1Savage Inequalities

Irl Solomons history class is the bright spot of East St. Louis school. I surmise this is because
the teacher is the most qualified of all the teachers left in the school. There are several students
in this class have become pregnant or had babies. These students argue that there is nothing
wrong with this. The teacher seems to agree that an informal education at this ghetto school it
hardly worth the effort and getting pregnant may be their best option. The teacher expectancy
effect seems to be sadly taking a toll on these kids, as getting pregnant is the goal.

Jennifer feels that schools in poor areas are a lost cause. These schools cater to people who do
not care about their education and their parents do not either. She feels that if you want it bad
enough, you can move to a better community, attend a better school and make something of
yourself. She also feels that these underprivileged kids would benefit from the same tracking as
the kids from rich families. However, Jennifer is not willing to do anything personally to help
these kids and believes that if they want it bad enough, they can achieve it themselves.

East St. Louis is a dilapidated school with raw sewage leaking up through the basement into the
food preparation areas and out of the toilets. Rye, is a suburban school with beautiful
auditoriums, libraries, student study rooms and a budget of $12,000.00 per pupil. East St. Louis
has primarily substitute teachers who feel that their school is the worst. Rye, has teachers who
take pride in their school and make nearly $70,000.00 a year. The students at East St. Louis
High are 98% African American. The students at Rye are primarily Caucasian, with 1-2% being
African American. The students in Rye are encouraged to take a foreign language. Students in
East St. Louis are encouraged to get pregnant.

First of all, this article mentions that having plumbing is what separates us from a third world
country and I think that is absolutely correct. I think that is inexcusable. They are going to sell
the city hall and the fire station? They have fires out in the open and they are going to sell the
fire station? This coupled with the feces stained streets makes me think that they should
condemn this town. Bulldoze the entire thing and put a fence up around it saying it is inhabitable
land. That being said, I think this is a terrible and tragic story about the underprivileged in our
society. The social inequality here is very sad. I think it is terrible that all kids are not given the
same opportunities. However, I think the people to blame are the parents. Jennifers parents are
a great example. Jennifer was in a terrible area for education, but her parents did what they
could to get their daughter to a better school and give her every advantage they could. She is not
wrong, if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen. Sacrifice is an important factor.

Personally, I have two daughters, 5 & 11 and I live in my current city because of the schools for
our daughters. I could live two cities over and have already purchased a house (with payments).
This would put my girls at a school that was less prestige, a worse curriculum and lower budgets
for the students. My wife and I have opted to rent in our current city so the girls could get the
education we want for them. I will get my house one day, but it will have to wait because
education is important. I know that now that I am 36. My parents did not have respect for
schooling or education formal or informal and let me drop out in 9th grade. They were religious
and nonconformist. I doubt parents of Rye High School would allow that.
If they are not going to condemn this town, I think that there should be some sort of federal
involvement with this town. If kids are not able to use the restroom because of sanitary issues, I
think the red cross needs to come in or someone to help these kids.