"HELP WANTED": Thoughts
Blog Post #2: Thoughts
Welcome Back, Readers!
As you know, the book I am reading for this assignment is The Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol. This novel dives into modern-day segregation in American schools, better known as, "Apartheid schools".
This week's assignment was to read up to chapter five, bringing us to page 109.
In my first post, I talked a lot about how Kozol's style was he used a lot of stories to further his point. He uses this ethos approach to make the book more genuine and sincere as opposed to just statistics.
In the chapters I read for this assignment, there weren't as many stories, rather one large impactful one.
Kozol tells the story of how he was walking through one of these elementary schools and noticed lots of "HELP WANTED" signs. However, these signs weren't for staffing help, they were so the children could get "managerial positions" within the classroom. These positions would be things like "pencil sharpener manager", or "whiteboard marker manager" (90). It is then explained that when these kids get to 5th and 6th grade, they start "applying" for these jobs and going to interviews. This, in theory, seems fine.
Kozol never explains why he chose to include this. However, it becomes apparent with another story of his.
The next story he tells is of a girl named Timeka. At Timeka's school, there were different programs you could choose from, two, in particular, were "culinary arts" and "college". Timeka was placed in the '"culinary arts" program because that's what she decided in her Freshman year. We then find out that Timeka dropped out during her Junior year. We learn that essentially, Timeka chose the "culinary arts" option because of how undersold the "college" option was. She was upset because her school basically forces the "culinary arts" options on students because of what's called the "school to work" transition. (99-103).
One of the most important lines from this section is "'we may be trapping these young ones' in 'low paying jobs'". (103)
Looking back at the "managerial positions" mentioned when talking about the elementary schools, it's apparent now that these schools are essentially trapping these kids in a cycle.
I explained a different part of this cycle in my previous post:
"Economic status and income affect where you live. Where you live affects where your kids go to school. Where your kids go to school affects the type of education they will receive. The type of education they receive affects what job they will have. The job you have affects your economic status and income."
However, now it is important to note that the schools are almost forcing these kids into this economic cycle by showing them the best available option is the "low paying jobs".
Circling back to the elementary schools, it's kind of messed up how these schools are having these kids apply for jobs and not showing them the higher education options. It's almost putting more emphasis on the classroom positions rather than the education, which is never okay. Every child deserves an education and a chance to be the best that they can be. Essentially telling them they can't be more by pushing the "school to work" transition on them is what is continuing this cycle.
Overall, these chapters definitely improved my understanding of why these economic cycles are so difficult to get out of. College isn't 'advertised' in these schools like it is in schools like ours. Education isn't placed at as high of a value at these schools as it is compared to others.
I look forward to reading more of this book, especially the next chapter which goes more in-depth on this specific issue. This book is definitely worth the read, and I look forward to reading more.
Hi Paige, I feel the same way as you do! It's very disappointing to know that a lot of kids are sold short on their potential to grow and "shoot for the stars". I really like your point that these economic cycles are difficult to get out of because it really encapsulates the big picture of what many consider to be a "small" issue. Having kids take up managerial positions in and of itself isn't too alarming, but having that be the emphasized career from the time you're an innocent kid is! It results in a generationally disproportionate level of wealth between families who take up middle class jobs and those who don't. With this said, do you think this is a classism issue, or a racism issue? Or both?
ReplyDeleteHi Bryce!
DeleteI hope Kozol goes deeper in to this, but I personally think its both a classism and racism issue.
You can see the same thing happen in other schools, but those schools are white. However, those schools are still lower side of the socioeconomic spectrum.
Thank you for your kind words!
-Paige
The situation you describe certainly is the opposite of what generally happens in Hopkinton, where college is usually he expected route. However, do you think an overemphasis on the job force or on college is problematic? If so, why?
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. LaClair!
DeleteI think the over-emphasis on anything is problematic. Over-emphasis on the job-force might make the student feel like that's their only option, and the same goes for college. I feel like a large portion of students in Hopkinton feel like college is their only option, and most end up going.
I thinks schools should do a better job of presenting all options as equal, and there is no good or bad/right or wrong decision.
-Paige
Hi Paige,
ReplyDeleteI agree that schools' trapping young students into low-paying jobs, and making it seem like their only option is to head straight into the workforce is quite alarming, and that it often contributes to cycles of poverty. I also think it's not a coincidence that these schools are often in poor, largely black communities. My question is, what do you think could solve this problem? What changes should be made to schools in poor and impoverished areas, and how would they break the cycle of poverty?
-Max