alternative Title
Abstract
During my stint as a substitute teacher, I never knew from one day to the next day what school I would be going to within the district in which I was working. One day I substituted in a dilapidated, rundown school in a very poor, low socioeconomic neighborhood. The copy paper was rationed and their one copy machine was so old the teachers had to kick it to make it spit out smeared, muddy, almost unreadable copies. The very next day, I was assigned to a new school, in a middle class neighborhood within the same district. There were three copy machines, each filled with paper. On that day, my thesis idea was born.
The intent of this thesis is to explore the ways in which the public school system hinders and continues to injure already disadvantaged children. Vast inequalities exist between public schools, not only nationwide and statewide, but even within districts. There are a number of factors involved to create these inequalities. This thesis will concentrate on three major factors: ethnicity, class, and resources.
I will discuss nationwide and statewide inequalities within the public school system and then narrow my comparisons of inequalities to within districts. I will compare the public school buildings; neighborhoods they are surrounded by; their maintenance; the differences in experience of those teachers who teach disadvantaged children versus those who do not; parent income and participation; curriculum taught; and the ethnic makeup of the students. Lastly, I will present some possible remedies or solutions.
For my thesis project, I will present a qualitative, in-depth portrait of an urban school and profile six students who are directly affected by the inequalities in the public school system. I hope to show the "human" side of the disparity and inequality within the public school system.