Couvillon 1 Kaitlyn Couvillon Professor Megan Keaton April 24, 2013 ENGL 1103

Social Classes in Public Schools

Public schools level of education and educational experience is delivered differently to students of different social standing, the upper class standing school students get a more in depth liberal arts teaching style for "more desirable jobs" (1, Anyon), while lower class school students are taught the bare minimum to graduate and "achieve a minimum wage job without much mobility" (80, Bettie). The articles that will be discussed in this paper are Working Class Chicas by Julie Bettie, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 by Linda Kasser, Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work by Jean Anyon and On the Uses of a Liberal Education by Earl Shorris. Shorris states "Rich people are taught the humanities a foundation for getting along in the world, for thinking, for learning to reflect on the world instead of just reacting to whatever force is turned against you Rich people learn the humanities in private schools and expensive universities." (92, Shorris) The main argument throughout each piece is the disadvantage pushed on the lower class public schools and how their education is not as advanced or in depth as upper class public schools.

Couvillon 2 In Working Class Chicas, Bettie describes the track some of the minority students in a public school are almost forced to take. Most are told by their councilors to take a vocational track because they will not be able to pass college prep. This can prevent them from getting into a college or even graduating. The more wealthier and caucasian students of the class are put into excelled classes. This ties into President Bushs statement, too many of our neediest children are being left behind. (2, Kasser) Bushs goals with the No Child Left Behind Act are to try to improve grades and graduation rates in lower income schools with a possibility of earning more funding if these are achieved. The act is also providing school-wide funding at schools where 40% of the students are identified as coming from low income families (1, Kasser), schools funding can be penalized if test scores are not high enough or can be given higher funding if test scores are high. Shorris shows in his article how this is not working out to be beneficial for the lower income students. Numerous forces- hunger, isolation, illness, landlords, police, abuse, neighbors, drugs, criminals, and racism among many others- exert themselves on the poor at all times and enclose them, making up a "surround of force" from which it seems they cannot escape. (90, Shorris) Shorris describes only a few of the factors that limit the poor from advancing, not only educationally but also everyday life. This also ties into Anyons argument of how working class public schools are not taught to excel. "It's no surprise that schools in wealthy communities are better than those in poor communities, or that they better prepare their

Couvillon 3 students for desirable jobs." (1, Anyon) All of these point to the idea of how social classes affect future students of lower income families from becoming as successful as students that attend higher income schools that are available to many resources, such as better teachers, better books, better funding for technology in classes, more available classes to help them in society. Anyon describes the working class schools work load to be based off of mechanical procedures, "involving rote behavior and very little decision making" (2, Anyon). Anyon shadows both upper class schools and lower class schools. In the upper class school she notices how the work is more complicated. The students are forced to look deeper into the concept of what they're learning instead of just being told what to do and how to do the problems. The better educated teachers are allowing the students in upper class schools to also work problems out on their own, students do not rely on the teachers or the books. She states "The teachers were expected to be available to provide extra help if needed." (10, Anyon) She noticed "School experience, in the sample of schools differed qualitatively by social class." (10, Anyon) Anyon along with the other articles are all stating the difference seen throughout public schools. Is there a way to fix this problem? Can we combine the levels of education equally throughout public schools no matter the income or social standing of the students?