Final Policy Paper

Introduction

America's public schools are not providing education that students need to thrive. (Porterfield 1999:32)

I. Inadequacy of urban schools

A. Money

B. Race

C. Peer pressure

II. Students needs

A. Censorship

B. Special needs

C. Gifted and talented

III. Distractions

A. School Shootings

B. Other Violence

C. Truancy

"Our advancement as the territory can be no swifter than our advancement in education. The human brain is our basic resource," -JohnF. Kennedy. Education, especially in this day and age, is the necessary tool for survival. Former president Kennedy recognized it, as doe's current president George W. Bush, and all leaders to arrive will identify it as well. Unfortunately, not every student in America's schools gets education that he or she deserves. Different inequalities and other situations among students can hinder educational process, preventing success later in life. America's public schools are not providing education that students need to thrive. (Bonilla 2000:12)

Within schools of urban communities exist numerous problems that are holding students to lower standards. These students leave school unprepared for higher education and without many important job skills that suburban or rural students may acquire. Without this knowledge, many families are condemned to generation after lifetime of underprivileged life. Though some reform policies have been successful, not enough have been enacted or effective. There needs to be the change in urban schools to properly serve children. (Vitz 1986:12)

A major problem with public schools in urban communities is that they are not receiving proper funding. The numbers are there to prove it. One study states, "In 1990, schools with low poverty levels spent an average of $6565 per student, while those with higher poverty levels spent and average of $5173 per student"(Haycock 42). This lack of funding could be caused by the multitude of reasons, such as low test scores, which cause many universities, scholarship organizations, and numerous other sponsors to exhibit reluctance in funding these schools. Another potential reason for this lack of funding could be not enough government money due to low tax base, which keeps schools going in many places. Low test scores could easily be explained by quality of teaching staff, as study further shows, "In low-poverty schools, fewer than 1 in 5 English classes are taught by the teacher who doesn't even have the minor in English while in high poverty schools, approximately 1 in 3 is so taught." (42) Simply because funding is not there, teachers really do not care? Or maybe it's manner that they are hired. All too often, teachers who weren't good enough to get jobs at prep schools and suburban schools end up in run-down ghetto schools, and just don't want to be there. Yet, There is such the problem with raising taxes on an already financially struggling population. Lack of funding is ruining quality of education of urban schools. (Melinda 1991:98)

The assault of personal versus public schools has long been raging. As shown here, sometimes personal schools just are not an option. "US citizenship guarantees all parents an learning for their children. This is the true civil right. Yet some children receive ...