PhilosphyBeforeParty
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- Jul 17, 2015
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this is a full blown, correctly structured essay, woks cited and all.
The cyclical nature Poverty and Education makes these issues very difficult to solve. Growing up in poverty contributes to a poor educational outcome, and, likewise, low educational achievement makes a person much more likely to live in poverty, creating a cycle which is very difficult to break, and to which the only solution is to address both problems simultaneously.
Living in poverty makes it much more difficult for a person to get a good education. This is because impoverished communities often contain many factors that negatively influence children, and that the schools systems in these communities are not as good as those in wealthier areas .It is clear that āDisadvantaged communities influence child and adolescent development through lack of resources (playgrounds and parks, after-school programs) or negative peer influenceā (Rumberger, 1). Because of the destructive influence these factors have on children, who are more impressionable than adults because they are still learning from the world around them, many students living in impoverished areas donāt value education and drop out of school. When a person lives in a community where they are surrounded by crime, poverty, and dropouts and education is not highly valued, it is easy for them to get caught up in the detrimental culture of poverty and drop out of school. A second way in which poverty is detrimental to a childās educational outcome is that in high poverty areas, many schools do not challenge or engage students. This is often because āAdvanced courses are rarely offered in [poorer] schools due to a lack of perceived eligible students, and most instructional time is spent on remediation and preparation for standardized tests. Creativity is not highly valued; instead, obedience and repetition are applaudedā¦ the expectation of attending college is not as important as the message to āstay out of troubleā and āfinish high schoolāā (Capra, 1) in a poor school system such as this, a student can easily lose interest in school. When children are disinterested in school, they are more inclined to drop out rather than finish high school and pursue a higher education in college. There is also little or no expectation for children living in poorer communities to finish high school and go on to college because most people they know did not attend college. This lack of expectations, combined with the fact that they see little to no value in education and are bored and unchallenged in school, makes it very unlikely that they will pursue a higher education.
Just as living in poverty decreases the likelihood of a child receiving a good education, having a poor education makes it much more likely for a person to live in poverty. According to data collected by the College Board, āEducation does pay. It has a high rate of return for students from all racial/ethnic groups, for men and for women, for those from all family backgrounds.ā (6). When a person has a higher education, such as a bachelors, masters, or doctrate, they are much more employable, and will be able to find jobs more easily, and have better paying jobs. The median income for a person with a bachelorās degree is more than twice that of a person who has dropped out of high school, while the median income of a person with a doctorate degree is more than three and a half times that of a high school dropout. Another way in which a higher education helps a person stay out of poverty is the personal traits and work ethics that a person develops when attending college, which help people find and keep jobs. As the college board states, āIndividual characteristics that influence the probability of enrolling in and graduating from postsecondary institutions may have a direct and systematic effect on other outcomes.ā (6) These personal traits, such as a good work ethic, time management skills, and social skills, are all characteristics that help people get jobs and promotions. The process of getting a higher education, such as a college degree, helps students to develop those traits because they must practice them every day in order to succeed. Because of this, even people who attended college, but never graduated, make more money and are less likely to live in poverty than people with only a high school degree.
Education and poverty are very closely linked, and both issues must be addressed simultaneously in order to solve them. As an expert on this topic, Theresa Capra, states āEradicating poverty and improving education are inextricably linkedā (1). Because these two social issues are so closely linked, any possible solution must address both problems at once, attempting to educate children living in poverty by challenging and engaging them in school and providing them with experienced, qualified teachers also the value of education, while also lifting their families out of poverty and protecting them from the negative influences of crime, drugs, and hunger. There have been attempts at relief programs to help families living in poverty and also, separately, attempts to improve college attendance rates, but there have very rarely been programs designed to assist low-income families while simultaneously teaching their children the value of education in order to convince them to go on to college. An example of one such program is the Harlem childrenās zone. Theresa Capra makes it clear that āPrograms that directly address poverty and its impact on education do workā¦the goal of [The Harlem Childrenās Zone] is simple: fully support families devastated by poverty and create a culture that values education and positive behaviorā¦Students are guided through the college application process and because the expectation to attend college has been present since infancy, it becomes a natural processā¦the budget for the programā¦averages $3,500 per student-quite a bargain compared to the more than $15,000 New York state spends per pupilā (1). Programs such as this are incredibly successful, and less expensive than the programs currently in place. When they support the childās family financially, it helps the child focus more on school rather than worrying about getting food or paying rent, while also keeping them from being exposed to many of the detrimental effects of poverty. At the same time, the program attempts to keep children interested in school with challenging curriculum, qualified teachers, and after school programs such as clubs and sports. It also cultivates and an environment where education is highly valued and the expectation is that they will go on to get a college degree. Because this program helps the family to escape poverty while also giving their children a better education, it has been immensely successful in reducing poverty and dropout rates in the areas where it has been implemented. To reduce poverty and improve education nationwide, both issues must me addressed at the same time.
Some may argue that a solution to one problem would be enough to break the cycle and stop the other. Those who argue this point say that eliminating poverty would be enough to greatly lessen the number of children receiving a poor education, or that educating children living in poverty would be enough to break the cycle of poverty. For example, because āstudents graduating from disadvantaged public schools are not prepared for collegeā (Capra, 2), people in support of this claim may say that the only thing standing in the way of education is poverty, and supporting families financially is enough to give the child an education, but just eliminating poverty is not enough because there will still be some children who are not interested in school, or do not think it is important, and will drop out. Also, uneducated children would be likely to live in poverty as adults, so the supposed solution would not even solve the issue of poverty. Also, educating children is not a sufficient solution for the issue of poverty. Even if a child living in poverty is educated, they have still been exposed to the negative influences of poverty, and may have been affected by them, making them more violent and prone to crime and substance abuse than others who were educated the same way but did not grow up in poverty. They may also still choose to live in the same area that they grew up in, exposing their children to poverty and continuing the cycle.
In order to solve the issues of poverty and poor education, both issues must be addressed at once, engaging children in school while also supporting their families financially, as in the Harlem childrenās zone. As it is cheaper than the education programs currently in place, all that is needed is for people to realize that something like this is the only solution to the education and poverty crises. If, come election time, people vote for candidates who support this kind of approach and strive to implement it, then congress might take steps to implement such a solution nationwide. Even between elections, people can write to their stateās congressman asking them to vote on a bill supporting this kind of solution. If people do this, it would help to greatly reduce, if not solve the poverty and education crises.
Works Cited
Capra, Theresa. āPoverty and Its Imact on Education: Today and Tomorrow.ā NEA Higher Education Journal (2009): 75-81. Nea.org. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/TA09PovertyCapra.pdf>.
collegeboard.com. collegeboard, 2005. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost04/EducationPays2004.pdf>.
Crotty, James Marshall. ā7 Signs That Education Decline Is Jeopardizing National Security.ā forbes.com. forbes, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesma...cline-is-jeopardizing-its-national-security/>.
Hargreaves, Steve. āAmericans Lacking in Basic Skills.ā cnn.com. cnn, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/24/news/economy/american-skills/>.
Jones, LeAlan, and Lloyd Newman. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago. New York: Scribner, 1997. Print.
Rumberger, Russel W. āPoverty and High School Dropouts.ā apa.org. apa, May 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/indicator/2013/05/poverty-dropouts.aspx>.
The cyclical nature Poverty and Education makes these issues very difficult to solve. Growing up in poverty contributes to a poor educational outcome, and, likewise, low educational achievement makes a person much more likely to live in poverty, creating a cycle which is very difficult to break, and to which the only solution is to address both problems simultaneously.
Living in poverty makes it much more difficult for a person to get a good education. This is because impoverished communities often contain many factors that negatively influence children, and that the schools systems in these communities are not as good as those in wealthier areas .It is clear that āDisadvantaged communities influence child and adolescent development through lack of resources (playgrounds and parks, after-school programs) or negative peer influenceā (Rumberger, 1). Because of the destructive influence these factors have on children, who are more impressionable than adults because they are still learning from the world around them, many students living in impoverished areas donāt value education and drop out of school. When a person lives in a community where they are surrounded by crime, poverty, and dropouts and education is not highly valued, it is easy for them to get caught up in the detrimental culture of poverty and drop out of school. A second way in which poverty is detrimental to a childās educational outcome is that in high poverty areas, many schools do not challenge or engage students. This is often because āAdvanced courses are rarely offered in [poorer] schools due to a lack of perceived eligible students, and most instructional time is spent on remediation and preparation for standardized tests. Creativity is not highly valued; instead, obedience and repetition are applaudedā¦ the expectation of attending college is not as important as the message to āstay out of troubleā and āfinish high schoolāā (Capra, 1) in a poor school system such as this, a student can easily lose interest in school. When children are disinterested in school, they are more inclined to drop out rather than finish high school and pursue a higher education in college. There is also little or no expectation for children living in poorer communities to finish high school and go on to college because most people they know did not attend college. This lack of expectations, combined with the fact that they see little to no value in education and are bored and unchallenged in school, makes it very unlikely that they will pursue a higher education.
Just as living in poverty decreases the likelihood of a child receiving a good education, having a poor education makes it much more likely for a person to live in poverty. According to data collected by the College Board, āEducation does pay. It has a high rate of return for students from all racial/ethnic groups, for men and for women, for those from all family backgrounds.ā (6). When a person has a higher education, such as a bachelors, masters, or doctrate, they are much more employable, and will be able to find jobs more easily, and have better paying jobs. The median income for a person with a bachelorās degree is more than twice that of a person who has dropped out of high school, while the median income of a person with a doctorate degree is more than three and a half times that of a high school dropout. Another way in which a higher education helps a person stay out of poverty is the personal traits and work ethics that a person develops when attending college, which help people find and keep jobs. As the college board states, āIndividual characteristics that influence the probability of enrolling in and graduating from postsecondary institutions may have a direct and systematic effect on other outcomes.ā (6) These personal traits, such as a good work ethic, time management skills, and social skills, are all characteristics that help people get jobs and promotions. The process of getting a higher education, such as a college degree, helps students to develop those traits because they must practice them every day in order to succeed. Because of this, even people who attended college, but never graduated, make more money and are less likely to live in poverty than people with only a high school degree.
Education and poverty are very closely linked, and both issues must be addressed simultaneously in order to solve them. As an expert on this topic, Theresa Capra, states āEradicating poverty and improving education are inextricably linkedā (1). Because these two social issues are so closely linked, any possible solution must address both problems at once, attempting to educate children living in poverty by challenging and engaging them in school and providing them with experienced, qualified teachers also the value of education, while also lifting their families out of poverty and protecting them from the negative influences of crime, drugs, and hunger. There have been attempts at relief programs to help families living in poverty and also, separately, attempts to improve college attendance rates, but there have very rarely been programs designed to assist low-income families while simultaneously teaching their children the value of education in order to convince them to go on to college. An example of one such program is the Harlem childrenās zone. Theresa Capra makes it clear that āPrograms that directly address poverty and its impact on education do workā¦the goal of [The Harlem Childrenās Zone] is simple: fully support families devastated by poverty and create a culture that values education and positive behaviorā¦Students are guided through the college application process and because the expectation to attend college has been present since infancy, it becomes a natural processā¦the budget for the programā¦averages $3,500 per student-quite a bargain compared to the more than $15,000 New York state spends per pupilā (1). Programs such as this are incredibly successful, and less expensive than the programs currently in place. When they support the childās family financially, it helps the child focus more on school rather than worrying about getting food or paying rent, while also keeping them from being exposed to many of the detrimental effects of poverty. At the same time, the program attempts to keep children interested in school with challenging curriculum, qualified teachers, and after school programs such as clubs and sports. It also cultivates and an environment where education is highly valued and the expectation is that they will go on to get a college degree. Because this program helps the family to escape poverty while also giving their children a better education, it has been immensely successful in reducing poverty and dropout rates in the areas where it has been implemented. To reduce poverty and improve education nationwide, both issues must me addressed at the same time.
Some may argue that a solution to one problem would be enough to break the cycle and stop the other. Those who argue this point say that eliminating poverty would be enough to greatly lessen the number of children receiving a poor education, or that educating children living in poverty would be enough to break the cycle of poverty. For example, because āstudents graduating from disadvantaged public schools are not prepared for collegeā (Capra, 2), people in support of this claim may say that the only thing standing in the way of education is poverty, and supporting families financially is enough to give the child an education, but just eliminating poverty is not enough because there will still be some children who are not interested in school, or do not think it is important, and will drop out. Also, uneducated children would be likely to live in poverty as adults, so the supposed solution would not even solve the issue of poverty. Also, educating children is not a sufficient solution for the issue of poverty. Even if a child living in poverty is educated, they have still been exposed to the negative influences of poverty, and may have been affected by them, making them more violent and prone to crime and substance abuse than others who were educated the same way but did not grow up in poverty. They may also still choose to live in the same area that they grew up in, exposing their children to poverty and continuing the cycle.
In order to solve the issues of poverty and poor education, both issues must be addressed at once, engaging children in school while also supporting their families financially, as in the Harlem childrenās zone. As it is cheaper than the education programs currently in place, all that is needed is for people to realize that something like this is the only solution to the education and poverty crises. If, come election time, people vote for candidates who support this kind of approach and strive to implement it, then congress might take steps to implement such a solution nationwide. Even between elections, people can write to their stateās congressman asking them to vote on a bill supporting this kind of solution. If people do this, it would help to greatly reduce, if not solve the poverty and education crises.
Works Cited
Capra, Theresa. āPoverty and Its Imact on Education: Today and Tomorrow.ā NEA Higher Education Journal (2009): 75-81. Nea.org. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/TA09PovertyCapra.pdf>.
collegeboard.com. collegeboard, 2005. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost04/EducationPays2004.pdf>.
Crotty, James Marshall. ā7 Signs That Education Decline Is Jeopardizing National Security.ā forbes.com. forbes, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesma...cline-is-jeopardizing-its-national-security/>.
Hargreaves, Steve. āAmericans Lacking in Basic Skills.ā cnn.com. cnn, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/24/news/economy/american-skills/>.
Jones, LeAlan, and Lloyd Newman. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago. New York: Scribner, 1997. Print.
Rumberger, Russel W. āPoverty and High School Dropouts.ā apa.org. apa, May 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/indicator/2013/05/poverty-dropouts.aspx>.
