Cleaveland: Our two-tiered school system, Part 1

photo Dr. Clif Cleaveland

In various volunteer capacities, I have had the opportunity to visit a number of public schools in Hamilton County during the past three years. The contrasts among schools at all levels are disturbing and unacceptable for a community that aspires to greatness.

Here are a few things I have noticed:

• Facilities. These vary from sparkling new structures to buildings that are old and, in some cases, in need of major renovation or replacement. Each school maintained its interior as well as the structures would permit. Floors were waxed and windows cleaned. I saw no litter either in hallways or on school grounds. Several schools needed fresh paint to overcome drab interiors, new carpeting or floor tiles and better lighting. Too often duct tape was necessary to cover holes or tears in carpet. Some playgrounds lacked adequate drainage and access for children with special needs.

• Libraries. Some featured up-to-date collections of books and periodicals; others had inadequate assortments of outdated volumes, many with tattered or missing covers. In one high school I found no current science books. The lone book on space spoke of a future time in which men might travel to the moon.

In elementary schools, libraries may be dispersed, with each classroom having its own collection of books that teachers use to match students to their individual needs. Some classrooms had scant reading materials for students who urgently needed to improve their reading abilities. A good reader would quickly run out of fresh material. Repeatedly, I was aware of supplementary materials purchased by teachers from their own funds.

• Computers. The range of resources was quite wide. Some schools had state-of-the-art media centers; others had to depend upon grants to obtain a mobile cart that might give students weekly instruction in the use of computer technology. Without support of foundations and community-devoted corporations, some schools would be bereft of technological assets.

• Faculty and administration. Perhaps at the time of my visits, schools locked away faculty who were deemed lacking in skills. At every school I encountered passionate, articulate teachers who were giving their students their best, informed effort, whether the subject was English or science. They had fresh ideas and often worked collaboratively. At one school, a science teacher tried to teach biology without a lab, and a middle school featured lab equipment that belonged in a museum, not a contemporary classroom.

At another school, a teacher had to interrupt her class to break up a disturbance in a hallway outside her door. After a brief break, she returned unperturbed to her students.

Principals whom I met were uniform in their desire to make their schools better. They knew their teachers, also knew many of their students by first name and had clear goals for higher achievement by all, even if resources were lacking.

• Students. At several schools, the great majority of students were on free or reduced-payment lunch programs. Some schools were overwhelmingly black or white. Magnet schools tended to have racial and ethnic mixes reflective of our larger society.

Some elementary students had never held a book or had an adult read to them before entry into school. A high turnover rate of students posed a challenge in some schools because families did not have a stable address. The younger students whom I saw were high-energy, well-mannered and ready to learn.

Inner-city students often benefited from after-school programs sponsored by churches and foundations. Tutoring, guided recreation and creative group activities were common to these endeavors.

Top schools were located in stable neighborhoods characterized by high employment, low incidence of crime and parents with the time and energy to support and meet the needs of the schools. These first-world schools would match up well with others across the nation.

Schools in troubled or impoverished neighborhoods belong to another world where opportunity is limited. To achieve a competitive education in these surroundings, students must overcome too many disheartening barriers. A limited future seems almost inevitable.

• Next week: Thoughts on unified opportunity.

Contact Clif Cleaveland at cleaveland1000@comcast.net.

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