Public Education

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By Detra Aikens, M.U.P.P.

CHICAGO—Public education is in crisis.  It supports an archaic hypothesis which assumes: all children reside in stable environments, live at home with parents, who are gainfully employed, earning living-wages, own their home, have health care, retirement benefits; and, the resources to make a financial commitment to their children’s education.  Neighborhood schools are replete with students who are truant, sleep deficient, under-fed, missing homework and are resolutely inconsolable and disruptive.
Public education is no longer relevant to, nor is it supportive of the status quo.  In Chicago it represents a relic which strives to educate an ideal, which no longer populates public schools.  It thereby calls into question the idea, or methodology of how we teach, or more appropriately how we fail to teach so many students.  We do not educate the masses in our neighborhood schools.  Education has become irrelevant, outmoded, incapable of providing a total learning experience to those who require it most.  The failure lies in 4 areas; Curriculum; Teaching Methodology; Institutionalized racism and, Tedious Obsolescence, or “The diminished value of an asset because of reduced productivity…”
Recognize that the Chicago’s public school system is predominately low-income, children of color, living with one parent/guardian head-of-household, who are second and third generation poorly educated adults; many of whom are getting-by with some form of public assistance.  There are those living with family-members who are involved with street-gangs and those who have addictions; all surrounded by other sources of dysfunction and despair; 18% of students (K-12) are homeless or live in shelters; another 17% are in foster care or Ward’s of the State.
To capture the hearts and minds of our students’ things must change: Black and Brown heroes/ heroines, people who displayed exceptional values, courage, leadership, and dedication, their names do not exist in our historical lexicon.  Ask any child (K-12) to list ten black or brown historical figures that played a pivotal role in the creation of our American values, excluding Martin Luther King, Biggy Smalls, Tupac, A-Rod, or J-lo…you get a vacant stare.
The Euro-centric view of history has left a gaping hole in the minds of most Americans who therefore perceive Black and Brown people as welfare-interlopers…this must stop.  It represents an all “Them” and none of “Us” mentality of acknowledgement impossible to justify.  An incredulous state of being, when the reality is: people of color have always been a necessary ingredient in the building of American.  And, will be needed again to up-left, lead and strategically propel this country through the Twenty-first Century and beyond.
Education, its model, its ideas, and constructs, must reflect all who are vested; for all to become informed.  We must start teaching American History as authentic: diverse, creative, and vibrant.  …“One nation indivisible with liberty and Justice for all…” people who share the historical experience that built this Democracy.  We have collectively struggled through a series of events, which allowed the creation of all our American values.  Contributions made by people of color must be recognized, recounted, established as integral to America’s growth, wealth, strategic power and unprecedented creativity.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Finally, not just an assessment of a problem but a solution. How can our Black and Brown children who predominantly attend the Chicago school system but are not taught about their history, success stories or heroes; desire an education that excludes them, achievements that preclude them and a society that secludes them.

  2. While I agree that contributions made by people of color are whoefully under represented in our society, I found myself much more interested in your ideas about the 4 areas of failure: Curriculum; Teaching Methodology; Institutionalized racism and, Tedious Obsolescence. Unpacking those ideas- both defining the problems and outlining possible solutions is much more impactful.

  3. Great article, thought provoking and true. Most of us are aware that institutional racism and greed will be America’s undoing. Looking forward to your next article, maybe something suggesting ways of dismantling these systemic ills

  4. Public education is, indeed, in crisis. What happens outside of school has such a profound impact on what happens in school. And unfortunately, it is very likely that the majority of Chicago Public School students come from a home that is defined as “unstable” rather than stable. Why not shift cirriculum to make it more relevant to the children that attend these schools. And I don’t mean making it easier, but children can learn better when they can relate to what is being taught.
    Also, it’s tragic that our society is complacent with statistics such as 18% of students are homeless or living in shelters. This statistic is truly appalling!

  5. Well versed article, that centered on not just the problems in the Public School System and in our society but resolutions as well. It’s a shame that such statics have become the status quo. At least someone realizes that change must not only come from the schools but from the people.

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