Title 1 vs. Everyone Else
November 13, 2007 by Jenorr
Recently, I spent a day with a first-year teacher in a school very different from mine. Arriving before the students, I did not notice anything surprising. However, as soon as the students began trickling in I could see that this was not the population with which I am familiar. These students were almost all white, many wearing designer clothing and carrying expensive backpacks. As their teacher greeted them I heard names like Nick, Abigail, Dylan, Kyle, Sam, and Taylor. My students are more likely to be Abesari, Farina, Han Guyl, Jose, Binglin, or Vu.
Clued in now, I started really paying attention. It became clear that these students have plenty of books at home as well as access to a computer and the internet. Not so true for the majority of my students. Many, at this school, are involved in organized sports or other types of clubs. Again, not my students. These kids have traveled to DisneyWorld, Europe, and the Grand Canyon. My students have visited their home countries, if they are lucky. These two groups of students are living in different worlds just a few miles apart.
I often have sympathy for my students that they haven’t had the same sorts of opportunities as many children in our area. They often haven’t been to the Smithsonian museums, seen shows at the Kennedy Center, or visited the White House. I want those experiences for them.
On the other hand, my visit to this school helped me see how much my students do have. This class has twenty-seven students in it. I have nineteen. The teacher has an instructional assistant’s help during her math time. I co-teach reading with another teacher. In some years I’ve also co-taught math and writing. My students benefit from multiple teachers’ support and care. Our school provides books for our classroom libraries. This teacher has spent her own money to begin to create a library for her classroom. I have four computers in my classroom, this room had one.
My students often speak at least one language other than English. While their parents frequently work more than one job they spend a lot of time with them. My students know they are loved, at home and at school. Their lives have not been easy, but they are strong and wise beyond their years.
I know that I have painted with broad strokes here. Many of the wonderful things at my school (books, computers, so many teachers) result from teaching in a wealthy county and from innovative, smart principals. Many non-title 1 schools have lots of books and computers. Each school and school district has to set its own priorities.
My students face many educational challenges in their future. As their teacher, I will do everything I can to help them reach their goals and be successful. They may be starting from behind, but I have faith they can soar just as far. I wouldn’t trade working at a Title 1 school for anything.
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We have students in our Title 1 school who come because of the racial and ethnic diversity. We’re a public school, but our attendance area policy permits out of area students if we have room for them. For many of these students, their home school communities leave them feeling alienated. We haven’t met the federal AYP criteria for two years in a row now, though our tests show strong gains for all groups except special education students. A survey last year indicated 98% parent satisfaction. Priorities are different, depending on who you are and what you’re looking for, I guess. I’m where I want to be, too.
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