Jasmine Calvillo

Professor Ortega
SOC 1
In IRL Solomons class we discover bitter truth to the consequences of an education
system in a poor city. There are a few girls that are pregnant or have recently had children in his
senior homeroom class. When Kozol asks the girls why that happens he is told that there is no
reason not to have a child. These girls know that there is not much for them at the school they are
in. Kozol sees that they have a point stating that a diploma from a ghetto high school doesnt
count for much in the United States today. This is most likely the last bit of schooling these
girls will get and seeing that they decided why not have a baby? In the school in Rye, New York
a student named Jennifer who is originally from the Bronx gives her views on equality in
schools. She explains that she and her family got out of the Bronx because it was so bad. She
doesnt understand why she would need to pay for the schools back in her hometown now that
she has moved somewhere better. Kozol asks her if she now feels nothing for everyone else who
didnt make it out. She explains that those people need to want an education and take it upon
themselves to get out and get it. Kozol also asks that if she would consider paying higher taxes to
help benefit those in other schools. She replied that she doesnt see how that would benefit her.
In the school in East St Louis There are not enough instructors which makes the classroom sizes
very large and harder for teachers to give students enough attention. The school has been closed
numerous times due to flooding cause by septic waste. The students live in an area where the
majority of the population is unemployed. The school had to lay off many teachers, cafeteria
workers and other faculty that would help maintain the school and keep it running. The school
has hired full time substitute teachers who only get paid $10,000 annually in order to keep up

with budget cuts. Many of the labs in the school cannot be used because there is no running
water and many of the items are broken or worn out. The school in Rye, New York is better off
than the school in St. Louis which is an extreme understatement. The school has a restored
auditorium that was paid for by funds the parents raised which was $40,000. The library is wood
paneled just like the auditorium. There are carpeted student lounges built in tiers so students can
relax. More than half of the senior class is enrolled in AP classes and have been foreign language
classes for five years.
There is a lot of truth to this excerpt. Reading it without its context I would have believed
that this was written recently and not in 1991. Local taxes are still used to supply and fund the
public schools in that area. Obviously if it is a wealthy school they will be much better off than
those from a poorer community. The community that I live in is poor. The majority of the
community is from Hispanic descent. Many people have low paying jobs or no jobs at all. It is
incredibly hard for those to find work that do not have social security numbers. Many of those
who came from Mexico or other countries to give their child a better chance have little
education. They cannot help their children with homework. With low funding and heavy budget
cuts it is hard for the school to meet the demands of having all those students. There are not that
many programs where these students could get help. We are set up to fail with no cushions to
catch our fall. For those who do make it out and do go to college it is a combination of hard work
and luck. I know many students who have worked hard but come out short. The problem is the
kind of attitude Jennifer had. It is selfish peoples unwillingness to help and their ignorance that
is holding the kids from poor communities back. There are more now specific programs that help
these type of students but not nearly enough.