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What do we do in the meantime?: Practical solutions for eliminating educational inequities in urban schools right now
Book chapter

What do we do in the meantime?: Practical solutions for eliminating educational inequities in urban schools right now

Amber Bryant, Marcia Watson-Vandiver, Ayana Allen-Handy and Chance W. Lewis
Purposeful Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contexts: Implications for Access, Equity, and Achievement, pp 287-296
01 Jan 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/book-978-1-64802-752-920251024

Abstract

The United States has had a complex history of segregation since the country’s development centuries ago; divisions based on race, religion, gender, and social class. Unfortunately, these divisions have had sustainability throughout our nation’s most impactful social systems including education. Socio-economic segregation calls into question potential biases that can restrict access and opportunity for individuals; and in our country’s history, these individuals are namely those living in poverty and are demographically a minority. In education, race and social class consistently segregate schools, despite 1950s’ civil rights reform. The inequalities in schools are a reflection of our larger disparities in society. African American students are consistently among the lowest performing populations on standardized assessments (Iruka & Morgan, 2014). In addition, African American males are consistently one of the smallest populations in America, yet is the highest group represented in our legal systems (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Cities and regions made up of predominantly minorities suffer from more poverty, crime, disease, and violence than their White counterparts (Iruka & Morgan, 2014; Garda Coll, 1990; McLoyd, 1998). These critical issues call for stakeholders to question what can be done now to address unintended biases that serve as roadblocks to success. Appropriate education reform efforts can help to prevent socio-economic immobility for marginalized populations. In the education system, these biases are particularly detrimental as they stifle excellence and perpetuate generational poverty. This chapter chose to explore three topics to address inequities in urban education: school discipline practices, teacher professional and identity development, and cultural barriers in curriculum. These key characteristics are among the top that has the largest and most direct influence on academic success and strongly impact one’s chances of economic stability particularly for Americans living on the margin. This article will discuss each topic individually with recommendations for immediate implementation by stakeholders.

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