Gentrification Please? Hold on the Public Education Though...

The area that you live in holds a great portion of power in regards to the type of education that you will receive. Be it in an urban city, suburban town, or a rural area. It even occurs in cases where gentrification is found.

Gentrification is the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.

On paper this idea seems like a good thing as it helps to make areas that are poor develop. According to the Atlantic there is even a difference in government spending toward that area. There are more resources that are placed into area where the people with higher income live.

Spike Lee even ranted about gentrification and his personal experience with it. 

Disclaimer: Intended for a Mature Audience

However, the resources that the government places into these communities do not reach the public school systems that are already in place. In fact, gentrification does more harm than good for the public school system. The reason for that lies in the fact the government can trust the upper- or middle-income families to send their children to private school or charter school. 

In doing this, it sets the public schools that are available even further behind. In some cases, it hurts the public school system so much that schools are forced to shut down. 

Thus creating a world where racial and socioeconomic discrimination is apparent. This is an issue that has gotten to the point in which some places have begun to file lawsuits against the city's that support these forms of discrimination.

The reason why these cases are being filed is because the government was always in position to help out the urban community. But, in most cases the city chooses not to help until there are citizens living in the areas that are of higher class. 

However, this issue leads to even more issues, such as wage gaps which develop due the gap within education. Unfortunately, when matters such as this arise it creates living gaps as well. When looked at in a closer range we can see that the gap that is created effects the environments that people are able to live in. In some instances it holds an effect over the air that some people have to breathe in!

But what can we do about this problem?

From my research, I have come to realize that this is an issue that is hard to find a solution to. For instance if the government gets involved in the beginning, when the city is still in poverty, then we face the issue of the city becoming too dependent on the government. However, if we continue to not do anything then there will be a continuous decrease in the way that some people are living. 

It is unfortunate because we live in a time where the price of living continues to go up and the means of attaining a living is becoming increasingly more difficult. 

Evenstill, I continue to believe that the only way to fix this issue is by correcting the school systems that are located throughout America. It is completely unfair that money holds such a great weight on education.  One would expect that education would be the one place where money doesn't hold prestige.  But, it does.

"On average, aggregate measures of per-pupil spending are positively associated with improved or higher student outcomes. The size of this effect is larger in some studies than in others, and, in some cases, additional funding appears to matter more for some students than for others."

How do we remove the power of money from the essence of education?

That is a question which I am still pondering on, but I would be pleased to hear your suggestions as to the way that we should handle the issues of money in education or in regards to gentrification.

A Personal Connection

In America there is a great deal of talk in regards to equality. American's often list it as one of the key values in life.  Yet, equality is not always something that is attributed to all of the American people.

 I will be speaking specifically about the inequality that is in education systems and the way that it effects children when they grow into adults. This is an issue because in an outstanding nation such as America, the only way to truly grasp equality is through education. However, the quality of education that is performed thought our nation is not equal. Thus setting great gaps between the opportunities that are available, based on class and race.

Photo credited to Kate Ter Haar

I have come to realize through a great deal of research that where one lives has a large effect on the quality of education that they will receive. Many of those that live in areas where a majority of the neighbors have a higher income, also have access to better public school systems. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum there are those that live in poverty and the only access to a good education is through private school or using someone else's address to send their children to a school that is in a better area.

Photo credited to Paula Funell

If we were to look at this as a math problem we could simplify it by saying that better areas, have education systems with a greater quality. This is important to note because of matters such as gentrification that makes situations like this relevant. It also explains the reason that some people just cannot receive the help that they need.

Think back to when you were a child. Remember those times where you were forced to go to school. What were your parents reason behind sending you to school? For most people that answer is so that they could graduate and proceed either to college or get a job.

Photo credited to Jeff Meyer

However, the issue with this need to go to school, to be successful is useless if the school that you attend cannot provide the resources needed to be successful in life. My first experience of this issue occurred whilst I was in grade school, and no more than seven years old. My elementary school was in the process of becoming a magnet school, and they attempted to kick me out. 

My mother fought for me to stay in the school that I was in because it was one of the best schools in the school district. She believed that the school was attempting to eliminate all of those that they felt weren't worth their good standing education. 

I then had another experience during my freshman year of high school. Budget cuts. The first thing that was offered to be taken away were the school buses and new textbooks. 

Photo credited to Kevin Dooley

Never mind that the school bus was the only way for most people to get to school because of the distance from their home to their school.  I am certain that this may baffle some of you, but it is also a reality for others.  Also take note that new textbooks were another thing that were cut, even though most of the textbooks that we were using were at least a decade or so. 

This all refers back to the quality of education. There is no equality if we cannot find a way for everyone to have access to the same resources. There is no equality if the first thing that is taken away from them is their only hope of success. There is no equality if we do not find a way to help better the standards of education in low-income neighborhoods. But how do we do that?

Often times when asked for a solution in regards to education many say that the answer is in the hands of the student. Unfortunately, that is not where anyone can begin to find a solution to this issue because it is something that starts before the students are even involved, hopefully as we continue our journey we will find a way to fix this issue.