Fifty-four percent of students in the highest-income quartile earn a college degree, while 9 percent of students in the lowest-income quartile earn a college degree. We are taught that the key to obtaining the American dream is through education. Americans must utilize education as a means to live a richer and fuller life regardless of race, economic status, or gender. However, daily we observe that low-income and traditionally underserved minority students are underrepresented in higher education and overrepresented in the judicial system. This is because many factors inhibit these students from having the opportunity to obtain a college education.
The “school-to-prison pipeline” is a system where students who are not receiving additional educational or social assistance have a greater risk of being arrested or incarcerated. Schools are doing a disservice to their students by funneling them out of the school system and into the criminal justice system. By using policies like suspension, expulsion and arrest, minority students are targeted in schools. Maybe this phenomena exists because there is a lack of high school counselors at low-income high schools. High schools in underserved communities can have counselors that serve up to 1,000 students while the national average is one counselor per 470 students. It is important to provide all students with an adequate amount of qualified counselors to ensure that they have a future after high school.
These tactics used by school districts are shockingly strategic. The majority of American children attend largely segregated schools; by the 12th grade 66 percent of black students attended schools that were 50 percent or more of the students were black, while 99 percent of white students attended schools where 50 percent or more of the students were white. Nationally, Black-Americans have schools with fewer laboratories, fewer books in their schools libraries, and outdated textbooks. Minority students lack resources that are statistically proven to help students graduate high school and compete for a higher education.
“Signal influences” also affect low-income and traditionally underserved minority students. Signal influences makes individuals feel devalued because of the connotations of their group membership. For example, as a black student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where the percentage of black students is a mere 2 percent, I travel a hard, lonely path. Signal influences like that can additionally lead to lower scores on standardized tests. When going into a test-taking setting, minority students may feel discouraged because they are aware that people from their background do statistically worse on standardized tests. These psychological factors stress students, in turn reducing their performance. Standardized tests serve as a huge determinant for disadvantaged students applying to college.
Changes must be made in the educational system to close the gap between these students. We must push for an increase in the college preparatory facilities and the quality of teachers in underrepresented schools. Students should get help instead of being suspended, expelled, or arrested. What’s the role of white America? Promote and uplift a positive image of us. Educational disparities stop when we as a society speak up! Without an investment of thought, time and passion, we will never adjust this system to fulfill our human right to learn. If you believe that all lives matter, then so should all minds. How are you going to act?
Andrew is a sophomore majoring in EMS and pre-kinesiology. Let us know what you think. Please send all comments and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
