Anyon perfectly describes the issue of education policies of urban schools in “What Counts as Education Policy?” She argues that “the quality of education in city schools is a complex problem, and education policy as historically conceived has not been adequate to the task of increasing urban school achievement to acceptable levels” (66). Essentially, policies enacted have given very little support to students attending schools in urban areas, citing numerous policies that intended to improve educational quality in these areas but ultimately faltered. Anyon especially emphasizes the state policies that emerged in the mid-to-late 19th century, which were inserted into states’ constitutions to provide students with a free, “thorough,” “efficient,” or “useful” education (Odden & Picus, 1992). However, as Anyon cites, “none of the local policies [had] focused on the poverty of families or neighborhoods.” What was it exactly about these policies that seemed to give less priority to urban education? Why aren’t these students receiving the same quality education that students outside of urban areas receive?
Anyon claims that education policy is not providing the quality of education it should be due to its lack of acknowledgement of the high levels of neighborhood poverty in urban areas. Furthermore, it doesn’t take into account that in these areas of poverty, these families do not have access to critical resources that will aid in educating their children about the real world, no matter if they excel in their classes. This is an issue that is still prevalent in urban schools today. Lack of funding, class sizes that seem far too large, and students struggling with poverty are just a few of the things that urban school students still struggle with. As of 2024, the child poverty rate sits at 14.3%, just 2% less than the statistic cited by Anyon (74). Has anything changed? Will anything change? Not if we don’t fight for our students.
https://www.americanprogress.org/data-view/poverty-data/
Hi Zach! I really like how you explained what it is that Anyon is arguing in this reading. I thought the quotes you picked really depicted her argument. I agree that lack of funding to urban schools is a huge issue and that something needs to change. I think it's important to try and figure out how we can make these changes. I think you're right in saying that the change is going to have to come from teachers who care for and want to fight for their students.
ReplyDeleteHi Zach, I really enjoyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteThe reading made me think of the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and how in these high poverty levels, many of these students may be in a situation where their basic physiological needs may not be met, or at least in a situation where they struggle to have safety and security. IF these needs are not met, it is nearly impossible for them to learn and succeed. I agree that policies geared toward education reform need to address this issue. Adjusting curriculum will not lead to change if these families are struggling to put food on the table! It is silly that in society this has not happened yet and we keep going through this cycle.
Hi Zach! I think all your questions are super important. Why aren't students getting the same funding and the same quality of teachers? I think it's actually quite insane that even today, some schools are just neglected. School is so important, especially elementary schools, that I don't even know how someone who is in charge of the budget can be "ok" with how some are run or even how some look like.
ReplyDelete