Urban Inequality in Education

Last week in class we focused on Urban Inequality in terms of all forms of social stratification. In this blog post I would like to zone in on educational inequality within the urban environment. Education has been inextricably linked to the amount of money that one will make in their career. The higher your education, the more likely you are to make more money. Although there are cases where this does not hold up, it is, in general, true. Most people will live their lives in the same social class as they grew up in. That is to say that if your parents are in the middle class you will likely be in the middle class. This has to do with the education and social networking that you receive either because of your own merits or with the help of your parents, or both. A very recent news article from Hesston College touches on these issues of educational inequality. The article states that urban schools face many different problems than schools that are in affluent areas. Most of the children at the high school, which is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, believe that they will not go to college and the educational system seems to be somewhat broken. Contrast this with children whose parents can put them into private schools within urban environments. The difference is huge! Take a look at this article from USA Today that spells out the differences in dreams and real opportunities for low income high school students. The opportunities that you are given growing up has a serious impact on your future and your future success (both intellectually and monetarily). The Urban divide in education is stark, it is a gap that is trying to be bridged by organizations like Teach for America. But the fact remains that educational inequality plays a large role in the future success or failure of the students. As college students we are in an elite echelon of society, although it may not seem that way. We have been given the opportunity to push boundaries and promote education experiences.