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America Uses
Charter Schools
To Create A Future Caste System
Charter Schools
To Create A Future Caste System
by Naomi Nyatuame
The education system tends to blame teachers and working parents for the low
academic performance of America’s children compared to other developed and even
developing countries. The cold reality is that current curriculums in most public schools are
producing the now globally non-competitive work force because our top job creators and
majority Congress have no interest in providing opportunities for all citizens. This wasn’t the
case during post WWII and the decades following. It was a time when America’s
corporations and government needed their people and invested in them like assets,
providing the best public school education in the world. Ironically, U.S. corporations now
outsource most jobs, and the budget for education is continually decreased. As a result,
more and more selective, exclusive charter schools are being established for the preferred
so-called gifted, most promising students, ultimately creating a future stratified society.
Tax dollars are diverted from the existed education budget to create and improve
performance standards in regular public schools. Rigid demands are placed on these future
“overseers” and their parents, and they are unceremoniously dismissed once they fall below
contractual standards. These publically funded, yet privately managed charters pick the
perceived crème of the crop as early as kindergarten. They are the truly advanced children
who insure the schools with high test scores and high budgets, creating a false perception of
faculty and administrative achievement. How difficult is it, really, to teach only “smart”
children? There is nothing noble about disregarding and dismissing the potential of average
and struggling students.
Children easily feed off positive and negative energy which often justifies the
existence of schools that encourage and cultivate self-motivated, well behaved students.
Desperate parents unable to afford such choice schools for their children understandably
rush at the first opportunity to eject them from low performing, highly undisciplined schools.
While this helps secure the future success of numerous low income, bright students, the
practice also denies success for many, ultimately destroying their hopes and ambitions.
Theirs is more of a guarantee of mediocrity and perhaps outright failure. What’s typically
promoted about charter schools is the notion that they’ll raise the standards of all schools
eventually. In the meantime, millions of average and struggling students are now being left
behind. During the 2nd Annual Education Nation: Teacher Town hall hosted by NBC’s Brian
Williams (2011), teachers around the country gathered to discuss the many daily obstacles
they face. Many believe the problem with students stems from a lack of preparation,
motivation, and encouragement. Moreover, they feel schools should always set high
standards but only when students are given the adequate help to achieve them.
Charter schools ignore the fact that average people with the proper training and
education have always been above average, extraordinary achievers. This country’s and the
world’s success does not, nor has it ever, depended solely on straight ‘A’ students. To
suggest anything different is to promote separatism and oppression and is a tragic lie!
academic performance of America’s children compared to other developed and even
developing countries. The cold reality is that current curriculums in most public schools are
producing the now globally non-competitive work force because our top job creators and
majority Congress have no interest in providing opportunities for all citizens. This wasn’t the
case during post WWII and the decades following. It was a time when America’s
corporations and government needed their people and invested in them like assets,
providing the best public school education in the world. Ironically, U.S. corporations now
outsource most jobs, and the budget for education is continually decreased. As a result,
more and more selective, exclusive charter schools are being established for the preferred
so-called gifted, most promising students, ultimately creating a future stratified society.
Tax dollars are diverted from the existed education budget to create and improve
performance standards in regular public schools. Rigid demands are placed on these future
“overseers” and their parents, and they are unceremoniously dismissed once they fall below
contractual standards. These publically funded, yet privately managed charters pick the
perceived crème of the crop as early as kindergarten. They are the truly advanced children
who insure the schools with high test scores and high budgets, creating a false perception of
faculty and administrative achievement. How difficult is it, really, to teach only “smart”
children? There is nothing noble about disregarding and dismissing the potential of average
and struggling students.
Children easily feed off positive and negative energy which often justifies the
existence of schools that encourage and cultivate self-motivated, well behaved students.
Desperate parents unable to afford such choice schools for their children understandably
rush at the first opportunity to eject them from low performing, highly undisciplined schools.
While this helps secure the future success of numerous low income, bright students, the
practice also denies success for many, ultimately destroying their hopes and ambitions.
Theirs is more of a guarantee of mediocrity and perhaps outright failure. What’s typically
promoted about charter schools is the notion that they’ll raise the standards of all schools
eventually. In the meantime, millions of average and struggling students are now being left
behind. During the 2nd Annual Education Nation: Teacher Town hall hosted by NBC’s Brian
Williams (2011), teachers around the country gathered to discuss the many daily obstacles
they face. Many believe the problem with students stems from a lack of preparation,
motivation, and encouragement. Moreover, they feel schools should always set high
standards but only when students are given the adequate help to achieve them.
Charter schools ignore the fact that average people with the proper training and
education have always been above average, extraordinary achievers. This country’s and the
world’s success does not, nor has it ever, depended solely on straight ‘A’ students. To
suggest anything different is to promote separatism and oppression and is a tragic lie!
| SOUTHERN SCENE MAGAZINE |