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William Bailey Price was born in Chattanooga Tennessee and grew up in an extremely segregated community. He vividly remembers adults in his community being afraid of desegregation and doing everything in their power to try and delay it. He remembers hearing about schools start to desegregate while he was in middle school but never actually experienced it until he reached university. On top of this, he remembers the men in his university being pulled out of their education and forced to train for the military due to the draft that was brought about with the war in Vietnam. He remembers having to change his entire educational approach due to being pulled into education and trying to ensure his own safety by trying to get a high rank in the military just in case he was drafted and actually ended up being sent to war. Eventually he managed to get away from the draft as well as the mandatory military training and obtain a masters degree before pursuing a career in business.

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Rifle Range Rd, Robertsham, Johannesburg South, Johannesburg, 2175, South Africa

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Rifle Range Rd, Robertsham, Johannesburg South, Johannesburg, 2175, South Africa

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Rifle Range Rd, Robertsham, Johannesburg South, Johannesburg, 2175, South Africa

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Paul Lotter was born in Walkerville, South Africa, but had no public schools nearby and had to drive to school 30 miles every day to go to school in Johannesburg. His schooling took place during Apartheid and was segregated into an all-white, all English speaking school. He was further separated into groups determined by testing. Because of money issues at home and a lack of parental support, Paul was placed in the lowest testing group. He was sorted into woodworking classes and was denied from taking Chemistry. He never finished high school and turned his attention to technical school to become an electrician, but that was interupted by the South African government. Paul never received a full degree and only gained his love of running from his education.

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Mia Cano / Spring 2024

A Broken System: How Educational Environments Fail Their Students

Children who frequently relocate often face challenges transitioning between schools, leading to difficulties keeping up with the curriculum and hindering their overall success in the classroom. However, my mother, Olivia Gomez, didn't attribute her struggles in academia to changing curricula; instead, she would have to fight with the social factors that influenced her educational journey. Raised by her grandmother, she began her education at Elliott Elementary in Houston, Texas. However, at the age of twelve, she moved to Connecticut, attending fifth and sixth grades in a different state. Subsequently, she experienced yet another move, returning to Houston to live with her grandmother where she completed seventh and eighth grades. Her high school experience was no different. After four months at Jeff Davis High School, she had to switch schools again due to issues with bullying and fighting. Finally, she finished her high school education at Furr High School, where she graduated early after taking summer classes. My mother lacked a strong support system both at home and in school, leading her to describe her educational journey as lonely and independent, shaping her perspective on education and her upbringing. The social dynamics and environmental influences in her community significantly impacted her educational path, driving her to use these challenges as motivation to create a better future for her children.

My mother’s experiences in the classroom were similar to those of Bell Hooks on her educational journey. Hooks discusses in her book Teaching To Transgress how teachers often did not care to cultivate a community that would foster the needs of their students, but rather they would create a hostile environment that pushed students away from learning (Hooks 5). In order for students to fully begin learning they need a classroom that welcomes their presence. My mother was cheated out of her experience to engage in a classroom and instead was passed by default. Had she gone through her educational journey under teachers that were willing to acknowledge their students rather than just passing them, her experience with education may have turned out very differently. What my mother wanted from education was a child centered pedagogical approach. In her experience curriculum was never the problem, rather it was the structure of the classroom. John Dewey states that “...what we most need in education (is) to make the classroom into a very different kind of place” rather than new common curricula (Dewey 6). He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the individual child's needs rather than pleasing the class as a whole. Looking back my mother wishes her education was tailored to her in the sense that her instructors were safe spaces she could rely on away from home.

Compared to my mom, my educational journey was extremely different because she emphasized the importance of higher education all the way from elementary school. From an early age I understood the importance of doing well in school, because I understood that without good grades my family would not be able to pay for a good education. I believe the main difference between me and my mother’s experience in school is the support system that she gave me because she never had one going through her own journey. I never had to be placed in disciplinary programs, I never had to attend summer school, and I never felt the need to rush my education. I grew up in a different environment than my mom because I was surrounded by love and success. The school I attended was a charter school and though they implemented an authoritative pedagogy, I was able to find support in the classroom from my teachers. My teachers created a community and I could tell they truly cared about my education. Many of my classes focused on engaged pedagogy, through this I was able to learn material rather than recite and repeat. My mom also worked her best to provide stability for my family. Despite a couple moves during my years in elementary school, she worked hard to buy a house within a neighborhood that had a middle and highschool that would properly support me to reach higher education.

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In my essay, I discuss the perseverance of Irma Escalante, a faculty member at Trinity University, during her schooling. Mrs. Escalante’s schooling environment saved her with teachers who showed their support and encouragement. Factors outside of education were pivotal in affecting Mrs. Escalante’s schooling, which continued to affect her all her life. While the educational environment was vastly different for Mrs. Escalante and me, the evolution of schooling can be seen through these shifts.

Valery Amaya/ Spring 2024

Perseverance Through Schooling

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Botello/Spring 2024

From Migrant Worker to Migrant Counselor

My maternal grandfather, Roberto V. Garcia, was born in 1951 in Edinburg, Texas. Edinburg is located in the Rio Grande Valley which is the southernmost region of Texas and is also the place which I call home. My grandfather spent many months of his early years away from home working as a migrant farm worker in the panhandle of Texas. During these times, he and his siblings would perform manual agricultural labor, providing the bulk of his family's financial support.  He was the eighteenth child of my great-grandmother, who raised a total of twenty-one children from one marriage over about three decades. Among his siblings, he was the sole child to obtain a high school degree along with multiple college degrees. After attaining his bachelor’s degree, he spent fourteen years teaching at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He held various administrative and counseling roles in the next thirty-six years of his career. Since the late 1990s until the present day, he has served as the migrant counselor at Edinburg High School. He has been recognized at the local, state, and national level in the field of migrant education for his years of relentless dedication to this often overlooked and underserved population.

It is clear that many of the forces discussed in this class have massively impacted my grandfather’s life, which in turn has affected mine. I firmly believe that my grandfather’s competitive nature led him to succeed in a system designed to keep him oppressed. There were a variety of factors working against his success which included but were not limited to language discrimination and targeted tracking. It is clear from our extensive conversation that there was a two-tier education system in place in the Rio Grande Valley during his education. This system aimed to track Hispanics towards lower skilled and lower paid vocational work while the higher echelons of education were reserved for the White members of the community along with those few who could overcome the barrier.

My grandfather proved himself to be one of the few. His relentless pursuit of education in the face of overwhelming adversity paved the way for him to lift himself and his family out of a life of abject poverty. It is through his hard work that both of his daughters were born into an environment where they were expected to obtain the highest level of education rather than toil away in distant farmlands. I am where I am today in no small part due to his hard work and perseverance. My grandfather was able to realize his American Dream through education and through education, he has helped hundreds if not thousands of migrant students over the past three decades as a migrant counselor in pursuing theirs.

“ “Si Se Puede” Because I am living proof of that.”

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Cinthia/Spring 2024

Podcast: The Evolution of Education/Episode: Schooling in a Small Town

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Podcast; The Evolution of Education      Episode; Schooling in a Small Town

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Wakil/Spring 2024

"Schooling in Poverty"

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Karishma / Spring 2024

The Evolutionary Journey of Education Through Linda’s Eyes

When compared to my own educational path, my interview with Linda Rimas shed light on how education can change society over time. From the 1950s, when opportunities were limited and gender norms were rigid, to the present, when diversity is valued and learning differences are welcomed, education has the power to effect change. Linda's experiences during a time when there were significant gender disparities in educational opportunities and career paths, along with a shift toward inclusivity , highlight how the educational landscape is changing. Her narrative, reflecting on societal standards, personal interactions that widened her viewpoint, and the integration of comprehensive pedagogies, connects with Bell Hooks' beliefs on engaged pedagogy, highlighting education as a vehicle for social change and personal growth. In comparison to Linda's academic success, my struggles with ADHD and dyslexia highlight how perspectives about education have changed over time, emphasizing the importance of extracurricular activities like karate and the recognition of varied learning experiences. Collectively, these stories represent the development of an educational system that values individuality, encourages empathy, and works to create a society that is more inclusive. This is consistent with continuous efforts to eliminate systemic injustices and create a safe learning environment for all students.

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Kate (Katharine) Kuper/ Spring 24

My grandfather, John Coventry, grew up in Chattanooga Tennessee attending Chattanooga High School, known for its student's success rates after High School. He had many stories of his experiences growing up in a city that was not super quick to begin the process of racial integration in its public schools. He discussed his experiences with segregation, his school environment, and the relationship schools used to have with religion, specifically Christianity. He also discussed his passion and love for school, making all A's and B's throughout his entire Junior High and High School career. My grandfather is a strong believer in the importance of equal public schooling for all students. He believes schooling is what will give everyone equal opportunities and proper preparation for the world after school.

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My father's educational experience is deeply entwined with more general societal concepts of systemic structures, cultural dynamics, and social efficiency. My father navigated a school system that, although not explicitly discriminatory, reflected cultural conventions and biases of the time, having grown up in a primarily white, racially biased environment. Because he was Jewish, he continued to experience anti-Semitic incidents at schools where discrimination against minorities was not overt. This demonstrates how relationships and experiences might be impacted by cultural attitudes and prejudices that seep into educational settings. Furthermore, the social background and dominant cultural dynamics of my father may be used to contextualize his privilege or disadvantage within the educational system. Being a white person in a largely white setting may have allowed him to take advantage of opportunities and privileges that were not available to other groups. However, he experienced difficulties and prejudice specific to his cultural identity since he is of Jewish descent. Thus, my father's educational experience was definitely influenced by his cultural background and the larger socioeconomic environment of the period, even if he did not encounter the systematic obstacles encountered by underprivileged people.

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Clarence Archer told me his story of schooling as a young Black boy living just outside of Chicago. He went to a segregated school, and an integrated boarding school, but also was 1 of 4 to integrate a public high school in 1965. He gave me a new perspective on how schooling has changed and furthermore shared how education played a role in his life as a foster kid who never had a stable community.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q5AqTBny5Tw2xY_iQDeYnh777bW2-z4sr8y9x4W_gCA/edit?usp=sharing

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Grandma Diane and Being a Little Girl in School

Going into the interview, I expected her to talk about growing up in a predominantly Mexican town like El Paso or her experience of being pregnant and married at 15 years old. Instead, she was very passionate about how teachers treated her differently because she was a woman. Most of her answers focused on how she was not challenged in school. As a student, she loved reading and science. She sounded so jealous of all the resources that exist in schools now, especially for pregnant teenagers, and she often mused how she wished her parents had pushed her to do well in school, rather than just pass. My Grandma is so intelligent and I was shocked to learn that she got C’s and B’s in school. Her answers revolved around gender, religion, and social life in school.

She described her school environment as lecture-based with a lot of sitting and listening. Classes consisted of spelling bees, memorization, reading aloud, and testing (mostly end-of-unit tests and not standardized tests). She always describes that corporal punishment was normal and students would be sent to the principal to be flogged. Grandma Diane was very smug when she shared that she was never flogged in school. She shared that her parents did not encourage her to do super well in school and they just wanted her to pass. She never felt an incentive to do well in school by her teachers; she was bored. My grandma shared that she wished that her parents were more involved in her education and that she got more individual feedback; she would have benefited from differentiated instruction.

El Paso is 80 % Hispanic. When she was in elementary school, my grandma was very specific about just being friends with the other white kids, but she never insinuated that she felt left out or too different. She even shared her teachers would call her Diana instead of Diane and that she liked the change. I had preconceived notions that she would have more to say about this part of her education especially because the 1970’s were when a lot of Latino students were involved in their education and fighting for equality. It is important to note that she dropped out at 15, so this could likely have become part of her education if she had been able to stay in school. My grandma maintains that she did not mind, or notice, growing up around Mexican people and it only made her specific about tamales and corn tortillas. She did share that she never really had a lot of friends and that she struggled to connect with people, especially in lecture-focused classrooms. My grandma not making good connections in school has more to do with neurodivergence than being a racial minority in school. While she is not formally diagnosed with Autism, she believes that he struggles with socializing because of that. So, moving schools a lot, being a racial minority, struggling with social connection, and a lack of peer interaction in the classroom caused my grandma not to make many friends while in school. I wonder if she would have had teacher and parent intervention maybe she would have gotten help to help her establish community.

When asked if she felt safe/affirmed in school she said yes, but then went on to say that she experienced some normalized sexual harassment in school. Until her 8th grade year, girls had to wear dresses or dresses with tights if it was cold (in El Paso it’s never cold). My grandma shared that she got kicked out of a classroom because her dress was too short and her teacher told her that if she got raped on the way home it would be her fault. Which is an awful thing to tell a child and dresses are less convenient for young girls to wear in school. My grandma was sexualized and victim-blame by her teacher in an environment that was supposed to be focused on learning. The only time my grandma got sent to the principal's office was because she hit a boy after he called my grandma “tits” in the hallways. She slapped him once and her peers in the hallway cheered her own to keep hitting him. My grandma said the boy did not get in trouble for harassing her. Sexism still exists within schools, but usually, the person saying the sexist comments gets in trouble, not the victim.

Grandma Diane got pregnant and married during her 9th-grade year. My Papa pursued her when she was 13 and he was 19 and they met because she is my Papa’s younger sister's best friend. My grandma was completely taken advantage of and forced to become a wife and mother so young. When she was pregnant, she never met with any counselors or therapists to guide her through the experience. Schools now have more resources to get young girls out of situations like my grandma had. She was told to drop out of high school by her school principal after she asked if she could go to school part-time. She was very upset that she was not offered any support by the schools. For example, she brought up schools that have daycare attached or online GED programs. She wanted to stay in school. My grandma got her GED four years later because she did not want her little sister to graduate high school before she did.

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My grandmother taught at Fultondale Elementary School starting in 1968 and through the 80s. Fultondale was an impoverished area. For many kids, the elementary school was a happy safe place, because it was where they could be warm and have food to eat. The school was primarily white students, although there were some black students as well. My grandmother noted that no one treated the black kids any different, but instead described how all of the little kids played together. Although, she did comment that there was more bullying in 5th and 6th grade, which was why she didn't enjoy teaching those as much. Overall, teaching was a memorable experience for her where she could positively impact the lives of many impoverished kids lacking a substantial support network.

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Nordonia High School, South Bedford Road, Macedonia, OH

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Patricia McClendon (85) Nordonia High School, Ohio. 

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Patricia McClendon (85) Nordonia High School, Ohio. 

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Throughout my essay, I discuss the changes in educational goals from the 1950s to now. My great-grandmother attended school in a predominantly White Protestant and rural area between Cleveland and Akron Ohio. She entered her school experience directly after WW2 which shaped her educational experiences.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ACSIu9RnhLdW5TatFHtTSTKXchpj9yzXzDyI8R_Gl0/edit?usp=sharing

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Across twelve years of primary and secondary education, my grandmother attended nine different schools.  Ranging from a private school in Florida to public school in Rhode Island, the longest period of time she spent in one school was three years.  Since her father (my great-grandfather) worked in the army, my grandmother and her family moved to wherever his job took him.  Since her family never stayed in one place for an extended period of time, Yiayia (Greek for grandmother) experienced a wide variety of schools.

Editorial Note: I placed her pin in her place of birth rather than the 9 different cities she attended school.

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A small town full of farmers and ranchers all trying to make it in the bit world of education. Many failed and worked with the family and many went on to pursue a long future in education. Also, many ups and downs to this small town.