Created Equal?

Because of my field placement, I have had to do a lot of research regarding education, and in particular, Pittsburgh Public Schools. Although there are a fair number of entities trying to remediate the situation, there are serious problems plaguing Pittsburgh Public Schools. Like I mentioned in an previous post, the city of Pittsburgh is not a stranger to racial disparities. There are large inequalities in income, education, and an overrepresentation of minority youth in the criminal justice system. 

With regards to education, not only is there a disparity of resources distributed among schools, condition of schools, and teacher quality, perhaps the most alarming of all is the racial achievement gap. Groups have sought to address the racial achievement gap in Pittsburgh for over 20 years. According to documents released by Pittsburgh Public Schools, “On August 24, 1992 a complaint against the School District of Pittsburgh was filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission charging the District violated sections of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. The District and the Advocates for African American Students, the group that filed the claim, reached a Conciliation Agreement in September 2006” . That agreement led to the District’s reform agenda, “Excellence for All”. The “Equity: Getting to All” plan is a continuation of the original reform agenda and “sets specific goals for five years or eliminating racial disparities within seven years."

The following graphs show the 2011-2012 achievement gaps in PSSA scores, according to A+ Schools Report to the Community:

Image Credit: A+ Schools

Image Credit: A+ Schools

These graphs show the gap that exists statewide but also show where Pittsburgh falls in relation to the state’s gap. According to Pittsburgh Public, “While the disparity in both Reading and Mathematics has narrowed, it will take 40 years to eliminate achievement disparities in Mathematics and 34 years in Reading. While 2011 was our best year in accelerating achievement, it would still take us 24 years to eliminate achievement disparities." 

The disparities shown through this date correlate with the sentiments of Richard Thomas Ford in his article entitled: Why the Poor Stay Poor. In his article, Thomas explores the work of William Julius Wilson and his book: More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City (Issues of Our Time). Wilson's book discusses that there are more than just culture, one also must recognize systemic disparities that keep poor blacks poor as well. He argues that you can't look solely at one or the other. Thomas describes Wilson as saying, "the legacy of racism and changes in the economy matter more than the culture of the ghetto." He rejects the Culture of Poverty and claims that there needs to be "an aggressive pubic policy response". 

I fully support the idea that there are systematic oppressions taking place that prevent people from getting out of poverty. I don't think all are created equal and I don't think that there is an equal playing ground. But what is policy without implementation? What is policy without a problem? What is shaping our "problems"? Who decides what's important and what's not? How do our perceptions and certainties shape our culture and our policies simultaneously?

...You tell me...

For resources in addition to those mentioned in this post, check out:

Culture of Poverty This blog gives you information on what the Culture of Poverty is, where it came from, its implications, and other useful information to better understand the theory.

Hosanna House is an organization that would be considered more of a human agency and focuses on cultural issues by assisting people with job development at individual levels, training people and helping to develop skills, and delivering services to people. Their mission is to: "provide opportunities that will empower families and individuals to discover, acknowledge and develop their maximum potential physically, spiritually and economically."

Pittsburgh United is an organization that would be considered more of a structural agency. It focuses on mostly policy issues, particularly having to do with the environment. They look at legislation and encourage government reform.