The Way I See It: Unfair, Unequal and Unjust (Public Education System)

I just finished watching the movie ‘Freedom Writers’ (Paramount, 2007) with Hilary Swank and I cried. This movie is based on the experience of Erin Gruwell and her students in Long Beach, California. I cried because I was happy about their success, I cried because I was sad for all those students who would never have the opportunity to have a teacher like Ms. Gruwell; but most depressing is that I cried because so many of our children will not have a fair or equal education.

President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact” [1]. This is the truth of the public school system within our nation but race is not the only impediment, economics is also a variable affecting a child’s education. In rural and urban communities across this nation, children are being deprived of the opportunity for a better life by receiving the best education this nation can offer. The history of this nation is that those in power, no need to elaborate, denied Blacks from any form of education and poor whites, a limited amount and it continues to this day. However, there is a method in this madness. In denying Blacks/Hispanics a more fair and equal education, it guarantees a lower class and urban communities to which certain groups are relegated. Society will only accept a quotient of middle and upper class Blacks/Hispanics but to allow anything beyond that to equal the rank and file would put those with the power at a disadvantage. As stated in another article, consider the intelligence it takes to run an illegal organization like a well-oiled machine as Rayful Edmond did. “At his peak, he sold 2,000 kilos a week, reaped gross profits of $70 million a month and ran an operation with over 150 soldiers to support him”[2]. There would have been challenges to the status quo if Rayful had been adequately educated and his mental abilities were used for legitimate means. Poor whites also fall into the lower class category but they are also political tools. With poor whites, politicians can play on their ignorance and/or fear of race and religion. If one does not know the truth, one will believe someone who looks like them and this goes for every race and ethnicity. Unfortunately there are citizens within our nation who desires to keep this imbalance, if not, their power is lost. This statement may sound absurd but it is not far-fetched.

The other component to this is the teachers. In this movie, as in all movies, is the antagonist. This antagonist is a “tenured” teacher jealous of the strides Ms. Gruwell’s students had made; she felt these students were un-teachable hoodlums who would not amount to much. Ms. Gruwell saw the potential in her students and she genuinely cared about them. While we have heard or read stories of teachers with the same gifts as Ms. Gruwell, inspiring their students to go beyond the stereotype, there far too are many antagonistic teachers and it is these teachers we need to rid the system of. These individuals are more concerned about their positions of power over the students and tenure than they are about the goal, which is to empower the students with knowledge to change their lives. I am reminded of the movie ‘Stand and Deliver’ (1988) with Edward James Olmos[3]. This movie is about another fine teacher, Jaime Escalante who taught his students calculus, they passed the test but school officials were suspicious because these students were from the barrio, so they were forced to re-take the test and again, they passed. Teaching is an honored profession but it deals with human beings and as such biases, political and personal views and opinions should not endanger what is being taught. If one is a science teacher, that is what is to be taught, it does not matter what one’s personal beliefs are. Teachers are entrusted with our children, therefore their position is a fiduciary one, however, society may have to re-think how to process who is a worthy teacher.

The working poor contributes in paying taxes yet their children are receiving a less than stellar education. Why is that and why are their taxes going elsewhere and not into their neighborhoods and schools? These children come from poor families and neighborhoods but that does not make them incapable of learning and achieving if given the opportunity. It has been proven far too many times. We wonder why it is that nations not on our level have students that outrank our students. It is because of the unfair, unequal and unjust manner that public education is addressed. Monies and personnel are not distributed equally or fairly to schools in urban and rural communities thus our nation will only suffer from it. The educational imbalance only ensures instability within our society as the disadvantaged will use any means necessary to get what they need and want. The educational imbalance ensures the disintegration of our nation. It will not matter how powerful our military is, how advanced we are, if our citizenry is not educated on a level befitting our nation. Our society will crumble in the face of a more worthy adversary. America, where is the compassion, the empathy? Are we to sit by and allow this injustice to continue? Do we not have a voice, do we not, as a collective, have the power? “Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends”[4]. Charity really does start at home.