Inequality for Everyone…of Color

            It feels immoral to summarize observations that intimately dictate people’s lives. Most inhumane is the transformation of those observations into numbers. Numbers themselves, mean nothing truly but in contemporary society mean everything.  Unfortunately or otherwise, numbers are often easily understood and I will be providing them in order to summarize my research on persistently low-achieving schools. There were very many schools in the Bay Area classified as low achieving, which is disconcerting, but I focused on two schools specifically - Alliance Academy and Roots International Academy.

            Alliance Academy is a middle school in Oakland helping 344 students ranging from grades 6^th through 8^th. Alliance Academy’s student population is 72% Hispanic, 21% Black, 7% other and 0% White. 91% of the students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch program. One must apply for this program and in order to qualify the student’s parents must earn no more (annually) than 185% of the poverty threshold for reduced price and no more than 130% to qualify for free lunch. The poverty threshold is dictated by the U.S. Census and is based on annual salary. For a family of 2, the poverty threshold is $14937; for each additional family member add anywhere from $4000-5000 dollars plus or minus a few dollars. To clarify, 91% percent of the children come from families that barely make above the Poverty Threshold as defined by the U.S. Census. Alliance Academy is situated on 1800 98^th avenue Oakland, CA. From September 24^th to September 30^th of this year there have been 52 crimes in a 2-mile radius from the school. These crimes include but are not limited to: Theft, Burglary, Robbery, Vandalism, Drug and Alcohol Violations, and Assault (with and without dangerous weapons). If crime were to continue at a similar rate, in a month it will have been 260 crimes committed and in a year it will have been 3120 crimes committed.  Not in the city, mind you, just in the 2-mile radius from the school. What are the chances one of these crimes affecting one of the 344 students attending Alliance Academy? The progress of the school is measured through the use of standardized tests and the scores therein. These are then compared to the state average to determine academic progress and standing. The following numbers represent the percent of students that demonstrated proficiency in specific subject matter relative to their grade level in 2012. In 6^th grade, 20% of students were proficient in English and 6% in Math. In 7^th grade, 21% were proficient in English and 12% in Math. In 8^th grade, proficiency in English was 18%, in Math 20%, in History 13% and in Science 18%. The state averages were 60% in English, 46% in Math, 52% in History, and 67% in Science.

            Roots International Academy is another Oakland Middle School; it serves 361 students. The population at Roots is 63% Hispanic, 28% Black, 9% other and 0% White. 88% of the students are eligible for free or reduced priced lunch. To, once again, clarify this signifies that 88% of the families to whom the students belong to are living slightly above the Poverty Threshold as defined by the U.S. Census. Roots International Academy is located on 1390 66^th Avenue Oakland, CA. From September 24^th to September 30^th there have been 78 crimes in a 2-mile radius from the school. These include but are not limited to: Theft, Burglary, Robbery, Vandalism, Drug and Alcohol Violations, Assault (with and without dangerous weapons), Fraud, and Arson. If crime were to continue at a similar rate in a month the crimes committed would be 390 and in a year they would total 4680. Once again, these being committed in just a 2-mile radius from the school. Roots International Academy is held to the same standardized tests and quantifying methodology as Alliance Academy. The following numbers represent the percent of students that demonstrated proficiency in specific subject matter relative to their grade level in 2012. In 6^th grade, 34% of students were proficient in English and 20% in Math. In 7^th grade, 24% were proficient in English and 19% in Math. In 8^th grade, proficiency in English was 27%, in Math 6%, in History 31% and in Science 24%. The state averages were 60% in English, 46% in Math, 52% in History, and 67% in Science.

            It is easy to observe the parallels between the schools and the circumstances described, by Jonathan Kozol, in Savage Inequalities as to the two middle schools I researched. The schools both share a non-existent white population. An environment surrounds them both where crime is prevalent. That being stated there are a few dissimilarities. The schools in Savage Inequalities had very little to spend per student about, $2000 to $4000. The Oakland School District is allotted a budget of $12,946 per pupil. These statistics do not account for inflation, however. The two middle schools have smaller classes than those portrayed in Savage Inequalities but the Educational System still appears broken. Is it though? If so, how so? Why? What does it need to attain success?        

Mind the Mind, the Matter Doesn't Matter

After watching Sir Ken Robinson on Ted Talks, there was one particular thing he said that resonated within my being: “The great problem for reform or transformation is the tyranny of common sense”. This insightful yet facetious quote reminded of a non-fictional event that occurred to me a couple of summers ago which profoundly impacted my being.  Allow me to explain it to you in the form of a very short story.

My pocket vibrated twice.  It was my phone informing me of a new text message. “Yo! Bonfire at Laguna, get yo ass over hurr”, it read.  As per usual, most activities during summer were spontaneous. I preferred the spontaneity; planned-ahead activities indicated what to expect and my mind tended to create incredible circumstances that could possibly, maybe, occur. They never did. This led to a sense of disappointment, as it were.  The fire roared and crackled as it devoured the wood. The cool breeze did nothing to diminish the warmth of that night or dissuade the humidity. Two big jugs of cheap-yet-surprisingly-tasty sangria accompanied my arrival. We formed various circles around the fire as we talked, laughed and “got shit faced.” At some point in the night, I suggested skinny dipping, “Let’s get naked and go swimming!” The various circles of people cheered their approval. We counted to three and I proceeded to remove all my clothing and sprint to the sea.  I dove into the water and quickly realized I was alone. There was cheering and whistling from the people on the shore who happened to be fully clothed and completely dry. The water felt good, but I considered returning to the group. Upon deciding to leave the water, she exploded from beneath the surface splashing me in the process. I had no idea who she was. I desperately tried to maintain eye-contact, lest she think me a sexual deviant.  She must have noticed my efforts because right then she let out a melodic laugh and I couldn’t help but laugh with her. It was high tide, our playful banter and conversation was silenced only as we jumped over little waves or dove under larger ones.  “I’m glad I wasn’t the only naked person in the water. To be honest, I’ve always enjoyed being naked with company” I told her. She laughed and said, “So this must be a common occurrence for you.” I quickly responded, “Nope, this is a first for me.  You’re the only mermaid I’ve ever met, like in my whole life.” She laughed loudly at that. “Don’t I get a wish if I find a mermaid?” I asked her. “You mean a naked mermaid wasn’t what you wished for? Uh oh, I must have the wrong wisher, I should probably go then.” She pretended to turn, as if to walk away, when my arm wrapped around her waist. I distinctly remember the curvature of the dimples that adorned her lower back. My other hand made its way to her chin and she tilted her head ever so slightly. Her luminous lips met mine. “It fascinates me that you’re okay with being naked in public” I said. “There’s no such thing” she replied. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Clothes are conventionally used to cover your legs, your arms, your torso, your chest, my vagina, your dick.” “Yeah, and?” I asked.  “Are you your legs?” “No” I answered.  “Are you your arms? Are you your torso? Are you your chest? Am I my vagina? Are you your dick?” she asked in one breathe. “No”, I replied. “So if you and I are none of those things, then you or I being naked can’t exist, because being actually naked is independent of whether our limbs are clothed or not…The real-you is in your head” she said, as she kissed my temple. Unknowingly, that night would lead to the first and only time I fell in love and the realization: who you are is in your head. That is to say, our composition is the manifestation of our perceptions.

Reeling in Research

Reeling in Research

            For the writing assignment “Rules of Three” I proposed that we should rebel against contemporary-cultural values of education and instead promote a culture where education is respected and revered. Unfortunately, the modern perception of our education is a detrimental one. Many regard education as a means to an end and in so doing create sentiments of disdain and contempt. Education becomes a wall to overcome as opposed to a bridge leading to enlightenment. Recent rankings of the best educational systems in developed countries place the United States in 17^th place. I may appear counter-intuitive for one of the most powerful countries in the world to be unable to place into the top ten. Why is that? According to Tiffany from Passion Project, “What you take in in kinda like it shapes you, it molds you, like it defines you” and perhaps no truer sentiment could have been spoken. To phrase that somewhat more precisely, people are the sum total of their experiences, environments and genetic inheritance. Of the aforementioned only genetic inheritance is immutable. So how can experience and environment possibly influence education?  According to Emmeline Zhao of the Huffington Post, the recent ranking demonstrated that, “While funding is an important factor in strong education systems, cultures supportive of learning is even more critical” (Zhao). As previously stated our current notions depict our relationship with education as primarily antagonistic; education being an obstacle that lies in between the fulfillment of our professional and personal goals.  Even our parents promote paths that may require less school but can ultimately result in economic stability and independence. This parental attitude is understandable; financing higher education may seem not only like a daunting task but an insurmountable one. This in combination with numerous reports of unemployment, even amongst those individuals with a minimum of bachelor’s degree, can dissuade parents from encouraging their children from pursuing higher education. The ranking places Finland and South Korea in 1^st and 2^nd places respectively. Although the countries, “Differ greatly in methods of teaching and learning, they hold the top spots because of a shared social belief in the importance of education” (Zhao). Perhaps more necessary than transforming our educational system, is transforming our perceived notions of education.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/best-education-in-the-wor_n_2199795.html

Overture

Most immediately, upon entering my blog, one can see clouds and flowers adorning the walls.  I have spent innumerous hours upon blankets on fields of grass and flowers. I feel most comfortable simply lying there, reading books and sunbathing. If accompanied nothing is lovelier than picnicking: eating dark chocolate and drinking wine as the lackadaisical clouds drift above stretching and dancing to the whims of the wind. These are some of the times I am most content.

Other moments of contention include being with my family. I adore them and would place them above anything and everything if need be. That being said, I am a chasm of unyielding curiosity and tend to be relentlessly passionate about satisfying them through learning, reading, and living. 

I have decided to attend school to gain a proper education in order to better myself, and better my family directly and perhaps indirectly by bettering the world around them.  Also, I think that, learning satisfies curiosity and learning is readily available if not most abundant in classes at school. In English class, particularly, I intend to refine my ability to communicate in the written form to the extent that I may be able to paint vivid pictures and create powerful emotions upon the mind.