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Kayla Martin

W. White

Eng. 112

11.1.16

The Foundation of Elementary Education in Inner-City Schools

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.--

Nelson Mandela. These wise words were spoken by a man who understood that in order to truly

be successful in anything in this life we must be educated. A great education is one of the many

things in life that will never decline in value. Consequently, every student in the United States

who belongs to a school district in an inner-city area or lower income area, does not always have

that chance at a great education. The issues that these students face on a daily basis would hardly

be acceptable in a school district with more funds for their students. As Nelson Mandela stated,

the most powerful weapon anyone can use is education, however, this is not the case for many

inner-city students due to the lack of resources, overcrowded classrooms, and teachers who

honestly cant handle the stress that comes along with teaching in these type schools. The

majority of these schools in lower income districts have issues with supplying classrooms with

beneficial and often times required materials for their students. When teachers do not have the

materials or supplies they need to educate the future leaders, and future active civilians of this

country on the basic principles of education they will need to succeed, a vicious cycle begins to

form. It has been shown that students who do not have a solid foundation of schooling in their

elementary years are now behind a total of two school years when compared to students in
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school districts with enough funds for their students. Therefore, if education is our most powerful

weapon, how can the cycle that is oppressing so many of this nations youth be stopped?

The Constant Lack of Resources and Overcrowded Classrooms

There are many things that contribute to the daily success of students. Resources in

schools are a major part of that success. It can be very easy to take for granted the resources and

amenities that are available in our schools, however, that is merely the case for a student in a

struggling inner city school system. Things such as computer labs, updated libraries, and enough

textbooks for courses are a few major amenities that are often taken for granted (Carter 2013).

During a recent study conducted in New York, as many as 33 anonymous schools were found to

be completely unequipped to produce to children a sound and solid education due to a very

unfortunate and realistic lack of proper learning materials and resources.

Teachers are always a very valuable resource that many inner city schools quite frankly

do not have enough of. Often times many inner city schools are over-crowed. Compared to

suburban schools who mainly have a max of 20 to 25 students in the classrooms, inner city

schools usually pack their classrooms with 30-38 students in a classroom. Imagine the amount of

stress that puts on the instructors for those inner city classrooms. Many teachers get frustrated

with the amount of extra tedious work that they must complete to not only teach their students,

but, also keep constant control in their classrooms.

A popular concern of where the money allotted for schools is being spent is often

expressed by parents, faculty and staff working in poorer school districts, and students enrolled

in these schools. According to Kelsi Collins, a writer who recently posted an article on inner city
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education, many poorer school districts lack resources because the funds allotted for these

schools is now being put towards other issues in the communities that these schools belong to

(Collins 2012). For example, in Philadelphia, because of the rising gun violence and poverty that

is slowing consuming the city, funds for schools are now being redirected to these issues. This

painful crisis has causes thirty-seven inner city schools to close down in Philadelphia. The

closing down of so many schools only leads to many schools becoming over-crowed which in

return, leads to teachers becoming stressed with the size of their workload every day. This

vicious cycle has to stop soon before it gets any worse.

Inner City school Curriculum and Programs

To help put an end to this cycle, many programs such as Bridging the Gap are have

become very popular in poorer cities. Programs such as these have recognized the gap or lack

of proper curriculum that has now set many students who come from these school districts

behind at least two years when compared to other districts. While two years may seem like a

small number, two school years are filled with hours, weeks and months of essential material that

will, in the end, play a major role in the success or failure, depending on the quality, for that

student. Bridging the Gap focuses on covering the curriculum that many of these schools do not

cover during the time that school is in session. Programs such as these and some similar to this

one are open during the school year after school and also during the summer months to

encourage students to retain the information that they learn. On a personal note, these types of

programs are very effective for students enrolled in schools in poor districts. These programs not

only teach students the fundamentals of education but they also encourage you to work hard in
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school and in life. As a former participant in many after school programs, the gap that many

educators speak of is even more evident now.

The Importance of Elementary Educators

Elementary education is especially important because it is the foundation for the rest of

the education a student will ever receive throughout school. Elementary teachers are also crucial

to the success and development of the students they teach. These educators are often times the

first teacher, who isnt a parent, a child encounters and spends their entire day with. They are

also the educators that are first in encouraging great study habits for their students and first in

helping to develop crucial social skills. While elementary educators work only with young

children, the most important part about their job is to instill an undying love for learning in their

students. The job of these educators will forever be essential for the generation of students now

and the ones to come.

Changing the System

The question, How can these issues in inner city schools be reversed? is a major

question that has yet to be truly dealt with. The politicians who allot the funds for these schools

need to understand that when they take money away from a students education and direct it

towards other things, they are not only hurting those students, they are also hurting the future of

this nation. The quality of an elementary education will always be essential for a student. The

lack of resources and supplies arent setting the correct tone for what a student should expect of

their future education. The epidemic of cheating our nations future leaders out of a sound and
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quality education has to come to an abrupt end. It is long past the time for the persons

responsible for the funding of this nations school districts to take accountability for the setbacks

they have caused hundreds of students. This horrible cycle has done nothing but birth generations

of many under-educated children who have no idea of how to help themselves.

Although this cycle is cruel, it is imperative for students to never get defeated. Its also

important for the educators of the youth to constantly stay involved with their students by

encouraging them whenever needed. The foundation of all education that a student will receive

is a childs elementary education. Consequently, it is the lack of resources, over-crowded

classrooms and stress being placed on the teachers due to those things has to be resolved. The

future of the nation will depend on it.

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Works Cited

Carter, Tom, and Anita Friesen. "Tackling the Challenges of Inner City Marginalization:

A Partnership Approach." Canadian Journal of Urban Research 14.1 (2005): 1-

7. ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.

Collins, Kelsi. "Inner City Education." Applied Social Psychology. N.p., 24 Mar. 2013.

Web. 01 Nov. 2016.