As I finished reviewing Savage Inequalities, I remembered a show I saw recently on TV. About three weeks ago, Oprah Winfrey had Bill Gates and his wife on her show discussing the "downfall" of current high schools. Gates is attempting to reform education slowly by creating schools for students who are gifted in certain areas (however these are not magnet schools or just for AIG kids).

These schools specialize in subjects such as computers instead of all the academics. I did not get to view the entire program, but what I saw did look intriguing. Many kids say high school doesn't challenge them. Many want to study particular subjects and hopefully make a career from this training. I wonder if these schools will prevent drop-outs? Would Gates ever consider establishing one of these schools in the inner city of Chicago or East St. Louis since the deficiency is there?

More importantly, there were students who volunteered to switch high schools to observe the inequalities. The poorer students (African-American) were amazed at the luxuries and more appalled at how the teaching varied at the "rich school". The top student from the poorer school could not keep up in the trig. class being taught in the more prestigious school. She said she was an A student too!! Does this also imply that the better instructors are recruited to teach in certain areas? Aren't the students with the learning deficiencies in greater need of those
teachers??

Meanwhile, the rich kids could not believe how the band program was non-existant at the poor school because there is no money. It truly humbled these wealthier students and made them appreciate their environment.

Did anyone else see this show? It would really be good to watch in this class or even Erics. Am I the only one who gets tired of "the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?" How can we as educators help break this vicious cycle??

What happens to a dream deferred??

Nicole
I agree and hurt for those children; but if you think about it; there are stronger and weaker teachers at every school. Those who make great strides in the inner city schools get highlighted ( and rightly so ). There are the same inequalities at every school across a grade level spectrum. We received our test scores today. Our principal never puts the name on it but lists them in abc order by grade level so you really know who's is who's ...know what I mean? She listed Dibels, Writing scores, & EOG scores for K-6. Most of the teachers who had higher writing scores also had higher dibels scores or eog scores and higher math for k2....teachers who really push themselves to excel also push their children to excel. Teachers who do not - won't have students who do either.

I do know what you mean Stella. When I was teaching sixth grade at Liberty Middle School the principal at the time really "blasted" those of us who taught AIG students all day. We were in the middle of a faculty meeting and she placed an overhead transparency on the machine and pointed out the lack of growth in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Now the entire faculty knew the nine teachers who taught these students and the grade level. She also added that we were the exclusive reason the test scores were down. I have never been so hurt in my life. All teachers know it's harder to demonstrate growth with AIG students as opposed to regular education. Luckily, she is no longer there. As a result, the tone of the school was poor and I pushed the kids even harder to prove a point the next year.

Yes, there are committed and not so committed teachers in every environment. These teachers in the book lifted my spirits. Thank goodness for them.