On The Promise Of Urban Schools

This rather idealistic article informs us that in addition to all the well-documented disadvantages that commonly plague urban schools, the most harmful factor overall may be society's pessimistic attitude towards them.

Contrary to public opinion, its authors point out that urban schools have a lot to offer and can even become ideal models or paragons of education that can benefit the rest of the population. To support this claim, the article cites how cities are influential forces that bring together "vital aspects of social, cultural, aesthetic, political and economic activity". Furthermore they make the claim that the diversity of race, ethnicity, langugages anc cultures found in urban settings provides learning opportunities that may not be present in suburban or rural schools. To this end, the authors (ie: Senior Fellows) believe that the purpose of schools in a democratic society should be to prepare students to play an active role in public life.

The article then goes on to examine urban schools and their relationship with society through the concepts of agency, equity, instruction, and outcome with an emphasis on urban conditions and context.

It seems to me that the bottom line of this study is the question of how these schools (and their students) can succeed when society itself sets up an expectation of failure. On a personal one-on-one level we have all seen the difference a little postitive encouragment can have on an individual and how people themselves only tend to live up to high or low expectations that others have of them. While inbalances of income, resources and skilled teachers are very real, it is perhaps this self-fulfilling prophecy of failure held by many educators, society at large, and even the students themselves that is the hardest to cure.

The authors rightfully suggest that parents and teachers alike must become "agents of change" by acting as advocates for children in urban schools helping to dispel some of these damaging myths.

Changing a long-held opinion throughout society cannot happen overnight. However until there is genuine public belief and support of these schools, it will be difficult for these students to have belief in themselves and what they can accomplish in a (perhaps not so) democratic society.