Privilege

Privilege is a funny thing. I have been very privileged growing up. My parents were careful to scout out the good schools before we moved anywhere, and I often had the choice among schools. I've done 50/50 public/private schools, bouncing all across the US. No matter what, I received excellent education. I was a good student (albeit a slightly hyper one) and I loved learning. I still do, although I'm not as good at it as I used to be. Today I taught to four different school groups. One was a suburban school, although it was pretty diverse, but the kids were super nerdy, smart kids with great vocabulary and social skills, excellent analytical skills, and a ready-to-learn attitude. They were 4th graders. My second group had kids from three different Cleveland schools, and they were in the 7th grade. Their reading comprehension was far lower than the first group, and although they were fantastic kids and great listeners, they didn't quite make the connections that the first group of kids did. They also come from one of the worst school districts in the nation with record school closings, teacher firings, and some of the lowest paid teachers around. And my gut reaction was that if I ever have a kid (who knows if that'll happen), I want my kid to be smart, curious, and creative. I don't want my kid to fall asleep because he or she hasn't gotten good sleep, or because he or she is bored. I want my kid to be engaged and into it, and it all really boils down to privilege. It saddens me that the gap between my first group of students today and the second group is only widening. And what can we do about it? Clearly No Child Left Behind has only screwed kids, teachers, and parents alike, and undoing that mess will take a long time. But even if we can undo it, there is no guarantee, especially considering that this country has been facing the same battle for decades. How do we give our kids a fair shot at education? How do we distribute those benefits across the board, for rich and poor, abused and un-abused, rural and urban? How do we give kids a fair shake, so that they can get the attention that they need and deserve? What exactly does it take? Cinderella stories are nice, but they just aren't realistic, and it seems silly that just because a kid comes from a single-parent welfare home that that child should suffer in the classroom and be neglected. What is it that we need to do? I believe that increasing arts programs in the schools is a good step, because it gives students a window into other learning opportunities. It gives them a different kind of filter or lens through which they can see their world. I led a professional development workshop last night where a photography teacher here in Cleveland is giving inner city kids a fair shake at trying creativity instead of violence. She has saved kids from the street by giving them rules, guidelines, and a camera. It's amazing what these kids can do, and what they could have done long ago if given the options. But with 45 kids per classroom in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, it's no wonder that these kids barely stand a chance to graduate, let alone be able to read at their grade level. Anyway, the disparity between the two groups this morning, between one school vs. three others really had me questioning privilege and what I would do with my own, non-existant, unnamed child.