Reimagining the American Dream: Education and Equality

An idyllic home, with its sprawling rooms and rich design, paints a picture of comfort and aspiration for many families. It features an attached three-car garage with a striking red door, adorned with see-through glass windows. Inside, this home is equipped with televisions in every room, high-speed Wi-Fi, computers, printers, two loving parents, and three children. Additionally, there is enough food to feed the entire neighborhood. This neighborhood, with houses boasting white picket fences aligning perfectly cut yards with aesthetically pleasing square patterns, is the epitome of what many envision as the American Dream.

Yet, beneath this polished surface lies a stark reality; an America where not all dreams are attainable, especially when it comes to education.

Barriers in Education

While every child dreams, each day they must awaken to a reality where their circumstances vastly differ from one another. All children have the opportunity to gain an education by attending school, but their chances of excelling are not equal. This inequality is rooted in a system that is not designed to support disadvantaged children, who face challenges based on socioeconomic status, gender, and race. To rectify this inequality, there must be a shift in focus towards the well-being of students rather than the profit-driven motives of policymakers.

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to improve the education system through misguided changes: the introduction of vertical penmanship, the elimination of recess, and the removal of correcting grammar errors to make school more enjoyable (Ravitch). These superficial changes serve only to distract from the real issues at hand. The true task lies in fundamentally improving our schools.

Gender Disparities

College students often fail to recognize their own privilege, grumbling about workloads or lack of sleep. Yet, these complaints overlook the fact that many individuals never have the chance to voice such concerns because they are denied the opportunity to advance in their education. Gender bias is a significant contributor to this disparity. According to a report by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, thirty-one million girls of primary school age do not attend school, with seventeen million of them likely never to attend in their lifetimes (Huffington Post). Education, generally viewed as a path to empowerment, is often denied to women and girls.

Societal expectations often confine women to roles such as stay-at-home mothers, babysitters, or nurses, while men are seen as construction workers, plumbers, CEOs, and doctors. This gendered perspective influences how the education system prepares students for their futures. It should not condition women for failure by reinforcing societal stereotypes that dictate lower wages and fewer leadership roles for women.

My own experiences have shown that women often feel they must bear the weight of the world. In high school, I witnessed a classmate struggle to graduate on time after having a baby. The school counselors were unsupportive, unlike the teachers who readily assisted her male partner in catching up with coursework. This unequal treatment is a glaring example of the bias that females face more than males in educational settings.

Racial and Socioeconomic Challenges

The disparities extend beyond gender to racial and socioeconomic factors. The U.S. Department of Education's 2014 Civil Rights Collection found that race and ethnicity significantly impact learning. Schools with predominantly African American, Latino, and Native American students are more likely to have novice teachers compared to predominantly white schools. These demographics dictate the quality of education received, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage.

A friend of mine chose her college major based on a scholarship that required her to work in underperforming areas. Programs like Fast-Track and Teach for America, designed to attract teachers to underserved schools, often fail to provide the quality education that students in affluent areas receive. This systemic shortfall does not allow students to demonstrate their intellectual abilities, instead limiting their potential.

Historical Context and Modern Implications

Historical injustices, such as the Indian Removal Act and forced assimilation policies, continue to influence educational inequality today. Native Americans, once stripped of their culture and language, later found their linguistic skills crucial during World War II as Navajo Code Talkers. This irony highlights the complex relationship between education and cultural identity.

The appointment of Betsy Devos as Secretary of Education in 2017 marked another shift, emphasizing school choice through charter and private schools. While some charter schools excel, they often do so by selecting top-performing students and excluding those who face challenges, thus failing to fulfill their mission of universal education. The New York Performance Standards Consortium, however, demonstrates the potential for positive accountability through diverse and inclusive educational assessments.

Proposed Solutions

To address these issues, we must create comprehensive programs for parents to earn their GEDs and secure job placements, reducing the pressure on children to compromise their education. Schools should become more inviting and supportive environments, acknowledging the unique challenges faced by girls, such as health issues. Additionally, removing gender and racial identifiers from college applications could help eliminate bias in admissions decisions.

Ultimately, the American Dream of equal opportunity can only be realized through a concerted effort to address and dismantle the systemic barriers present in our educational system. By valuing diversity and inclusion, we can create a future where every child has the chance to reach their full potential, irrespective of their background.

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