Carpio1

JocelynCarpio

Mrs.Moore

ENGL1302.01

2April2017

EqualityfortheToddlers

Betweentheagesof3and4achildsmindisatthestagewhereinformationisbeing

retained.TheyareregisteredintoDayCare,Headstart,orPreKindergartenwherean

educationalregimentisestablished.Inasituationwhereaparentcanaffordchildcare,achildis

privilegedtooneofthoseoptions,butinapoorsituationwhereaparentisunabletoaffordthese

typesoffacilitythatoffercareandeducationfortheirchild,thuscreatinganeducationalgap

betweenchildren.UniversalPreK,educationthatisequallydistributedtochildreninallsocial

classes,atopicthathasbeendebatedamongthenationseducationalsystemtohelpchildren

receivethatsameeducationasthoseableto.ThestateofNewYork,oneofthemanystates,

displaysaseparationofsocialclasseswhereonereceivesgreatPreKindergarteneducational

qualitywhereastheotherismostlikelynottoreceivePreKeducationatall.Childrenwhoare

unabletoreceivePreKindergarteneducationversusthosewhocan,sufferfromsegregated

schools,poorfacultyskillsandresources,unequalfamilyincomes,andsingleparenthouseholds.

WhenlookingatNewYorkCityspublicschoolsystemtheseparationoftheschoolsis

obviousconsideringtheconditionsofschoolbuildingsandthequalityoftheeducation.Onone

halfofthecitythepublicschoolsaregoingtobewellfunded,resourcesareendless,staffand

facultyarewellexperienced,studentsarewelleducatedandarepredominantlyWhiteorAsian.

Theotherhalfofthecitypublicschoolsarenotwelllookedafter.Thereislowfundingforafter
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schoolprograms,staff,andfaculty,neighborhoodsarenotsafe,studenttestingislowandraceis

mostlyHispanicorBlack.InthekeynotesofherClevelandStateLawReview,NatalieGomez

ValdezaddressesJohnKucseraandGaryOrfieldoftheCivilRightsproject,statisticsofracein

publicschools:

Overtime,theextremeshareofBlackstudentsenrolledinintenselysegregatedschools

hassteadilyincreased.[I]n2010,overhalfofBlackandLatinostudentsinNewYork

attendschoolswithlessthan10%ofWhiteenrollment.NewYorkstudentsinracially

isolatedschoolsarefarmorelikelytoattendschoolswithhigherpercentagesoflow

incomestudents,segregatingstudentsbyraceandclass.Schoolsthatareisolatedbyclass

areoftenplacesthatlimitstudentseducationalopportunitiesandoutcomes.(Gomez5)

KucseraandOrfiledsfindingssupportthattheseparationofschoolsinNewYorkcause

educationalgapsofthestudentsbecauseofunequallydistributionofeducation.Theseparation

ofschoolnotonlycreatestheeducationalgapsbutthequalityofeducationcanpreventthe

successofstudentsandfutureopportunities.Also,afactorofhowthematerialisbeingtaught

canimpactthelearninggapbetweenstudents.

FacultyandStaff,inthesense,arelikethechildrenintheseschooldistricts,theygive

whattheyarebeinghanded.Schooldistrictswillplaceteachersintheseschoolswithno

experienceonhowteachaclass,theyarelessqualified,schoolswillhavelessstabilityinthe

teachingforceandstudentswillhavelesssuccessfulpeersandwillsufferwithinadequate

facilitiesandresources(Gomez5).Theyseekidsfrombadneighborhoods,fromsingleparent

household,andlowincomefamilieswhosharenointerestintheireducation.Therefore,theydo
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notseemobligatedtoteachchildrenthecorrectorsameeducationastherestoftheschool

districts.

Mainlythefactorcreatinganeducationalgapbetweenstudentsisunequalincome.When

consideringthefundingoftheupscaleschoolsofNewYorkCity,theschooldistrictcanprovide

afterschoolprogramsforstudentswhichbenefitsparentswhocanafforditversuslowincome

parentswhocannotaffordafterschoolcarefortheirchild.InTheNationwriterBetsyReedPre

KSpreadstheWealtharticle,MayorBilldeBlasioofNewYorkCityproposedtotaxthe

wealthiesttoprovidefundingforthosewhocannotaffordtosendtheirchildtoPre

Kindergarten.Becausetheycanprovidefortheirchildtoattendschoolandtheprivilegeofafter

schoolcarethetaxationwouldproducereturnsof7%to10%onevery$1inannualgovernment

spending.by5yearoldgraduates(Reed1).UniversalPreKwillinsureparentsthattheir

childwillbesafeinschoolandhelpcultivatetheknowledge,habits,andskillsthatwillenable

themtothrivefortheirrestoflives.(Reed1)EventhoughthewealthiestcanfundPreKforthe

needy,whatisthattosaydataofJohnLoganandBrianStultsofBrownandFloridaState

University,that:

Manhattanstopfivepercentofhouseholdsearn88timesasmuchasthepoorest20

percent,accordingtodatareleasedbytheCensusBureausAmericanCommunity

Survey.Thatgap,whichtranslatestomorethan$860,000,isthelargestinthenation.

About1.7millionofthecitys8.4millionresidentslivebelowthepovertyline,

accordingtothedatafrom2013.(Gomez4)

Ofthoseconsideredwealthy,householdswithtwoparentincomescaneventuallyturnintoone

parentincomewhenpayingforeducation,childcare,andtaxation.
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Lookingatmiddleclassfamilyincome,anaveragefamilycanhardlyaffordsendingtheir

childrentoschoolandpayfordaycareresultingindailychanges.Inanaveragefamilyboth

parentsworksubjectingthemtotrusttheschoolstokeeptheirchildrensafeandrelyondaycare

tocarefortheirkidsuntilparentsgetofffromwork.Withonlyafewafterschoolprogramsopen

forfulldaycare,parentsworkschedulescanconflictswithpickuptimesusuallyforcing

familiesintoinconvenientsituations.Whenparentsmustdownsizetheafterschoolcarefortheir

childitleavesthemwith3options.Oneparentstayinghome,payingoutofpocketforchildcare,

orpubliclyfundedandsubsidizedprograms(Glynnet.al5).InSarahGlynn,JaneFarrell,and

NancyWusreportTheImportanceofPreschoolandChildCareforWorkingMothersstates

thatwithatwoparentincomeafamilycanstayfinanciallystablebutchildcarecanbeas

expensiveasoneparentsincomecausingaparenttostayhomewiththechildren,mostlikely

themother.Eventhoughoneparentincome,inatwoparenthousehold,canbeenoughto

financiallysustainahomeandchildcarewillnotbethesamecaseforasingleparentincomeor

household.

Overtheyearschildcarehasbecomequitepricy.Familieswithyoungchildrenstruggle

tomakeendsmeetbecauseofthecostofchildcarebeingmoreexpensivethanrent.In2011

theaveragefamilywithaworkingmotherandachildundertheageof5childcarepayment

spentnearly10percentofitstotalfamilyincomeonchildcare.(Glynn3)Singled,never

married,motherswillspend26%oftheirincometopayoutofpocketforchildcare,mostly

relyingonaneighborhoodbabysittertocarefortheirchildleavingthemunabletoprovidefor

themselves(Glynn3).Marriedwomenwillonlyspend22%oftheircombinedincomewhich

isnotabigfinancialburdenbutpayingchildcareoutofpocketcangetexpensive(Glynn3).
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Singlemothersdonothavethesameadvantagesasmarriedmothersdo.Theydonothavea

secondincometohelpthemwiththebillsortohelpwithkidsandmustrelyonpubliclyfunded

andsubsidizedprogramsfortheirchildrentoreceivecare(Glynn5).Thisoptioncanbehelpful

tothosewhoareinasingleparenthouseholdbutthechildcarequalityispoorcausing

educationaldifferencesbetweenthechildrenwithgoodqualityeducation.

Singleyoungmothersaremorelikelytousegovernmentfundeddaycarefortheirchild

becauseoftheconveniencebutitdoesnotalwaysbenefittheparent.Theseprogramshavelimits

onhowmanykidsareallowedintheprogramandwhennoroomisavailableitleavemothersin

vulnerablesituations.Theywouldhavetofindalternativecarefortheirchildmakingthemmiss

orbelateforworkbecauseoftheirchildcareproblems.Intheirkeynote,SarahGlynn,Jane

Farrell,andNancyWu,sourcedaNewYorkCitystudyconductedbyPhilipColtoff,Myrna

TorresandNatashaLiftonTheHumanCostofWaitingforChildCareSlidingFeeAssistance,

showedthat1/3offamiliesonchildcareassistancewaitlisteitherlosttheirjobsorwereunable

towork,and1/5hadeithermissedorbeenlateforwork,explainingtheeffectoflimitedchild

careprogramshasonparentswhocannotafforddaycareandareforcedtocarefortheirchildas

wellaslosingtheirincome(Glynn5).Thisshowsthatwhenaparenthastomissworkorislate

theirincomecanbeeffected,thereforeeffectwhethertheycanaffordcareforthechildren.

Inthelearningstage34yearoldsarein,theirmindisvulnerableandeagertolearnskill

thatbenefitthechild,butmostfamiliescannotaffordtosendtheirchildtoschoolortoachild

careprogram.UniversalPreKindergarten,equaleducationfundedbythegovernment,can

benefitchildwhoareunabletoattendschoolbecauseoftheseparationofschoolsystemsand

parentsincome.Twogovernmentofficialshaveproposedwhatcanbedoneforthesechildrento
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attendschoolandhavethesameeducationasothers,MayorBilldeBlasiospropositionof

taxingthewealthyandPresidentBarackObamaproposinguniversalPreKtohelpthenotations

workingmothers,givingchildrenofalleconomicbackgroundthiscrucialearlyboostwillnot

onlyprovidethemwithgreateropportunity,butitwillalsohelpaddressinequalityandimprove

thefutureeconomy,publicsafety,andqualityoflifeforall.(Johnson2)
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WorksCited

Glynn,SarahJane,etal.TheImportanceofPreschoolandChildCareforWorkingMothers.

CenterforAmericanProgress,CenterforAmericanProgress,07May2013.EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED565360&site=ehostlive.

Accessed28February2017.

GomezVelez,Natalie.CanUniversalPreKOvercomeExtremeRaceandIncomeSegregation

toReachNewYorksNeediestChildren?TheImportanceofLegalInfrastructureandthe

LimitsoftheLaw.ClevelandStateLawReview,vol.63,no.2,May2015,pp.319354.

EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=102134815&site=ehostlive.Accessed28February2017.

Johnson,Stephon.PushforUniversalPreKBegins.NewYorkAmsterdamNews,vol.105,no.

2,09Jan.2014,p.3.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=115066827&site=ehostlive.Accessed28February2017.

Reed,Betsy.PreKSpreadstheWealth.Nation,vol.298,no.9,03Mar2014,pp.34.

EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=94415233&site=ehostlive.Accessed29February2017.