Education Problem In America

Is education fair and equal to everyone no matter race, religion or ethnicity? It may seem like that on the outside but once you get older it is really noticeable, especially when you have people from other ethnicities in one school. Everyone doesn’t have an equal opportunity in education for many reasons like money issues, race, gender,discrimination and most importantly fairness.

Education in one of the most important things to succeed in life or to get at least a self sustaining job in America. But when there isn’t an equal or fair opportunity people aren’t able to succeed or complete their goals. According to the article “Your Right to Equality in Education ACLU”, it says “And the Constitution requires that all kids be given equal educational opportunity no matter what their race, ethnic background, religion, or sex, or whether they are rich or poor, citizen or non-citizen”. This is a federal law, yet there are still schools, students and teachers discriminating students, which is unconstitutional. Nobody is speaking out against it or saying something and nobody is going to take it into consideration until it reallys out of hand, like it did with LGBTQ group. Also in the same article it states “Many studies show, however, that the standards and tests school officials use in deciding on track placements are often based on racial and class prejudices and stereotypes instead of on real ability and learning potential”. Imagine you getting a 95 five average and above the whole year but when it comes down to putting you into classes next year, you would imagine being put into honors classes right, nope you are back into a regular class. That would be really heartbreaking because you tried so hard to make it but are rejected due to you race, religion, ethnicity or gender.

Another reason why education is unfair because did you know that you can have a advantage in your education in your grade by just having a lot of money? A lot of hispanics and African Americans don’t have the money to afford for personal tutors or programs that would benefit their child's education. As the article of ACLU “Your Right to Equality in Education” says “That means it's often the white, middle-class kids who end up in the college prep classes, while poor and non-white students, and kids whose first language isn't English, end up on "slow" tracks and in vocational-training classes. And often, the lower the track you're on, the less you're expected to learn - and the less you're taught”. This is one major reason why there isn’t a diverse community in the high educated jobs. Even schools comply to this factor as well, there are many students that excel but are pushed back into or held back to regulars. In the article “Beyond the Numbers” it states “We find that race and ethnicity groups do, on average, spend vastly different amounts on education, but the likelihood of going to college (and thus having education expenditures) and socioeconomic factors have the most influence on families’ investment in higher education—and race and ethnicity is not the driving factor, as commonly thought.” Why do you think there are more white people in colleges? Most hispanic and African americans don’t have the money to spend on high and top tier colleges let alone any at all. That why people can’t have successful life and carrier to sustain themselves because their parent didn’t have enough money to spend.

The least but still important factor that makes education not fair and equal are your teachers. Not everyone faces this problem and you could be like what? How? But there are teachers who treat students unfairly because of race and capability in learning because they are slow in learning the material. In the NEA article “Are You Being Fair” it says “Favoritism in a larger sense has not to do with the teacher’s pet, but with the fact that teachers transmit different kinds of emotions to different students and students absorb that and interpret it and their feelings are influenced by that,” says Babad, author of The Social Psychology of the Classroom. If a teacher isn't fair to you, you wouldn't be treated fairly and have a tougher time in the class because she or he wouldn’t want to teach you. That’s just unfair to you because you are kind being restricted of learning that subject because most likely you wouldn’t want to learn or be in that class due to not liking the teacher. Without the teacher support your self esteem goes lower as well as your passion to learn. In the article it states “Every kid needs to know they have the same opportunities to succeed and their teacher likes them,” says Solano, who retired this past spring. “It’s important for their self-motivation and their self-esteem”. But, america is known as the land of opportunities but without having a fair and equal opportunity in education which is a major part of america in giving you a equal opportunity you really can’t succeed. Why do you still think there is still poverty in america because people don’t have the money to get a better education after high school and you can’t really get a well sustaining job.

Imagine making college more affordable for everyone and everything else. Would we still have the same problem as we do now? It’s only a matter of time before it gets out of hand and people start to notice the difference by the percent of people attending school after high school. Most likely the percent of poverty will increase due to the population growing and the loop of staying poor because of problem of not getting a education. Overall, do you believe there will be a difference made to this problem? It’s been decades yet it is still the same but as they say nothing last forever and falls to be changed for the better.

Works Cited

“Education Expenditures and Participation Rates for All Households.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-3/do-different-groups-invest-differently-in-higher-education.htm.

Saitz, Greg. “Are You Being Fair?” NEA, www.nea.org/tools/49345.htm.

“Your Right to Equality in Education.” American Civil Liberties Union, Aclu, www.aclu.org/other/your-right-equality-education.