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Paulette Victoria Perez

RWS 1302 Op-Ed

Lack of College and Career Readiness in Schools


College and Career Readiness is a topic that is often overlooked by many
educators. Oftentimes, students are not given information from a young age and can
become overwhelmed when the time comes. But what if I tell you that many teachers do
not provide the information needed to students based on what they believe fit to attend
college?
My mother experienced this biased when she was attending high school. A teacher
and a counselor told my mother that she was unfit to pursue a higher education. They also
told her that she was unfit to take advanced courses based on the fact that she was an
English Learner (EL). My mother did not take the comments to heart and attended the
University of Texas at El Paso. She is now a special programs teacher in a local school
district. Many students like my mother experience this bias everyday and a few of these
students do not have the support or mental strength she had.
Students gain knowledge about college, but the information they acquire hardly
scratches the surface. It is vital to teach children about college from a young age. By
doing this, children are exposed to an environment in which they can grow and control
their future. It is unfortunate that in our community, college and career readiness is
overlooked, but it is even more unfortunate that the teachers provide information to
children who they perceive to have college potential.

Children who come from low-income households often get the short end of the
stick, especially when it comes to providing information on pursuing a postsecondary
education. Some educators are under the assumption that because of a students
background, they cannot take on the challenge of attending college. Teachers assume that
because of the students economic standpoint and family background, a child does not
have the motivation or resources to attend college. When an educator does this, they harm
the future of the child, making it hard to expand and grow as an individual.
According to authors Hooker & Brand:
Research has shown that many low-income, first generation college
going students often face particular challenges in applying to,
enrolling in, and persisting in college, and these challenges are
compounded for youth who are off track academically or have
dropped out of school. Students from underrepresented groups often
lack the social capital to understand the world of postsecondary
education, as they are less likely to have role models who have
attended institutions of higher education (IHEs), and they may have less
collective college knowledge in their communities. (2010, p.77)
That is why I feel that there should be a deliberate curriculum implemented into
all school districts that focuses on college and career readiness. This anti-bias college and
carrier ready curriculum will overlook students background, making information
accessible to any student from any grade level, despite the opinions of the educators.
Another approach to making college and career readiness accessible to all students is

having a set amount of time during class dedicated to preparing students for college and
motivating them to pursue a higher education.
There are many positive effects of students being college ready. Students are
prepared to work with diverse groups of people, become problem solvers and most
importantly, become life-long learners that have the ability to enhance their education. All
students deserve to become college and career ready, but for this to happen we as citizens
need to show policy makers the importance of incorporating it into the curriculum.

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