New York Times Op Ed Submission

Leaving our Future Generation’s Education in the Dust

By Colette Leong

Hempstead, a poverty-stricken district on Long Island supports people mostly of hispanic and black background had a 37 percentile rate of students graduating on time in 2017. While in Battery Park City, of mostly caucasian people, students had a 95.1 percentile rate of graduating on time. The differences are astronomical, deeming that we need a change in the public school education system. Battery Park City provides students with experienced teachers and materials needed to succeed in school, but Hempstead is lacking the money to pay for these essentials.

As the US continues to follow our inequitable education system, the general quality of education is decreasing. The broad topic of educational inequality surrounds the fact that the rich stay rich, and the poor stay poor. Meaning impoverished schools in poor districts continue to provide an inequitable education as rich schools provide their students with a quality education. Since the US isn’t taking responsibility for the quality of education kids receive, impoverished kids education is at a loss because of the small amount of taxes their community collects.

Every year, affluent districts collect a substantial amount of taxes, but poor districts collect an insignificant amount of taxes. The majority of funding public schools receive come from the taxes citizens pay, differing from the amount of income citizens take home. Thus, resulting in a smaller chance of graduating high school, having experienced teachers, earning high test scores, etc., for impoverished kids.

This year, I visited GO, an organization that supports students in financial need with extra tutoring help. Since the US isn’t providing our current and future generations with a quality education, the government should take action instead of forcing organizations to be founded because of the cost of education success in the US.

The US’ education system is corrupted, leaving kids in poverty unable to afford a quality education and therefore remaining them with a unstable future. When our society continues to demand for an educated community, it is not the student’s responsibility to uphold their education, but is in the hands of us, as American citizens. We can choose to advocate for equal access to education for all, but not all choose to take the responsibility. As a community, we should all choose to publicly speak out for others rights. The quality of education is a denounced topic, but as we work towards an educated future for all, we have to choose to act now. If we remain silent, what difference in our society will it make? Help take a stand. Help make a change. Help our country. I believe as we walk towards the future, everyone should be able to contribute to our society without education blocking their opportunities.

 

Citations:

Semuels, Alana. “Good School, Rich School; Bad School, Poor School.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 25 Aug. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/.

Harris, Elizabeth A. “Graduation Rate Made Little Progress, State Says.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Feb. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/nyregion/graduation-rate-new-york.html.

Algar, Selim. “These Neighborhoods Have the Best HS Graduation Rates.” New York Post, New York Post, 11 May 2016, nypost.com/2016/05/11/these-neighborhoods-have-the-best-hs-graduation-rates/.