Op-ed: Exploring the Education Gap
It is nearly impossible to dissect the racism existing in our society today without delving deeper into the American education system itself. Schools serve as stepping stones for children to become active and knowledgeable members within his or her communities. However, how can we expect and hope for each person, regardless of race and background, to reach their full potential under the guidance of teachers and administrators if he or she already faces obstacles long before they’ve stepped foot inside a classroom?
According to the American Psychological Administration, black children in preschool only encompass 19% of enrollment, but they encompass 47% of out-of-school preschool suspensions. These are kids as young as three to five years of age, and they already face an invisible threat: implicit biases within many of their teachers who lead their learning environments. From there, the situation only grows worse. David J. Johns--the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans--compiled research into a presentation directed towards examining implicit racial bias in the education system. He reports that from kindergarten to high school, black students are four times more likely to be suspended and twice as likely to be expelled as white students. The disadvantages of missing even more school due to suspensions or expulsions only set the students further back in their coursework, and they discourage students from reaching out for help from those very teachers who suspended them.
In the 2018-2019 school year, the National Center for Educational Statistics reported that 79% of public elementary and secondary school teachers are white. Though of course not all teachers act on underlying and harmful preconceptions, those who unconsciously do negatively affect their students, whether that may include not referring a black student for a gifted class or changing the way they grade a student’s work based on his or her race. These kinds of small decisions, even if the teacher does not mean any ill will, all add up in the long run.
Within our rising generation, which will inevitably include the next generation of teachers and educational leaders, we have the chance to address these issues directly. Implicit bias works only if the individual remains unaware of how their blanketed prejudices affect their everyday decisions and reactions. Being able to ask ourselves why we think a certain way of someone or how we judge their actions will unveil a completely different layer of how we see and treat those around us.
Another prevalent problem reflecting the underlying racism that still penetrates America today is the imbalance in funding. A recent study completed by the education funding nonprofit EdBuilt revealed that schools with a majority population of students of color received $23 billion less than those with mostly white students. The average student at a poor, majority-colored school receives $2,600 less than their fellow white peer at a wealthier white school. That number rises to $4,400 per student in specific places like Arizona and Oklahoma. These discrepancies did not appear out of thin air; they have been years, decades, centuries in the making. Property taxes directly affect how much money supports a school, and years ago communities around America were specifically designed by white city administrators to undersource and intentionally suppress black communities.
So the question emerges once again: how could we possibly even suggest that black students have the same opportunities as their white counterparts when they are competing in a race that holds so many more obstacles and challenges? This difference in school quality, such as being able to hire more experienced and knowledgeable teachers to how a school’s location affects the students’ sense of safety and well-being, defines the line between a student being accepted or denied entry into college and accessing resources to later be successful in life. That in turns affects the kinds of job opportunities available to them in the job market in their adult life and the kind of life they will be able to lead financially. This cycle, which seems to span decades, if not centuries, will not be able to end without active intervention.