Social Justice and Education

In an article by Cynthia Liu, she speaks on how the Los Angeles school systems are going to be forced into over 50% privatized charted schools that are controlled by private donors. The quote above shows the brutality of the need for money in the new education system that these private donors with to facilitate. The children, especially those who require more attention will be pushed aside and not be given the equal opportunity to fully expand their knowledge in order to create a promising future for themselves. This is one of the worst ways to handle schooling in an area that is facing funds deficits and debt. Forcing private schooling with no promise of continual funding is not reasonable when the private sponsors could use their money to get the public schooling back on their feet and then allow the government funds to continue to supple the money and resources needed to continually educate the children. 

Photo and Article By:  Robert Pondiscio

This is the photo that went with an article from US News on how Charter schools are beginning to become the favorable norm and are taking public schools’ role. In this photo all the children are dressed in the average uniform for most young students. They all look attentive and interested in the lesson. In the background the classroom walls are colorful and well kept. This is showing how great the charter schools are, where as if you saw a photo of a public school they would often be portrayed as worn down with children that are not portraying an academic setting. This often twists the public’s perception on the schooling systems. 

Brooklyn Castle is an inspiring documentary on an inner city middle school chess team and the struggles they faced. These struggles ranged from financial struggles due to school budget cuts, inner conflicts, academics, mental impairments, and creating a future for themselves. This is an incredibly inspiring movie, especially for young people that do face these struggles of living in low-income neighborhoods in cities. This film fits into issues of social justice in education through its shining light on how children can break the stereotypes and rise above the low standards that are socially set for them, The students in the movie overcome obstacles that set them up for a bright future that stereotypes of poor inner-city kids would not expect them to get. They push past barriers despite low funds and materials. 

Photographer:  Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig for  Photo Essay: Chinese School is Lesson for US Policymakers

This is a photo essay produced by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig. He independently traveled to China in order to further learn about their vocational education systems. He goes to tell about how vocational education began in the United States in Texas as they decided vocational studies were better suited for people of color, putting them and vocational education in a demeaning status.  Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig believes differently and shows through his photos. 

As Sontag uses many photos to further deepen the meaning of one photo, Heilig does this similarly as well as uses many photos to make the meaning of vocational education more meaningful and understandable. 

This cartoon illustrates how the charter schools are taking away from public education. Not only with funds as this cartoon mostly portrays, however in other aspects of schooling. The wealthy chose to attend charter schools because they can afford them and want the best education for their children. This takes away from the diversity and population of public schools. The cartoonist even made the majority of the students in the public school African American. This is stereotyping that most of the students in the lower income public schools are African American and therefor suffer the most from the charter schools. This cartoon is also highlighting suburb and city schools as shown with the city drawing off in the distance. 

Cartoons like this one give comical relief to a very serious and prevalent issue in today’s society that is burdening our education system. It gives a unrealistic interpretation of something that is very real and needs addressed. 

This cartoon addresses the issues of standardized tests in school. Children are taught to take a test and only taught what is on the test in order to improve scores that in turn will improve funding. This is where the injustices come into play because the schools that don’t need the funding are able to better educate their students and better prepare them for further education. Students, especially of lower income public schooling, are taught to the standardized test and their teachers are pressured to produce students who achieve high scores to satisfy the government. 

Photograph by:  Mark Abramson for Education Week

Inner-City Pre-K 

N.Y.C. Pushes to Meet Promise of Universal Pre-K

Article By: Christina A. Samuels

Pictured above are two 4-year olds that are currently attending one of the newly formed district run prekindergarten programs in New York City. These programs are offered to children and families of all incomes that live in the city. Because of this they have become more popular than private institutions because the same education is available for free. There are different pre-k programs set up throughout the city in spaces that were found safe enough to house the children.

What New York has done with these programs is something I find very key in the turn around for social injustice in education systems. They were able to raise awareness of the programs and allow a variety of students with different backgrounds and cultures attend. This created a diverse learning community that also provides equal opportunity to students regardless of social status or income. Another positive effect of these programs is the example they set for other cities and school systems. If other areas were able to replicate these programs it would help alleviate social injustices for many young students. This also could be translated into higher education systems to further eliminate injustices due to social inequality. 

The photo above shows a young group of young African American students graduating. After reading through For All the World to See, this photo would fit well into a present day category of The Culture of Positive Images. This image showcases the young man in the middle holding up his arm with a huge smile on his face. This photo can be very symbolic in many ways. The graduation in the rain symbolizes despite the odds, he graduated. His arm up like that was actually a symbol of black power during the civil rights movements. Overall the photo shows that the man in the center and his many classmates around them completed a level of higher education and give a positive outlook to the African American community. 

Link Photo By: Brian Widdis for Education Week

Pictured is a young boy working on a mind game puzzle. He is making progress academically; against the stereotype and with the help of his teachers and family he will beat that stereotype of poor African American children not succeeding academically. He is beating the social education system that has set up many students for failure. 

Pictured Above:  Lee Williscroft-Ferris

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/nov/03/schools-promote-social-justice

Photo Origin: unknown

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/nov/03/schools-promote-social-justice

http://homelesshub.ca/blog/infographic-education-and-poverty

Article By:  Vineeth Sekharan

This graphic is being used to inform it’s audience on how the inability to acquire resources because of poverty could effect a child’s education and ability to grow into society. 

In this particular graphic, the data is fairly easy to understand. There is a story like fashion to the graphic with the clean and simple pictures to go with the facts of the story to make them more contextual. The pictures break up the heavy content of the story and facts making the overall graphic more pleasing to look at. 

There is very little color to the graphic and the colors that are there are muted and very basic. This helps heighten the information rather than distract the viewers with the bright and flashy pictures. 

photo by: Swikar Patel for Education Week in 2015

http://fullframe.edweek.org/2015/12/23/education-weeks-photos-of-the-year-for-2015/#content

Photo and article by Grace Smith posted February 8th, 2016

http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/arizona-schools-super-douglas-criticizes-bill-to-clarify-roles-responsibilities/

Government takes over Education