“Mothers’ education may influence children’s performance. Educated mothers use more complex language and vocabulary in speaking to and around children, may read to their children more and encourage children to read themselves, may use more supportive disciplinary approaches, and may feel more comfortable participating and collaborating with their children’s teachers”

Reflection:
Reading this part in the text made me realize how important family relationships are to an education of a child. Even though parents are not the students who spend their days in a classroom, the way situations go about at home influence the child to speak, act, and think a certain way. Based on the data provided in the charts and tables of graduation rates of mother’s whose children took statewide tests, I noticed how black women took part in a graduation rate of almost half of that of white women in 1973. As years progressed, both races averaged at about an 88% graduation rate. The article revolved around how segregation of students created different achievement gaps and education opportunities. The poverty rates of families, the education that the parents of a child received, and family size can all affect a child’s learning capabilities. I believe parents with fewer children may spend more time with them and give them more attention. When I have children of my own, I want them to be able to take my life as an example in order to create an even better one for themselves.

The four communities included two rural, very conservative black belt communities Clarendon County, SC and Prince Edward County, VA and two urban districts Topeka, KS and Wilmington, DE. The widely different situations confronting those communities now begin to suggest the wide array of possible outcomes of that historic decision. 

Reflection:

From this, I came to understand the issue of segregation in multiple schools that led to the Brown vs. Board of Education case. Segregation occurred in many schools throughout America, primarily in the South. If attention to those schools in Kansas, Delaware, South Carolina, and Virginia was not given, segregation and mistreatment of race would not have been thought of as  important civil rights issues. Knowing that many of these southern schools believed that closing down institutions would be a better decision than integrating makes me grateful for the communities and school districts we have in society today. Differences in color of skin and ethnicities should never come in between children’s education. The cases of children being mistreated in predominately white schools occurred not too long ago and were brought to attention from the 1950’s to 1990’s. Children’s equal education was the most important goal for parents and activists during this time. Even if schools are integrated today, there is still mistreatment and unfair opportunity for children of minorities compared to white children. Children of city schools feel that same sense of unimportance to their education when their education does not receive as much funding or help as schools in other areas receive. Education should be viewed as equal regardless of the time period and area where it is given.

Reflection:
Reading this part of the article about the inequality due to race leading to the inequality due to socioeconomic class and income helped me understand the similarities minority students in schools are facing like they did during the Civil Rights Movement era.  Rather than worrying about the color of your skin, the money that your family brings to your education is the new topic of discussion that worries many. I grew up in an affluent, predominantly white community where families were small and the elementary schools had plenty of money for extracurricular activities, sports, and academic clubs. Even though the area I grew up in was doing well economically, my family struggled to balance all the education expenses necessary for us children. My father made sure that education was the first priority for his four children, and my brothers would not have taken education as seriously if it was not for my father’s drive.  Children today will choose to go to colleges and universities they know they can afford and succeed in. Many children lean towards getting the most realistic education they can for the amount of money they are willing to pay. In areas in which parents do not mind paying thousands for their children's education, enrollment rates of private, expensive schools rise. Reading this article and how students struggle for equal education economically makes me understand how minority children must have felt debating on if education was a necessity due to their ethnicity and race.

Reflection:
This quote describes the life of working class schools and the way the education system plays a role in a child’s life who attends a working class school. These schools do not prepare students to question authority, or think outside the box as affluent and middle class schools may promote. Instead, these children will most likely learn to follow the system that their parents follow and work in. This proves that a family’s socioeconomic status really does take a part in the education that a child receives.  In the examples of working class schools that were given, teachers gave direction without explaining why subjects came about. This led to students doing as they’re told without questioning the teacher. This is what the Common Core State Standards tried to steer away from. The students are not able to learn many skills. The little explanation that is given to them probably does not give them a good idea of what the real world is like. Schools like these offer the basic requirement and prepare children for jobs involving physical labor and service careers. This uniform way of learning does not aid the children in decision or choice making. Many of these types of schools are found in communities with lower income families and less education funding. 

Striking a diplomatic tone, The Knowledge Deficit asserts that the problem with U.S. education is not inadequate teachers; rather, it is a set of misguided ideas in which teachers have been taught to believe

Reflection:
I found the criticized ideas of naturalism,  formalism, demographic determinism, and localism are all ideas that teachers are used to teaching naturally. Teaching in my opinion is one of the hardest jobs in the world. We as educators want students to comprehend material just as well as we do, and we want the students to comprehend it in a timely manner without too many questions or confusion. I think teachers tend to teach with these ideals that may be a necessity because without them, the teacher would not have the motivation to teach curriculum with motivation and enthusiasm. However, Hirsch points out that reality checks are also essential in teaching. To me, it’s all about balancing these ideas as an educator. Many teachers in society are extremely prepared to instruct a classroom, but there might be an issue of what is thought of as most important to teach the students.