How to make schools more equitable

The insidious effects of an unequally balanced educational system has proven detrimental to the socio-economically challenged urban students in our communities. A growing and unremitting permeation of these inequities within our educational system to urban students are varied and complex. Despite of the causal reasoning for these injustices to our urban population of students, the need to hold educators and schools accountable to properly assess and to determine the needs and solutions to closing the achievement gap must be on the forefront of the agenda to addressing this problem

Although there are more facets adding to the exceedingly partial educational system for urban youth, the accountability of educators to turn their methods of teaching into learning is paramount and must be enforced. Educators are ethically responsible to provide a service that is unyielding in its promise of equality. How can schools be held accountable for their actions in addition to their promise of educational equality for urban students? The question although complex to say the least can be answered simply, the answer is that schools must be made to meet the goals and standards set by governing bodies and have effective supportive services available when they fail to reach these goals. An open acceptance and change of practices that are known contributors to our failing urban school systems must be also taken realistically as a major part of this crisis.

According to a comparative study conducted by Jean Anyon: Chairperson of the Department of Education at Rutgers University in Newark. An observation of five elementary schools over the course of a full school year concluded that fifth-graders of different economic backgrounds are already being prepared to occupy particular rungs on the social ladder, even more disturbing yet truthful the study further shows that differing elements of applied methods and practices of educators as being characteristically driven by the groups they were teaching. These are contributing factors leading to the failures or success of urban students.

The critical practices of educators that are covert, systematic and discriminatory to urban populations is a direct violation of the promise of an equal opportunity education and the schools individually and collectively must be made to account for the acceptance and reform of such insidious practices forced upon urban students.

The country is full of educators that are aware of the contributing factors adding to the crisis of our misguided urban youth however the numbers of activist and allies fighting this crisis is not even close in comparison to what they should be which makes the educators intentions questionable for many of our urban schools. Who are we really entrusting our children to?

Holding schools accountable is a vital component in the process of closing the achievement gap for urban students this process is inclusive of however not limited to a strong adherence and commitment to striving to achieve educational excellence; effective critical recruitment of educators; establishing governing bodies that are adamant in achieving educational goals and to provide students with a holistic nurturing educational environment that will incite and encourage better outcomes

Schools are ethically and professionally liable to educate all children equally regardless of their social and economic status in society and although educational equality for urban students has been compromised on many levels to say the least; accountability has now become inevitable.