What does money really have to do with it?

This is a very controversial question but is long overdue to be addressed and changed. This is an issue that has gone on far too long and although the government has claimed that it has been addressed, it is obvious that it has not been fixed even in the slightest. The way that the government splits up funding between school districts simply does not make sense and is not fair to students. School districts in low-income areas are not receiving near enough funding to give students a fair and appropriate education while school districts in higher income areas are receiving more than enough money when most school districts in high-income areas already have more than what they need to give their students a great education. This brings into question: is it really about the money or is there something else that is being unfairly factored into play? In an article titled "Separate and Unequal: School Funding in 'Post-racial' America", the author states "72 percent of black students, 68 percent of hispanic/latino students, and 65 percent of native american students all come from households where income is over 100 percent lower than the federal poverty line". This quote goes to show that the issue goes deeper than just the money. As sad as it is to say, it has more to do with race than it does funding distribution. Why should students in low-income areas receive less funding towards their education just because of their families financial status? Every student deserves to have the same education. 



Comments

  1. Hanna's blogNovember 2, 2022 at 9:51 PM

    i really enjoyed your post and agree with your blog. i like how you talked about how the government claims they have fixed this issue and have not. schools in low-income school’s struggle to give their students opportunity. while you have higher income schools give their students more opportunity for essentially a better future. issues do go deeper than just money but the fact that the government has every right to give a fair equal funding to all students. they just refuse to do so because those with higher funded schools would be upset at the fact that they don’t get that extra boost. These students suffer because of their parents’ financial situation. As I said in my other comment it reminds me of the saying the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Funding reflects race and people try to ignore that . the government makes up its own system to determine what they call fair.

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    Replies
    1. McKinley HopkinsNovember 4, 2022 at 12:18 PM

      Hi Hanna! Thank you for your comment. I agree that the government really does have all the tools necessary to make sure that all schools, even the ones in low-income areas, have all the funding that they need to in order to make sure students get a fair education. although all the funding needed is there, they are not making it available to the schools that need it which is unfortunate. The quote you mentioned "the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor" really puts a lot of this into perspective.

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  2. Ashley UrbinaNovember 4, 2022 at 2:57 PM

    Hi Mckinley! I enjoyed reading your blog post and I related to your words so much! I liked how you mentioned that if high income schools already have many more resources and necessities than low income schools, why do they keep receiving more and more? And shouldn't the low income schools be receiving this instead? It's sad how apparently everything these days has to be about race, and what people who are not white can and cannot do, receive, or achieve. And yes, as you mentioned every student deserves the same education. At the end of the day the students want to succeed. Students want to have a future and support their future selves. It's not fair how all of that can be taken away from them. As being future educators, we will definitely have a voice. We want change, we want success for our students. And even if we are not able to make a change, we do what we can as teachers to be the biggest support systems for our students.

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  3. Kierana M.November 4, 2022 at 4:29 PM

    Hey Mckinley, Great post! You highlighted some really important things! I agree that every student deserves to have the same education no matter their race or financial status. It is sad to think about the many students who are failed by our education system. It was interesting to find out how different schools and districts are funded, and it saddens me to learn that it is often in an unfair and unequal way. Not only is the funding of schools unequal, students are being neglected and mistreated because of their race and the financial status of their family. Unfortunately, when it comes to our education system, things are not fair. In order to change things, we must work hard to raise awareness and educate others on how to support low income students. After all, all students want to succeed and all students have ambitions and dreams, so we must ensure that our education system is equitable so they have the ability to achieve their goals. As educators, we can start in our classrooms by ensuring that we are supporting our low income students and providing them with the resources that they need to succeed.

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  4. Paige starghillNovember 4, 2022 at 8:26 PM

    Hey, McKinley hope all is well. After reading your post I totally agree that the money is based off racial groups, with it being witnessed out my own eyes. When I was younger I grew up in a less fortunate area where the kids that played sport did not have all the resources provided to be successful but still had a passion for the sport. Whereas in the higher end living the passion the students had was still there but was provided a great field and nice equipment. Money for a school is something that doesn’t come around often. According to the article titled “The Myth of the Culture of Poverty” by Paul Gorski lots of ways to help and encourage students to feel that they are not different but equal are provided. This includes responding to when colleagues stereotype poor students or parents which is a huge part of feelings left out or alone.

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