Diversity is a beautiful and unique concept, however, it is not something that everyone appreciates in the appropriate way. Stereotypes can be extremely damaging to the uniqueness of diversity because it creates this strict bubble of how a certain person should look, dress, talk, act and think. Some of us may be sheltered that these stereotypes are the only impressions we have of others. However, by pushing for inclusion in schools no matter race, gender, or tax bracket, we can become more accustomed to others and rid ourselves of these misconceptions. This type of integration can open young minds to the ideas of others being different and how that does not lead to a negative outcome.
While stating their opinion on the relocation of students to achieve more diversity the author of the article Is Racial and Economic Diversity in Schools Important touched on how many assume that adding students that are minorities or come from lower economic backgrounds will lower the quality of a school. The movement described in the article is to essentially diversify schools by mixing classes with students from a variety of backgrounds. The author brings up how studies have proven mixing schools racially and economically has helped to improve test scores and helped students develop empathy. I know from first hand experiences that this study is true; oftentimes the more rigorous a class is the less racial and economic diversity is apparent. The students in higher classes are seen as smarter, they are given more opportunities and the students in lower classes are seen as unmotivated and hard to control. I believe in the long run this expands the economic gap present between all the students' families because advanced classes and opportunities lead to getting into colleges and superior jobs and earning more money. This strengthens the stereotype that minorities or students from low income families are not motivated or have low work ethic. This belief could be broken by the movement they are backing and I believe that it will overall positively affect the education of the students and their futures.
I believe it is important to have diversity within schools to improve students' behaviors inside and outside the classroom. In a diverse setting, stereotypes are defeated when you are surrounded by different backgrounds and cultural perspectives. At my school, I believe students have the same perspective on specific stereotypes. The fewer students are surrounded by others with different races, sexuality, and cultural backgrounds, the less understanding they have in the real world. I agree with Amaiya’s opinion that surrounding yourself with people of different socioeconomic backgrounds can create an imposter syndrome. Though some people may feel like an outsider, combining multiple backgrounds can help bring ideas and understandings together. However, involving diversity can be important not only academically, but mentally enhance a person’s understanding. I started volunteering with students of different cultural and religious backgrounds, and developed a well- rounded, open-minded persona for myself. The main idea of stereotypes is to involve groups to collaborate with each other which builds on one’s personality. As I reflect on this article, a diverse setting can only increase a student’s success and ability in the real world.
Racial and economic diversity in schools is important, because it teaches students and also teachers to become more accepting of others. For most people, if their surroundings are always the same with the same people, it may become hard for them to adjust to change, because they would be so used to having a certain routine that it becomes hard for them to change. Similarly, I used to go to a school where my surroundings always felt the same. There wasn’t much racial and economic diversity, and most people hung out with others that were similar to them in a way. I was one of those people who was different I guess, and so of course there were times I felt like I just didn’t really fit in. After a few years, I moved and went to another school. Now this school just felt so different. The amount of diversity the school had just felt so unreal and different, and over time, I came to love my new school more than my old one. I had so many amazing friends, teachers, and experiences that taught me so much, one being learning to accept others no matter what their differences are. I believe that if schools were more diverse, and taught students to get along with each other, they can learn to be more accepting of others no matter how different they may be.
I believe that diversity is very important in school systems, but it isn’t fake to students to make them drive out of their way to get to school. The article mentions, “research suggests that bringing students of disparate races and social classes together can boost children’s test scores and help them develop empathy”. This is a good plan and I believe it will have a high success rate, there are downfalls like the commute, which can lead to less time to do homework and sleeping schedules all over the place. I believe there should be an effort to make schools a better environment with students who already attend the school. If kids are only around their group/community their whole lives growing up it would be difficult for them in the future interacting with people who are different from them.
It may come across as surprising to many the major role diversity plays in our education system. However, the concept of racial and economic diversity having a presence in school districts is extremely vital to students’ not only academic, but also mental success. I would argue the main reason for this idea is the simple subject of collaboration, the act of working with others. The ability students have to express their full potential has been proven to be much more present in schools with racial and economic diversity, as collaborating with a variety of people with different races and income progressively builds on one’s personality. Working with diverse students not only allows more openness of emotions and an increased development of personality, but also benefits students from an intellectual standpoint. Integrated classrooms encourage qualities such as critical thinking, cognitive skills, and creativity. It may be hard to believe that the coalition of diversity and collaboration can be the cause of such academic and mental excellence. But racial and socioeconomic diversity being present in classes is followed by students being exposed to the ways, culture, strategies, mental skills, and personality of a variety of their other peers. How could that not result in an increased chance of educational success?
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The idea of diversity in the classroom walks a very fine line of helping kids to reach their potential and moving kids to new districts or schools for the sake of statistics. It is incredibly important to have diversity in the classrooms as it gives not only a social and cultural benefit, but it also extends kids' awareness. My district, for example, is divided by address, so where we go to school is not necessarily our choice. I think this system works and I do not think there is an outlying issue with this "division". What the diversity issue boils down to is emphasizing the importance of having a student reach their full potential inside and outside of the classroom no matter the ethnicity. I dont fundamentally believe there is a great need to switch schools, however I think there needs to be more of an understanding and an awareness in certain areas of the hardships and prejudice there is against students of different race. We as a society need to find this line and figure out how to support each student so as to reach their highest potential and if possible address diversity and inclusivity in schools.
If schools and school districts concentrated in one metropolitan area become more segregated, it trickles down to the rest of that area. And they know this. Take New Orleans, which uses only the charter and magnet school system. The working and lower class sent their children to their local schools, usually underfunded and sometimes in conditions that would make strangers raise an eyebrow. A girl attended a school labeled for advanced students, and traveled in between her classes which took place in trailer-like compartments and classrooms. The higher-income predominantly white population suddenly became concerned with their children's "quality of education" and poured funding in and through the private schools of the area. What's left now is the higher income white children growing up together, developing fraternity, and becoming more and more ignorant to the world outside their oak tree-lined block of million dollar homes. They get away with anything that the Archdiocese can manage to neatly sweep under the rug. And what about the rest? These students grow up with that divide right in their faces. The private schools taking money under the table to make sure they can overlook Charles' rough semester in Biology. Whenever a student makes an impact, or is seen as brighter as the rest, they're hailed as the "one that got out". The racial and socioeconomic wall in New Orleans created only insensitivity and ignorance. It's simply our job as a generation to get rid of that wall.
Is racial and economic diversity in schools important? My opinion is yes, it is very important. Having a diverse selection of race/culture can open up people's minds and show them the things that other people go through and how they live, on both sides. Racial and economic diversity can demolish common stereotypes about low income and ethnic families. It could also wipe away stereotypes on high income and predominantly white families. This article is basically about the backlash a school district in Maryland is receiving for trying to mix two polar opposite schools, River Hill and Wilde Lake. The article provides statements from those who agree with the plan and those who are against it.
Personal I feel that racist and economic diversity is necessary in school because once in the real world students are going to see lots of people of different racist and economical diversity. Knowing about other racists culture. Diversity makes everyone more creative, people are able to collaborate with more people. Community would be more diverse racially and economically which would be a large benefit. Schools test would be higher. Diverted students get to get together and talk about thing ranging from school to things going on at home. They get to see different peoples lives. They get to learn empathy. Student get to excel equally with others.Students become more open-minded and see different point of view. Having students with different economical levels gives more scholarships to lower economical students.
More racial and economical diversity in schools is important because different variety in classrooms will allow students to become aware of diversity and what a good society looks like. Getting to know people with different backgrounds can help a student be more aware of the real world and help them understand that lots of people have different lives than them.
A plan to redistrict schools in Maryland has brought heated discussion from both sides; some say racial and class mixing are necessary and that is the only way to do it, as it would expose many members of the community and bring benefits by way of improved test scores and college readiness, while others are either against the racial or class aspect or various other pieces, like splitting up childhood friendships. School districts should understand that society isn’t homogeneous, and that someday each of their students are going to have to face the variety in the real world. Redistricting plans aside, diversity is known to have merits extending past broadening people’s horizons; with diversity comes increased creativity, collaboration skills, and openness to new ideas. Redistricting may not be an ideal goal, but there isn’t much of a way to diversify schools by other means; the article even mentions families who were apprehensive about certain school district because of low test scores and racial biases, claiming that “Blacks destroy school systems and schools.”
Personally, our school has a lot of diversity in all aspects. Racially, we do have a large white population, but we also have a lot of varying representation with the asian and black communities in the school. There is also a large stereotype about our school that we are all extremely rich and stuck up, but this is false. A lot of the stereotype originates from the fact that we are an independent school and we have to pay a large tuition. There is a large population of our school that come here on scholarships and are lower class overall, but we also do have a population of students who are well off. Considering the extremely small student body that we have overall, the amount of diversity is commendable and very helpful for the community.
PART 2:
This does not mean that an effort to diversify schools are pointless. In many ways schools should make an effort to diversify their schools in a way which is reachable and does not extend too far out of the location of the school. As students tend to spend around half of the days in the year at school, the environment of their school can affect many aspects of the empathy students have, and how they perceive themselves and others. Despite the main goal of schools being to educate their students academically, a very important concept that is often overlooked is teaching students how to understand others, and care for one another. Having gone to elementary and middle school which very much resembles the makeup of Wilde Lake, it gave me a clearer lense as to what life in the U.S was actually like. Now that I am attending a highschool that is very similar to River Hill in the article, looking at the other students attending the school I begin to notice how my perception of the world is very different than many of the students in my class. I notice how there’s heavier judgment among students, and a tendency to pity others who aren’t in their situation. Looking back at my middle school, I’ve noticed we’ve tended to judge less because we got to see students from every walk of life, and get to know them as well.
PART 1:
I believe that intentionally diversifying schools will not particularly lead to higher test scores among students who have been previously held to a disadvantage academically. The reason test scores are much higher in schools with a higher percentage of students coming from high income families is because those students can afford extra support by means of tutoring out of school, and often have guardians which are more involved with the students academics. By moving around students to different schools, test scores among the schools may change due to the new makeup, but no individual students will see a change in performance because simply being around students with higher test scores and more resources out of school will raise the scores of the students who do not have those extra resources. In order to help the students who have been held at a social and economic disadvantage, there needs to be reliable and inexpensive resources for the students who need them. Schools must also make an effort to pay attention to each one of their students, and reach out to students who may not have the right parental support at home to help them academically strive.
Racial and economic diversity is absolutely essential for a well-rounded, open-minded student. I started volunteering at an organization that works with students of different backgrounds, and I have found that I have become a more open-minded person. I don’t just look at something like a redistricting’s change for me, but for all classes of people. But this doesn’t mean that we need to go out of our way to address this issue. We don’t need to essentially gerrymander our way to open-mindedness and cherry-pick students to go to a school all the way across the county just for the sake of diversity. The problem is not that the students are not exposed to diversity, it’s that the student chooses to block off any chance for open-mindedness. I, under my own will, went out of my way to be inclusive. I did not have to be dragged into another school. A good student embraces diversity and seeks it out under his own will.
Diversity is a huge issue that shouldn't be addressed. Now that I have your attention, hear me out. If we make it a focus to incorporate diversity into schools that is instilling the idea that they are different than the "diversity" Crowd. There was one quote in the article saying how it would teach kids empathy and while I agree that we should be inclusive I am against the idea that we should teach kids to "pity" different racial or economic minorities. Instead of seeing people as minorities and being inclusive as a piece of charity work to be able to add racially or economically diverse as an institution onto a plaque in the lobby. When we make diversity a "thing that needs to be fixed" we are alienating these kids who are just as much our equals as the rich top 10% of the school. This almost subconscious segregation is targeting these students and could result in being singled out or victims of bullies.
In conclusion instead of the word "diversity" I wish it was more of a natural inclusion and equality among people of different financial positions and skin color.
This is a huge issue in our society that isn't found only at Wilde Lake and River Hill. For the most part, black and Hispanic families tend to make less money than white ones. They are forced to live in neighborhoods not as luxurious, and because they live in the same low income neighborhoods, are districted to the same schools. Moreover, being from low income families, they tend to be not as successful in school, leading to them getting more low paying jobs. They have kids that they can't provide for as well as richer white families. The cycle continues. Rich people stick with the rich and poor with the poor. When will it end? We as a country need to do better. We need to look back on our supreme court decision of brown v the board of education and make sure our schools are integrated. Only then can people from all different races or from rich or poor families have equal opportunities. That's the American way, equal opportunities for all. Something that we have seen to have lost in recent years.
While looking at the issue between the two schools I'm appalled by selfishness found at River Hill. It is understandable for them to want the best things for their kids, whether that be not wanting to separate them from their friends,or make their kids go to a school that tends to have a lower standard of education, as seen in comparing test scores, but that is a small price to pay in order to try to even out our society and make sure that everyone has the same opportunity.
Diversity is important in schools because it’s can teach students empathy, and it doesn’t divide specific groups of students based on something they have no control over, like skin color or income. It gives every student equal opportunities to excel and make friends. Plus, it teaches students to be considerate of other people’s circumstances.
Schools should have racial and economic diversity in school. This diversity in schools helps to “develop empathy” and cultural awareness in our society, which is something that is desperately needed. Empathy is essential to our society because it is the key to understanding one another, which allows us to see from another perspective. This perspective allows us, as Plato would put it, to crawl out of the cave of our own mind and to see other people’s viewpoints and thought processes; which opens our minds to new possibilities and a nuanced understanding of the world. Empathy needs to be implemented at a young age so when people become adults, they are not stuck in a provincial mindset their whole lives, but instead have empathy for other people and their hardships. Cultural awareness is also vital to our society because it allows us to understand the people around us and our minds be open to new suggestions and ways of life. This awareness allows us to better communicate with the world and to be aware of harmful generalizations and stereotypes. Different groups of people need to be able to understand one another even if they do believe in the same ideas; for example, no one should condemn someone for believing in a certain topic even if they do not agree with it. Therefore, schools should have racial and economic diversity in school because it leads to both empathy and cultural awareness, which helps to diminish the condemning of ideas and provincial mindsets.
@Aryn S very positive mindset and persuasive opinion.
I believe it's important for racial and economic diversity to be present in schools. It is important for kids to be exposed to different things and people, because if they are only surrounded by people who are just like them, it won't prepare them for the real world and future. More diversity in schools would allow a majority of students to learn more about cultures, learn new languages, make new friends, and teaches them to not discriminate or mistreat others along the way.
Racial and economic diversity is important. Kids have greater ways of learning new things and meeting new people. This also give kids a better way to express themselves through their cultures. It is important for us kids to know that no matter what race or gender someone is, they should not be judged or mistreated.
Being a student of color studying architecture, I can see the boundaries which are created within the education of its students. With the field of architecture predominantly being white males it is hard for students of color to find members of that community to look up to and also seek guidance from to pursue this profession. While looking at racial boundaries it seems that not only does the field see this problem, but it also faces the problem of the representation of minorities in its class rooms. While studying architecture it has been hard to create a network with other students of color due to the lack of them being present in the major. The university I attend understands the importance of representing its students, but it seems that the field itself struggles with this issue. Another issue I have seen result in lack of diversity in the major is the economic constraints some programs have. I have crossed paths with many students who come from different backgrounds and have seen many who have money strive in the major, while those who can not afford to pay for required material struggle and have lower grades then those who are well off.
Economic and racial diversity is a necessary quality in a good school. It is important that children learn from a young age that neither race nor money changes how a person deserves to be treated. If children make friends with with someone who is different than them, than they will be less likely to have discriminatory behavior in the future. Having diversity in the classroom also helps students prepare for the real world.
I think it’s important for schools to be racially and socioeconomically diverse, but the comfort of both sides should come first. People of color should not be put into a situation where they could be harmed by a racist person, nor should they be forced into longer commutes and the anxiety of a new school that might not feel like it was made to cater to them. Diversity is important and I agree that schools are supposed to prepare you for the diversity of the real world, but the safety of the students involved takes precedent.
I personally think racial and economic diversity in schools is extremely important because this gives people a chance to express their thought so the subject matter which is becoming more and more present in our society with the growing involvement in my generation with these kinds of problems we are finding ways to support and help causes that are like this or this subject so I think think that this is a perfectly fitted subject to talk about in schools and we shouldn't be afraid to talk about these types of subjects more.
It is definitely important for there to be racial and economic diversity in schools. If kids are just surrounded by kids who look and act like they do, they will never be ready for the real world. Kids need to be exposed to different things and different people; if they aren't, its far more likely that they won't understand or be accepting of people of different races, religion, or social status.
Diversity economically and racially should be an important priority for all schools. Kids need to be exposed to all aspects of life because there are all aspects of life that students today must be adjusted to. If kids want to attend that school and their grades are stable then their race for economic status should not affect their education. In my school, there is much diversity and it is in the mindset of all students that financial status and race make no difference. If our school were not so diversified then I worry that equality may not be the common mindset. This world consists of all types of people from all stretches of the world and school should reflect that and prepare students just for that.
@Julia Grandpre I do believe diversity is important in a school environment. However, I admit to having certain advantages that have allowed me to take honors and AP classes which tend to be classes with less diversity. I wish this was not the case. I think that diversity in a school environment is important, because it prepares students for the real world. It is also important that schools contain people of different cultures, race, gender, religion, and economic status, because it exposes students to other perspectives and can change the way that they think about society. Diversity makes learning more interesting and helps students develop deeper, more diverse ideas.
There is racial, economic or linguistic diversity among my high school students. I think this because our school will accept people based on academics not color. Our school mostly only has black and whites, but we do have many different cultures, religions, and linguistic diversity. Students here usually accept people no matter their color or religion. These factors are important to me and my family. We believe in diversity everywhere. We do not judge people based on their race or religions, we base them on personality and how they represent themselves. I was taught to be friends with everybody even if they didn't look like me. I do think being around different backgrounds can change people's perspectives. I think this because some people do stereotype so being around those people can let you see them for who they really are and where they come from.
I think it is important to have a school that is racially and economically diverse. Its important for students to understand that everyone lives in a different environment and group up a different way. It also opens the idea that students have different advantages over others like being able to go to college and having enough money to eat a meal each day. I shows students to not judge someone off of how or where they grow up.
America is not a white-washed country, and our schools should reflect that. By 2040, less that 50% of America will be white, and yet, we still have schools like River Hill who’s student body is less than five percent in poverty and not very racially diverse. American teens need to understand and live in the real demographics of America, not a white washed image fed to them by district lines and angry parents who don’t want their children to interact with the low income students. The argument of the bussed in students not having as much time to do homework is a farce. It’s two miles. Two miles worth of bus time is not going to make or break a student’s academic career and the advantages of being among the high achieving, wealthier students far outweigh this small issue.
Like Kamala Harris, I call upon Democratic leaders to support bussing. For too long, the Democratic party, the only party that realistically will fight for these underrepresented students., has faltered and not supported bussing the way it might be expected to. But now, many Democratic leaders are coming out in support of bussing policies and I support this awakening within the party.
Brown v. Board of Education was settled in 1954, and yet, we still have schools that are just as segregated as before. We owe it to underrepresented people to fight for their children and integrate them into traditionally white and wealthy schools. Until we do this, we will continually fail our youngest generations.
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Racial and economic diversity should be very important to school boards. My school has very little diversity compared to other schools in my county. It’s referred to as “the private school of public schools” and it’s the best public school in the area. However, it’s excruciatingly white, and mostly from financially stable homes.
I agree with all the qualms (except the racist ones) parents in the article have. There are lots of scary things that come from switching schools for any reason. However, I feel that this integration is necessary and will impact both schools and students positively for years to come. Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made in order to accomplish a greater goal, and these sacrifices are relatively small. I hope to see several similar integration processes in future years.
@Lily Dahlgren In regards to our school not being as racially diverse as the rest in the county, you are right, but that doesn't mean that diversity doesn't exist at Hoggard. Unfortunately, students of color at our school do not typically come from wealthy or academically rigorous families. They mostly went to elementary and middle schools that didn't have the same kind of resources as the schools in the wealthier parts of town, and thus their education was not as good as the wealthier, and whiter, children. So, though it may not seem like there are many students of color at our school, if you walk into an on-level class, many typically underrepresented students will be there, not because they aren't as smart, but because they didn't receive the same opportunities as the wealthier kids.
More economic and racial diversity in elementary and middle schools could help to fix this problem and may just be the answer the country is looking for.
I think schools that are Racial and Economic Diversity in schools can benefit from a lot of things. It can open their mind to many new things and different aspects of life and the different backgrounds everyone comes from and i think they are better at understanding other people’s situation. but schools that are not as diversity might not be able to understand as well that’s why it’s good to have diversity in schools
Diversity is, in my opinion one of the most important thing a school should have, public or not. There has been research that shows that putting people of all sorts of backgrounds and races can improve test scores as well as empathy. In the article there are some strong points made, how some students do not want to be around people who will judge them based on their money or race, or how this would be harder on the parents with low-incomes and non-flexible hours, and how the talented students of Wilde lake wish to stay to change the stereotype and even with that I still think it would be better for the students to be integrated. Yes it would be harder but I believe overall, it’s always better to put people together because if not there might be people who use their race as an excuse or to hold someone accountable, which no one should ever have to face.
This is a very sensitive top all over America right now, but it is something that needs to be talked about more than ever. This article talks about balancing out low income students who go to these schools. To redistrict the students to make it more “comfortable” for the students. Many students, parents and other protested against the redistricting. Saying it was unfair to put all the more well off children and the poor kids together in one group.
In my mind, “What does this mean for the low income students”. How would get to school? Or even get the proper education that they need with the lack of resources that I guarantee will be there since they are low-income students.
Rich or Poor everyone deserves a fair education, no matter their race, ethnicity, creed, or origin they go by. For policy makers to try and take the privilege of getting a good education from the students that are at a disadvantage, then let the protests continue.
Diversity is extremely important in schools. There is a big difference in knowing about different kinds of people and interacting with them. There would be much less people like the ones who have sent racist letters in the world if everyone could step outside of they're own bubbles and be open to different ideas.
As said in the article by Alisa Drake there were things her and her classmates believed about Wilde Lake before enrolling, but it wasn't until they attended the school that they realized what they had heard may not have been what it actually is. Until we put ourselves in these situations where we may not be comfortable or familiar we won't know the truth about what we hear or what our biases are.
I personally believe that higher income students would benefit more morally and personally from Equity in Action because they would be able to check any bias they may have, becoming more understanding, empathetic, and generous towards people who are less fortunate than they are.
I also understand why students like Amaiya Sancho who don't want to be around people who would judge them for things they cannot control. However I believe this could be a good opportunity for them to change the perspectives of those people, so that there would be a few more empathetic people in the world.
Of course it is! I think that getting to know other people’s lives and knowing what other cultures and traditions do is very important to everyone, not just schools. Schools are one of the places where people communicate the most and interact with each other constantly. Since students are sitting with each other for almost 8 hours, it is crucial for them to get to know each other and what they do and share their stories and traditions with other cultures.
In the featured article, it talks about how segregation is still common in parts of America. This shouldn't be allowed and I’m glad measures are being taken to stop this. Dr. Martirano’s “Equity in Action” is one way people are making a difference. It says in the article that “bringing students of disparate races and social classes together can boost children’s test scores and help them develop empathy.” This, and many other factors, show how important this is to students.
In my opinion, only allowing children to interact with demographically similar peers is unhealthy, and encourages the growth of prejudices. I live in a fairly privileged town, and most of the people I go to school with are white and upper-middle class, but schools only 15 or 20 miles away mostly have students that are low-income and racial minorities. How can we talk about the impact of desegregation and say that people of all races are treated as equals when situations like this are still commonplace? When children are only going to school with people just like them, they won’t have any opportunity to learn the experiences of other groups. In addition, many public schools receive funding based on the wealth of the town they serve or how well they perform on standardized tests. If a school is mostly populated by poverty-stricken students, their parents are likely not paying enough tax dollars to fund school or curriculum improvement, and if students are attending low-quality schools and have parents who are unable to provide additional support, then the students are probably not doing well enough on a tests to earn any state funding.
Racial diversity has many factors rather just economic statuses of the students and skin color/nationality. I think that it is good for the students to recognize the negative situations that might occur with this happening, but they should also help prevent their predictions from occurring as well. The parents should be a sign that this is indeed needed because they feel so self righteous that they want to deny other kids a better/or more equal education because of their own personal beliefs. If we all put an effort into changing how we as a society function, life would be easier and less confusing, this is the exact reason why we need to start introducing this way of life into schools.
Pt.2
Many of the students from Wilde Lake have similar views. They all believe that diversity and the exposure is beneficial, but they are comfortable where they are. The article mentions how the teachers at Wilde Lake make their students feel comfortable and intelligent. When kids feel successful, their quality of work is better and they are content with the effort they demonstrated. Others don't want students of a higher class coming to their school if they feel they are only going to be judged. Overall the students at Wilde Lake are happy with where they are, but coming from a school with a multitude of different backgrounds, I feel that the differences between everyone had shaped me into who I am today. Taking pieces of everyone with me while I remain true to my identity. Our salad bowl of a school.
pt1.
In my school, there is endless diversity. Located in the center of our community with kids from all over. Different locations, incomes, races, religions, values, and beliefs. Every unique identity has integrated into one school. Many simply coexist alongside one another, but the exposure to people from different backgrounds had shaped us into who we are. Gaining valuable and eye-opening experiences with students different from us.
When people go out of their way to send hateful, racist letters to the school board, I feel it backfires. These parents and students need to be exposed to shocking truth of those different from them. Children can't control what family or economic status they were born into, but what we can control is what we do with the gifts that we are given. Kids born into rich families that attend schools with a higher percent of wealthy students, ware going to have a head start over those who aren't. Integrating those who are less fortunate will level the playing field a little more. And hopefully humble the racist families that lurk in these school systems.
Racial diversities in schools is important. It shows how students must see each other’s backgrounds. Many of these backgrounds also differ from one another and they can learn from it if they put in the time to find out more about each other. Besides that, racial diversity is also good because it could teach you skills that can help a person out as they get older. Although it teaches your life skill, I still don’t agree with racial diversity in schools increase test scores. There is no evidence to support this to be true. I also think the idea of moving the kids out of their communities to attend different schools is a good idea. If we were to move kids of their community then they have a chance to learn about the world around them and this could also open more opportunities for them. Even though they would have to leave some friends behind it would be better for them in the long run.
@Shaikhkiuk I have to agree with you in that relocated to other schools would increase their test scores or make their grades any better. That takes a lot more time than solving the disputes between the people. Broadening their horizons is another reason that we should be able to relocate to other schools, some might experience it as if it’s a whole other world completely different to theirs.
I think that schools around the United States should prioritize having a racially and socioeconomically diverse group of students, because it makes students feel more included, and can help those who struggle in school. By making them more diverse, it would improve lower-income students grades if they were to be put in a better school district, and would improve their quality of school. I think the goal of having a diversitised schools is very important and should be urged to make these communities more unified. Teachers at Wilde Lake, a higher income school, makes their students improve their grades and help make their environment more welcoming. “Wilde Lake teachers made her, a black student, feel comfortable in her gifted and talented and A.P. classes, she said.” (Daniels, 2019). This shows that students can be involved in more advanced classes, while being happy at their school. By moving these students, the balance between school and work, school and sports and school and home could increase for those that do not have access to good education or teachers that care. Having lower income students and more diverse races improves the quality of education.
There are two sides of the debate for diversity in schools; one being that the low amount of diversity is fine and there is no need to change it, the other being that the more integrated and diverse a school is, the test scores go up, and students develop a higher sense of empathy. The author writes: “A growing body of research suggests that bringing students of disparate races and social classes together can boost children’s test scores and help them develop empathy” (Daniels, 2019, para. 4). The author shows in this quote that research is backing up the statement that more diverse schools ups test scores, and empathy development. Although there are some fears with integration and changing where kids are going to school in order to make schools more diverse. The author writes: “Longer commutes to school, they argued, would mean less time for students to do homework and to sleep. Some children would be severed from friends they had made in earlier grades. Low-income parents with inflexible jobs would be hit the hardest, and would not be able to get involved in their children’s schools.”(Daniels, 2019, para. 8). This quote shows the author’s acknowledgement of the fears people have about changing students’ schools. These fears are very valid.
I feel that diversity is very important in school systems, but it can't be forced upon people because that cause outbursts and makes things harder on families of the students. School district shouldnt prioritize on having a diverse community because that will only make it worse and create other challenges. I think if there is a situation like Wilde Lake and River hall that they should be able to move some students but only ones that can make the change comfortably because it is terrible that less than 5% of River Hill students are low income, they could balance that out a lot with the 54% at Wilde Lake.
@Will Fatzinger I could not agree with you more when you say that it should not be pressed upon schools but it should be thought about. I think that the harder we try to push it on certain people it can be stressful and could potentially cause more issues rather than solving them. We are not racially divided but at times it can hard for some people to accept the change and the blend just because the past and some white kids who have bad attitudes.
@Will Fatzinger
If the government had listened to the same things that were listed in your statement. We would still have segregation.
I think that it is important to have diversity in schools, but I also don’t think it is fair to students to make them ride on a bus or drive far out of their way to get to school.
I see that there are many good reasons to diversify schools. The article mentions some of these reasons, “research suggests that bringing students of disparate races and social classes together can boost children’s test scores and help them develop empathy.” While these are all good reasons there are some downfalls to this plan. The article mentions that, “Longer commutes to school, they argued, would mean less time for students to do homework and to sleep;” also that, “Low-income parents with inflexible jobs would be hit the hardest, and would not be able to get involved in their children’s schools.”
While I think that it is important to make schools more diverse, I don’t think it is fair to students to move them around to a different school, that is father away from their house than the one they already attend. In my opinion, more efforts should be into making the schools a better environment with the students who already go there, instead of just busing students all around town.
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@Abigail Bowles
Exactly, moving students around to different districts won't solve the problem as effectively as improving schools as a whole to not have these glaring differences in schools in the first place.
Recently in our music class, we were discussing what you would do if you didn’t get into any of the high schools that you applied to. One of the options was that you would go to your local high school, and everyone in the class groaned when the sub said that it would mean going to Ben Franklin. Then somebody called out “Imagine if you had to go to Strawberry Mansion.” It was this sentence that made me wonder why there were all these stereotypes about schools. And then I thought about what ethnicity made up most of the student body at these two schools and saw that it was a racial stereotype. The school that I go to is pretty multicultural, but the majority of it is white people. I guess that people feel uncomfortable about going to a school that doesn’t really represent their race. People seem hesitant to be the minority, but if people never venture outside of their comfort zones, then schools would never be fully desegregated.
Diversity in the classroom is critical to counter the systematic racism of American society. As humans we are naturally drawn to be in groups where everybody is as similar to us as possible. We do this because we are constantly seeking the easiest route. We do this because we don’t have to change and we don’t have to learn if everybody is the same as us.
However, it is the job of the school system to ensure that we learn, whether we want to or not. If the school system does not push us out of our comfort zone and into a place where we can learn and appreciate other cultures, then who will. If nobody makes us diverse, everybody would only be with people that are exactly like themselves, and if nobody made us diverse, everybody would be ignorant of the rest of the beautifully diverse world.
People are not going to want to learn, they are not going to want to be uncomfortable, but if we want to ensure that racism and bigotry are destroyed forever then we need to raise and educate future generations in acceptance of multiculturalism.
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It is important to have diversity in all schools. For example, where I went to elementary school and lived in Tennessee was primarily middle class and white, so when I came to my very diverse middle school in North Carolina it was weird. I don't necessarily think that kids need a lot of diversity in elementary school but I believe it is important in middle school and high school. If kids are only around their group/community their whole lives growing up, when they go to college and get a job they won't be as successful interacting with people who are different from them.
@Jacob Savage I agree with you that it is important to have diversity in all schools. I also went to a elementary school in which the majority of the students were white and middle class. Having experienced the same setting as you in elementary school I see where a more diverse environment can come as a shock.
However I think that schools need to be more diverse Starting as early as elementary school. I think this weird feeling you and many others experience when being put into a more diverse setting can be avoided if we grew up in more diverse environments. When we are younger is when we are the most impressionable so we need to be exposed to all sorts of people and environments at a young age, allowing us to be more comfortable around those who look different from us.
I don't believe school districts should prioritize having a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body. I believe if you are competent then you should be given the job of being on a student council. The school district should absolutely not be allowed to stop you from getting on a student body just because of race or class. You shouldn't be given a place on the student council just because of your race or class. Your place on the student council should be given to you based on how well you can do the job, and these others variables such as race or class are irrelevant. If those variables are considered and we give a person a place on the student council because he is Asian over a person whose race is White American, even if the person whose race is White American is more competent than the Asian, then we have failed the school and humanity and vice versa. To be completely honest, I hate writing that statement because getting a place on a student council should have absolutely nothing related to race and class and it should have everything related to competence. Schools should not follow the redistricting path like the one in Howard Country because it isn't fair and to be honest completely ridiculous. I completely support for a family who is struggling wanting to and going to a school dominated by rich kids but the school intervening and forcing them to is wrong. The school and the federal government has no right to force people to go to new schools.
@Somil Tare Although I agree that student council positions should be based off of the best choice for the position, I completely disagree with your other statements. School districts should 100% be concerned with the racial and ethnic diversity in their schools. Diversity allows for students to hear other points of view, and makes a place for everyone to become accepting of everyone around them.
Part 2: I’ve moved schools a lot throughout my life. I get that it’s tough for the students to have to transfer unwillingly. I understand that some parents are content with the schools they’re at, and don’t want to change. I know that even the desegregation of the schools in Howard County won’t force interaction between the people, and that cliques and groups will still form out of the masses.
With that being said, however, in the long term, making a conscious effort to increase diversity in race, class, and thought at schools is beneficial for everyone involved.
The two sides of the debate at its most basic are change and the status quo: whether to transfer some students between schools in an effort to create campuses more diverse or to keep things the way they are. Those against integration argue that the transfer of students will cause more problems, such as longer commutes and less sleep, than it is worth, while those for integration argue that bringing different students together will raise test scores and help develop empathy.
Regardless of which side is right, the education for the students should be the main priority. Transferring students from school to school may increase diversity, but it might cause problems, too. Amaiya Sancho says that wealthier students may not wish to attend Wilde Lake due to the differences in socioeconomic status and possibly race. Stereotypes certainly do not help this fact, as the racial and class divides give way to exaggerated or incorrect perceptions of the other side.
Obviously, arguing that “blacks destroy school systems” is blatantly racist and shouldn’t be seriously considered, even if a correlation exists. However, those attending River Hill have a right to want to keep things as it is. The article mentions the academic courses offered by Wilde Lake, but neglects to give those for River Hill, which are seemingly better. (31 AP courses compared to 25, although that gap has gotten smaller). Transferring students may mean trading better education for more diversity in the short term.
Part 1: Racial and economic diversity in schools is one of the most important things for a school to have. When I was in sixth grade, my parents transferred me to a private school further away from my neighborhood than I had ever been. The first thing I noticed when I went there was that everyone else was white. Everyone else was rich. Everyone else was inherently different than me. Being one of 3 black boys in a class of 300 ultra conservative white students is possibly the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.
Before I went to that school- before sixth grade- there were exactly zero black students in the grader I entered, and it showed. The adverse effects of going to a nigh-segregated school such as that are absurd. The ignorance and racism and elitism built up within the kids there as a result of not being around anyone different than them were jarring.
Diversity in schools is good for a number of reasons. Besides leveling the playing field to give poorer schools the boost they need, it also provides for much needed growth and development of the students enrolled. If you’ve never met a black person before, if you’ve never befriended someone poorer than yourself, if all of the opinions you have about other people were formulated from afar, then it’s inevitable that you develop false ideas about what people are like. Of course your world view is going to be limited if you limit it yourself.
I consider our school to have great racial, economic, and linguistic diversity. Although these types of diversity are important in school systems, my family doesn't prioritize them as much as other factors including overall rating, education, and services. Diversity teaches us the others' perspectives of the world, bu can also create a greatly divided and disunited school based on these factors. People are naturally going to group with others who share similar characteristics with them. These ultimately form stereotypes. However, stereotypes are naturally created anyway. If one surrounds themselves with people who are different than them, the stereotype will change, but not be removed entirely. Stereotypes occur due to people's perceptions of others. For example, people may believe that all Indians are smart and straight A students. People believe this because that is what they perceive. And they are mostly right. Most Indians are straight A students, however not all of them are. At some points, I feel as if I am left out as I do not belong in certain groups. However, I would never think people would discriminate others based on their socioeconomic status. On the contrary, is is very common to segregate people based on their ability and volition to learn, as this is the case with school. Based on one's ability to learn, they are categorized as special education, average, or gifted.
Both sides of this argument are understandable, as there are positive and negative aspects to switching students’ school environments.
On one hand, integrating students that come from different backgrounds can have negative effects. Students may feel very uncomfortable in a new environment as they have to make new friends- specifically ones who may not have the same values and beliefs as they do. Furthermore, just the thought of moving to a new environment may cause students to have a negative outlook on the idea as a whole.
Although integrating students with different backgrounds does have some negative effects, it also has benefits as well. Integrating students will expose them to different types of cultures and economic statuses- forcing them to be more aware of the things going on around them in their everyday lives. This will allow students to grow mentally, which is a benefit and is something that may even improve test scores. It is much better for students to be exposed to diversity early in their lives rather than later, as they are much more impressionable when they are younger.
In my highschool I do notice racial, economic, and linguistic diversity. Everyone is different but that does not mean that is a bad thing, I feel diversity in the environment gives the opportunity for students to have the ability to adapt to new places. It also creates social skills in students, with the variety of people from different cultures, religions, and beliefs. According to author Dana Goldstein her article “Where Civility Is a Motto, a School Integration Fight Turns Bitter”, gives readers a real example of diversity in the classroom. Dana states “bringing students of disparate races and social classes together can boost children’s test scores and help them develop empathy. From this quote it supports the topic of how having diversity in the classroom can not only benefit a student but impact them emotionally and mentally.
@Alexandria Bentley I believe you are right in saying benefit the students emotionally and mentally. In my school I see many groups of everyone alike talking to each other. This defeats the point of schools making sure that we go to school together. We were meant to interact, learn, and become better by talking to many different people. By interacting with people different from ourselves, as you said, we benefit emotionally and mentally, and work towards becoming better people, with better views than from past generations.
Question 1)- Disregarding the racism that comes along with the argument that schools should not integrate there are still valid proposals that deter the integration. The fact that long-lasting friendships might be split up or that people will feel an outcast in a new group of people is a defining factor in the decision to integrate. Especially for those students who are not particularly social, it would be a challenge to be removed from a familiar environment and placed into a different school. It demonstrates some overall negative aspects to moving students to a different school.
Although there are downsides to integrating, like any other important decision, there are also benefits. Diversity is a part of growing up- we see it everywhere. The integration will help students learn how to cope with differences within a community and excel at interacting with others even when there are no similarities in material things such as wealth or status. Furthermore, new hardships to face and overcome builds character that will last a lifetime- whether you are moved to a different school or making new friends who were integrated.
The two central arguments of the redistricting revolve around the effects on changing the population demographics of the schools. Those in favor of the redistricting advocate the benefits of a more diverse environment and the interpersonal connectivity amongst students of different backgrounds; however, groups against the redistricting have contemplated the logistics of the redistricting and how that may affect student's time management ability. In spite of the technical problems the redistricting may face, I think it is valiant and commendable of the Board to push for a more diverse classroom. It is generally found to be true that when people share ideas, innovations, discoveries, and improvements are made. The need for heterogeneous classrooms must be fulfilled if the mind is going to be put in the best environment possible for learning, but aside from this, the negative stereotypes that Wilde Lake High School fell victim to is blatant classism and also needs to be addressed. My school is in a similar position as Wilde Lake in that it is also facing redistricting and The two central arguments of the redistricting revolve around the effects on changing the population demographics of the schools. Those in favor of the redistricting advocate the benefits of a more diverse environment and the interpersonal connectivity amongst students of different backgrounds.
Amaiya Sancho provides a reasonable concern when it comes to the socioeconomic status of students and whether or not they will feel comfortable around others dissimilar to them. I believe this concern to be entirely coherent since many students are prone to feeling self conscious about themselves. For instance, students with a low-income background may feel as though they are being judged of how they appear or what they do not have by those with high-income backgrounds. It is a concern across most schools, not including Wilde Lake High school or River Hill High school. Students may view themselves, or are viewed by others, as outsiders as a result of not fitting in with others. In the situation between Wilde Lake or River Hill, low-income students transferring to a school surrounded by students of high-income may feel as though they are being judged based on this status. Ultimately, concerns of self-consciousness will peak if this decision is made. Although, this negative affect of diversity does not mean that it should be avoided entirely. I believe pushing diversity will, at first, cause problems among students. However, it would lead to students eventually seeing the world through others perspective. It may enlighten students in seeing that there is no point in judging others. They can learn to understand each others stories and view diversity as a positive concept.
As students at Wilde Lake High School mention stereotypes that people have about their school, I think of those that are thought of in High School North. There is a perception that High School South, could provide a better education, a safer environment, better athletics, etc. While all of this is false, students all over the town believe in these claims and stereotypes, that South is the better school. These stereotypes originate because the northern part of the town is seen as "poorer," and many of the people that live in the area are from lower class families. The south, in comparison is seen as "richer," and students want to attend the school that has more money, better athletics, and a better education, when they are about the same. Most people who believe these stereotypes, though, have been brought up hearing the claims that South is "better" than north. If someone is brought up constantly hearing that something is better than another, chances are, they will begin to believe it, which is why the stereotypes stick around for a long time
"What do you notice at your school? Is there racial, economic or linguist diversity among the student body? How important are these factors to you and your family?"
As I walk the school hallways I can tell that there are people from many different backgrounds and cultures. In some instances, the school has even encouraged further diversity by letting exchange students from places around the world such as France and Spain stay with host families. By bringing in hints of other cultures, students can gain insight into how others live by viewing an example. Even within my close friends, there are racial, economic and linguistic diversities. Some people that I know are able to speak two languages, or they were born in another country. I feel that being surrounded by different factors such as these the individual has the ability to understand others better and become more intellectual. Learning to work with other types of people, and learning how to appreciate their way of life is a necessity when regarding the topic of racial and economic diversity. Diversity within any community will have a positive effect on the surrounding population.
I feel as if diversity in high schools is an important key to learning in itself. One of the main factors that make learning such an experience is the different perspectives and beliefs you can receive form different people's experiences. For the schools particularly mentioned, I believe that integrating would be nothing but beneficial as far as racial standards. The writer states, "There is also a racial difference between the two schools: At Wilde Lake, 45 percent of students are black and 13 percent are Hispanic, and at River Hill High, only 7 percent of students are black and fewer than 5 percent are Hispanic." The mix between the two schools would be a great experience for all, being able to meet new people, share and learn new experiences, and create connections with others, no matter skin color.
Nicole Daniels explains the importance of diversity in a school setting and I completely believe there are many social benefits to diversity in the classroom. Many years ago there was a discriminate towards different colors or ethnic groups being in the same buildings together. However, now being in classrooms with diversity children are able to grow up learning how to get along with others not based on the way they look or the way they live their lives. Children are able to learn more about others who come from different back grounds. They can see that everyone is different and it is okay that way. That there is nothing wrong with being different whether it being different color of skin, ethnicity, or their background.
Socioeconomic diversity may conflict with Wilde Lake and River Hill. Socioeconomic status is recognizable when comparing your school to another school, however, the diversity is not the problem: the problem is the pride and snooty attitude that comes with having a higher socioeconomic class. In a school that is more diverse, I never paid attention to if somebody was rich or was poor. In larger schools that are of "richer origin", they will pay attention to these ideas. In order to prevent uncomfortable situations between two diverse classes, students should be taught acceptance for all people, despite how much money they have.
There are stereotypes all over the place, no patter where one goes wither its work or school there will be a use of stereotypes. Not all stereotypes are meant to harm people some uses it as a way to categorize groups, however, that doesn't make the use of stereotypes correct. The use of stereotypes shows when another group of people are scared of one distinct group. They use the stereotype as a way to give themselves reasons not to hang out to be kind to one group. Most stereotypes had been passed down throughout generations, beginning with one's great grandfather and maybe even further along the family tree. These stereotypes were created by groups of people who were scared of the changes that were being brought on by different groups. Though if different groups were to come together and learn from one another these stereotypical ideas of one another.
Simply put, the two sides of the debate, as described in the article, are those who oppose integration of schools with in a specified district and those who support this proposal. The integration of schools would be determined on the basis of both economic and socioeconomic diversity. Those who oppose this proposal, such as the Howard County Families for Education Improvement and parents who have spoken out against this seem to focus not on the benefits of integration for the majority, but rather the negatives it may impose on a smaller subset of students. In large part, this belief is likely rooted in the notion that, within this district, the perception that one school is superior to the others is rampant. Those who oppose the plan feel that some of the children who would be affected by the zoning changes may be moved to the inferior school. Less pressingly, this subset of individuals also argue that difficulties with transportation may ensue. In contrast to this, those who support integration, such as Dr. Mariano or Alisa Drake believe that rezoning the district would better integrate schools with higher concentrations of minorities and low income students. They argue that this would in turn provide these students with more opportunities which would not have previously been afforded to them. Thus, those who are supportive of the plan seem to consider the benefits as a whole.
I do not think that the best way to make schools more racially and socioeconomically diverse is by redistricting the school systems. I understand the effort to make a change, however this plan will cause more frustration and inconvenience for a lot of students. They will now be separated from friends and the comforts of there school, and will have to be driven or bused to a school that my be far for them. I think that by pushing these two very different schools together, it will make the racial and socioeconomic gap dividing the students even bigger and more apparent. They may want to try this plan with an elementary or middle school, where the children are not yet raised in a school with only one race or socioeconomic class, however I do not think that it is the biggest issue in schools right now. I think that schools should focus more on the students education rather than the diversity. High schools specifically should be focused on the students academics and preparing them for college and other endeavors.
While I do believe that diversity in schools is important, I do not believe that districting should be altered to create more diversity. Diversity inside of the school is an important issue, however, it is not worth moving kids around only to force diversity. A school should be diverse on its own and should not have to mix and match different students to fit a desired standard of diversity. Many students have grown accustomed to their peers and schools throughout previous years and to move them to different schools with different peers would be unfair to them, especially with a problem that does not exactly need solving. The schools being diverse is an issue that does not cause any immediate problems. The problems are caused by prejudices created around the schools and students who attend. If anything, mixing the two schools would most likely cause bullying of the new minority of transfers from each school.
I notice that at my school we have a somewhat diverse student body. Some students are wealthy, some are middle-class, and some are in between those categories. We have people of different ethnicity and races as well. Personally, I don't care about what someone's race or economic status is. None of those things affect me so I shouldn't care about it. Diversity in the school does not affect me because I treat everyone the same.
There are many stereotypes that outsiders have about the students that go to my school. My school is perceived to others as the “poorer” or the “discount” version of other schools. Thee stereotypes I believe originate because my school does not get the best test grades in the district and it can be notorious for fights and things going wrong. There are also other stereotypes about people in the school around me. One school, for example, is known to have “rich and snobby” kids. Another is known for their athletes. Another still is known for their exceptionally high grades. One is also known district wide for being “cheaters” because they give scholarships to their athletes to attend a nice, private school. I think that these beliefs come from just how students from these schools portray themselves. For the “rich” school, for example, a lot of students wear nice clothes and show off that they do, in fact, have money, which creates a stereotype. To further my examples, the school known well for giving scholarships is notorious for having the best football team in the district illegitametley because everyone has discovered knows that they “cheat” and give out scholarships. I think that being around peers of different backgrounds can change some peoples view because my school is actually really fun and intelligent, and people might not realize that right away. Yet, being here has taught me that my school’s stereotype is definitely wrong.
"Do you think that school districts should prioritize creating racially and socioeconomically diverse student bodies?
I believe that school districts should not prioritize creating racially and socioeconomic diverse student bodies. School districts should only redistrict schools in cases of overcrowding, and based on what school is closest to where you live. I would agree with the argument of the Howard County Families for Education Improvement, as it would make no sense to bus a student across a town if they could walk to a school a mile down the road. Additionally, I believe that creating a "perfect" society is an intangible goal, as making an attempt to bring economic and social diversity to a school would be met with resistance for many reasons. One would be the increase in the need for bussing, second would be that students would lose friendships that they have had for many years, and finally, the world is not racially and socioeconomic diverse, so diversifying schools is not the real world.
What do you notice at your school? Is there racial, economic or linguist diversity among the student body? How important are these factors to you and your family?
There is a minor amount of racial and economic diversity among my student body. Primarily, mostly everyone is either lower-middle-class or middle-upper class. As far as racial aspects, the majority are white, but there are also some African American, Indian, Hispanic, etc. peoples. These factors are not important at all to me or my family because racial and economic positions among the student body do not affect me in any way because they should all be looked upon as equals.
Do you think that school districts should prioritize having a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body? How important do you think this goal is? Should school districts follow a redistricting plan like the one proposed in Howard County? Or, do you think there are other ways to make schools more diverse?
I do not think that the school district should prioritize having a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body. The schools should focus on the education, not what people think is "demeaning" and "racist." Although the article says studies have suggested it improves scores, it is not proven and although empathy is important, it should not determine your school. that does I do not think this goal is important. You are not districted to a school because your race or ethnicity, it is boundaries and more than that. Redistricting to make it more diverse, only causes more problems. For the people who cannot afford transportation to a further school to make it more diverse or other problems. The schools districts should not focus on redistricting based on race and socioeconomic class, that is not beneficial. It is all based on where you live. If you live in a predominately black neighbor, YES it would mostly be of that race. Same with white, Hispanic, and every other race. You should not redistrict because of race or socioeconomic class, you should redistrict if it benefits the education and community as a whole.
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At my school, there is no real separation of minorities. Although we might not always get along, its usually never because someone is poor or because of their race. I believe that schools should be like this, all together with a mix of everything. This is how you grow up, your childhood experiences help shape who you are and its hard to be accepting of others when people like you are all you know. We live in a separated society where people are judged by their status, race, etc, and its hard to fix, but if we start young, by mixing schools to have a genre of races, wealth, test scores, then they will learn sooner that we are all human and that nothing makes anyone less deserving of respect. There are rumors of my school and our rival school joining as one school. There are major stereotypes made by our rivals: they call us trash, poor, dumb, which is not right at all. If we combine our school, we can eliminate those stereotypes. If we don't, they get programmed to think that that kind of behavior is okay, which it isn't. Its better to let kids get experienced to other kind of people, and to condition them to know that everyone gets the same amount as respect young so they can take those skills and apply them in adult life.
“Is Racial and Economic Diversity in Schools Important?”
As humans grow up we go through many obstacles, one including diversity. High school is one of the many places where diversity comes into play. Both Wilde Lake and River Hill high schools have a huge diversity problem, and a community in Maryland is trying to find a solution to this problem in rezoning may of the children between the 2 schools. 88% of the children at River Hill are white and around 95% of students are of good income families. While, 46% of students at Wilde Lake are of low-income families and 46% of students are black and 13% are Hispanic. The solution being proposed in this community of Maryland brings much racism with it. Often parents especially begin to support racist subjects in order to “protect” their children from diversity. When I started school in kindergarten, of course, I was the only black kid in the grade with only a hand full of other colored students in the whole elementary. Of course being different brings bullying and negative reactions because of diversity, but those who opposed me because of my color were weak. The weak oppose diversity and begin to hate or take part in doing or saying hatred things in order to fight diversity. Although, diversity is a good thing and is our world today because everyone is different, many don’t accept that. Diversity is never and will never be a bad thing, but their will always be haters (racists) towards the subject.
Though racial and socioeconomic diversity in schools is important, improvements to schools that are struggling in performance needs to be focused on first. If advancements were made to these schools, stigmas around attending them would lessen, leading to increased enrollments and diversity, which is equally effective in “changing the narrative” as redistricting. Increased funding for improvements, though it may not be easily generated, is preferable to busing students to different schools if they do not wish to attend them. Busing students, rather than improving disenfranchised schools, is the easy way out of solving the issue of schools not performing well. Students in under-privileged areas deserve to have schools near them that are as advantageous to them as schools in wealthy areas, rather than being bused to the wealthy schools where they will face stereotypes surrounding their previous school. Also, though redistricting makes schools diverse, transferred students may not interact with each other. For example, according to a research study of redistricting by UC Davis, “redistricting increased racial and socioeconomic segregation in schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students”. Redistricting without focus on improvements of schools will not guarantee success in having a group of diversified students that generate positive interactions.
I notice that at my school there is basically no diversity at all. I think that there is racial and economic diversity because a lot of the kids at my school have a lot of money and talk about it as well. In Is Racial and Economic Diversity in Schools Important by Daniels Nicole Nov, 21 2019 para.9, “At Wilde Lake, 45 percent of students are black.” You can tell just by driving around my city and looking at the cars and houses. I believe that this is not super important to my family but I think they would like it if I wasn’t a minority and there where more diversity in my school as well. I think that diversity in schools is important because it lets kids hangout with people who come from all over and different backgrounds, races, and religions other than their own.
Racial and economic diversity should never be pursued at the expense of personal freedom. The fact of the matter is that most kids would prefer to be in a school where the people are culturally and economically similar to them. Most of the poor kids do not want to have to go to school with people that are wealthier than them. And with good reason, science has proven that income inequality can cause stress and depression. If your just as poor as all of your friends then its isn’t a huge issue. As long as you can get your physiological and safety needs in Maslow’s hierarchy, money won’t improve your overall happiness unless there is social repercussions for being poor.
But the advantages that many richer schools have over poorer ones cannot be overstated. They enjoy higher quality teaching, better support for students, and a more academically driven community. If nothing is done about this disparity then income inequality will just keep increasing and the Pareto distribution will just become more extreme.
The best policy to ensure equality and freedom is to allow people to decide their own schools. People from lower economic backgrounds will get the first choice. This ensures that anyone from a lower economic background has the first opportunity to get a better education, if they are willing to undergo the stress of being the poorest kid in the class and having long bus rides. Anyone who would rather stay in a school with own economic group can do that too.
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*Part 4*
Teachers will see that these students really care and are trying and if these students have issues at home they can and should get help. If we also upgraded all schools in order to get them at the same level with good teachers and staff than this wouldn't be ann isse in the first place. Bussing kids to other schools never works, makes parents and students mad, and doesn't help the students who care about schools despite the article that New York Times referred to and conveniently did not cite.
I know people are going to call me racist for writing this and to those people I would have to say “your race card has been declined, please come up with another form of argument”. Simply trying to slander the person of which you disagree with simply makes you look intelligent because instead of trying to come up with a counter argument you attack them. I have no hatred towards people of any race but I don't like the behavioral aspects that come with people of certain backgrounds. How would you feel if one day you walked into class and all your friends had been bussed to another school and in their place were kids who were disruptive, arragont, and rude? I’m not saying all people who don't do well in school are this way but from my experience and statistics the majority are. I don’t choose my friends based on race but on the content of their character. I'm simply voicing my opinion on the article in an effort to stop policy like this from spreading.
@Yates Kirby You have a well thought out response, but your opinions are highly bigoted and rooted in racism even though the ideas may not be racist themselves. You say that you "don't like the behavioral aspects that come with people of certain backgrounds." That is a clearly racist statement. You are simply saying that are only okay with minorities when they act like upper class white gentleman. You cannot discriminate against the culture of minorities. While that is not discriminating based on skin color, it is still discriminating based on cultural group, which is still racism.
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I believe that diversity in schools is important, but not to the point where you disrupt the community. While yes, integrating the schools could boost test scores, as stated in the articles, it could also increase commute time, which, as ALSO stated in the article, would hit lower-income households the hardest. This means that by trying to remedy a problem, you could actually be hurting one of the groups you’re trying to help.
Another potential stipulation (hint: understatement) is the racism. People aren’t always willing to accept something they don’t believe in, even if what they DO believe is inherently disgusting and wrong. Just take “Blacks destroy school systems and schools,” for example. Not only is it horribly racist, it’s also wrong. But, I digress. What I’m saying is, people won’t change if they don’t want to. They’ll fight it. With everything they have. Because they’re hateful, small-minded fools.
So no. I don’t think that integration is a good idea.
*Part 2*
People like to be with their own kind, blacks with blacks, whites with whites, asians with asians etc and when you force people to interact with those whom they don't want to, that causes conflict. This is what the ruling class wants to divide us any way they can, race, economic position, living on this side vs that side of town so they can keep themselves in power. They want the “peasants” to keep fighting with each other so that we all don't band together and rise up and expose them for all the bad things they are doing. This is why they are so scared of the Epstein memes; people are unifying over one common agreement, Epstein didn’t kill himself and this has them running like crazy. They can no longer divide us by race or political party and this scares them. Dividing people is what the government is good at and likes to do so it comes as no surprise that they want to diversify the schools. This lets the poor kids intermingle and start to hate each other a little more and keep them fighting with each other.
I think that diversity in the classroom is vital to learning. When you are the only one of your ethnic background or race you feel out of place. While feeling that way you are more focused on the other people around you looking at you like you don’t belong rather than focusing on your education. When there is diversity in a classroom no one feels like they don't fit in no matter if it is a racial or economic diversity it just gives a feeling of comfort knowing that you have someone like you. For example, I went to a primarily African american school with low income living and that was mostly everyone but one day we had a new kid and his new kid was hispanic and was more middle class than the rest. The new kid wouldn’t really do there work instead they would be looking around the classroom looking nervous and kinda scared and i didn't understand till I moved schools. When I moved schools I started going to a primarily white private school and i just felt like I didn't belong there because i was so different compared to my classmates. I could really focus in class because when I sat down in class it would be like time would freeze and it would be stuck with everyone staring at me and giving me looks. I didn’t stay there long because i told my parents how I felt going there but i feel like if I had someone there that was from a low income family i think that i could have actually learn while i was there
There is a strong stereotype about my school. My school is stereotyped as being the middle class drug infested school. Each school around my high school has their own unique stereotype. One neighboring school is known as a wealthy arrogant population and the other bordering school is known as a poor drug infested school. The beliefs come from the students at the other schools. These stereotypes are developed on how the students handle themselves and it gives their school an image. According to Alisa she lives among stereotypes and calls the neighboring school, “a ghetto school” (Daniels, 2019, 15.). All school districts will develop a stereotype. When students are put into a school system with different backgrounds their perceptions will change. When you sit in class next to someone of a different race, you get to know them on a different level. Students also can become more thankful for what they have when their exposed to others that don’t have enough money to eat lunch. Stereotypes will never go away, but diversity must exist.
I would describe the two sides of the debate as ill-informed. The parents and students from River Hill believed that they were automatically better and smarter than the kids at WIlde Lake purely because of their race and wealth. If they took the time to research and inform themselves, they’d realize that the test scores about the The kids at WIlde Lake believed that everyone at River Hill thought they were better than them and would make their school less enjoyable because of their supposedly entitled attitude. Both of these beliefs are stereotypes and caused tensions between the two schools and the entire plan in general.
I personally think that racial and economic diversity in schools are extremely important. I say this because it gives you the opportunity to learn about other people's background. Also, to be united as one nation and as people I feel like having people of other races and other places come together is important to the human race in general. We live in a world today where oppression increases each day and violence and hate crimes occur daily. So, to be able to come together I definitely think that experiencing and understanding diversity in the classroom is very necessary. Moving on, I also think that diversity in the classrooms can be a great way to learn about different, religions, cultures, and customs as well. This can only further our education and decrease out ignorance towards other people.
*Part 3*
Issue two, money. Taxes are supposed to benefit the taxpayer; the rich people pay more taxes, they get better infrastructure. This isn't necessarily the way it's supposed to work but it does with the things that are hard to equalize such as education. It's easy to make all the roads and water lines all over the city but its hard to make the poor kids perform as well as the rich kids. In North Carolina they implemented some ridiculous standardized tests that did nothing but hurt schools. Their thinking was that if these students are not performing as well as these students than their school is far worse and we need to sink a whole bunch of money into them when really the kids don’t care. Kids from high income families won't and shouldn't be forced to go to a worse school inorder for another kid to go to a better school. Its equal opportunity not equal outcome.
Instead of bussing kids to other schools they should do two things, address the issue of misbehaving in schools at a younger age and simply improve all schools. Once kids reach high school they have already made up their mind about whether they value education and this is where the poor scores come from. If kids really cared about school they could do well no matter their economic background, it happens all the time, rags to riches.
I believe that having racial diversity is very important in schools today. While, society has been getting better with having diversity in schools, there are still many places where there is very little diversity. Having many different racial backgrounds helps students realize the many different lives that are around each other. It will help socially because students will learn to have those social skills to interact with many people and not care about their backgrounds. I think that schools should definitely implement having more racially diverse schools, it will helps students later in life, but I do not believe it is the biggest problem and it not necessarily the number one priority when it comes to improving schools. One thing I notice at my high school is that we have a pretty diverse student body. There is definitely a majority of white students, most likely due to the wealthier area the school is in, but we do have a lot of diversity and I think that is great. Having more racially diverse schools is important for our society and social interactions and should definitely be impactful in the future.
In the article the two sides of the debate from the students is strong. While some of the opposing are for racist and uncivilized reasons there are many good reasons for the redistricting not to happen. The biggest one being that students don't necessarily enjoy having to switch schools and most of the time leave all their friends. I have seen this first hand. This year there was a huge redistricting in my area (not for the same reason) and when talking to the new students I could see how hard it was for them, some being seniors that had to switch because they didn't have a car so they have to take the bus. If we redistricted the schools this would happen to a lot more people.
Diversity is important to help kids grow and learn to appreciate it but at this age things are mostly set. Schools like river hill can just cause more stress and anxiety for the minorities redistricted there. With students being racists and making fun of them for their economic state, these kids can become miserable. Simply putting these minorities in schools like river hill will not change how racist these kids are, at this age it is set, this may just cause it to be hidden a little more but it doesn't help.
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Diversity itself is inherently positive, as proven in biology and natural selection where having a variety of organisms in a population makes that population more likely to survive and reproduce. However, there is a difference between diversity and forced diversity. Forced diversity, although unfair, is extremely prevalent in universities. Although the case accusing Harvard of discrimination brought up by Asian-American applicants fell through in federal court, the accusations still sparked an important discourse over the motivations of universities when choosing who gets accepted and who gets scholarship money. For example, Ivy League schools have discriminated against Jewish applicants in the past, by adding criteria like "leadership" and "well-rounded" to applications. Many universities have scholarships exclusively for racial minorities and the economically disadvantaged, forcing middle and upper-class white and Asian students to take out student loans. The reason why public universities favor minorities is so they can receive millions of dollars in funding from the federal government. Even outside of universities, students are experiencing forced diversity and equality. College Board planned on adding an "advisory score" to the SAT in order to artificially inflate the scores of racial minorities and the economically disadvantaged, who, on average, score lower than whites, Asians, and the upper-class. While diversity is beneficial, its genuineness should be questioned.
To put it simply, my school is one big melting pot. There are rich kids, poor kids, smart kids, dumb kids, black, white, Hispanic, homosexual, bisexual, etc. I feel like my school would not be what it is if it weren't for this big mix of different backgrounds, identities, and personalities. Before I came to my school, I went to a predominately white parochial school. I was used to one color, and many people with the same background. While entering a public high school was definitely an eye opening experience, I think it really has opened my mind. Hearing stories from people of their lives outside of school and sports is fascinating, and I have met and become with many different people, some of the same race as me, and others different. I feel as though having an ethnically and racially diverse school is necessary for each individual student's growth, both academically and morally.
While I disagree with the hate mail, and the quote that “Certain families and communities do not have strong values in healthy family structure, high expectation on education, or firm beliefs in raising kids with good characters.", these parents still have a right to their own opinion. These parents have not yet once stepped in the shoes of their own children, and maybe desegregating these schools can be the positive, "color blind" change we need in our society today. Also, as the article states, they will have improved test scores, which will in fact make parents, students, and the school happy.
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In Columbia, Maryland, an incredibly polarized debate is going on between the school board and angry parents. But this issue isn’t isolated: Many school districts across the country are having the same debate. Often, school districts have a clear divide between high-income students and low-income students, with the high-income students being predominantly white and/or asian. With the with the best education often being offered at the “rich” schools, school districts everywhere are struggling with the issue of evening the playing field between groups.
However, many parents are not happy, even going to the lengths of sending overtly racist letters to the school board. it’s an uphill battle to say the least. But there are clear advantages in integration. By sending students to school with people different than them, they can gain valuable life experiences and learn about other cultures. But most importantly, it helps lower-income students dig themselves out of the pit of poverty via better education.
I personally support integration, as I believe that it is essential in creating a more diverse and inclusive society. But just stopping at integration isn’t adequate. School districts need to take the initiative to ensure that students get into higher-level classes and eventually college to break the cycle of poverty. Without doing that, you may essentially just be moving the students without making a difference.
Social experiences and understandings are a main part of school curriculum, therefore it is necessary to have racial diversity. If people can't get rid of their innate bias by the end of kindergarten then that person's social abilities when facing those different from oneself are very sub par. Segregation is in itself discrimination and harms communities by taking away variety in social development and open mindedness.
The article states that bringing in different economic classes will jump start the idea of empathy in schools and lead to higher test scores. With more social acceptance in tight knit communities such as school the society we are in will become closer to equality
What do you notice at your school? Is there racial, economic or linguist diversity among the student body? How important are these factors to you and your family?
I notice in each classroom there are roughly sixty percent caucasion and forty percent other racial backgrounds. I feel that my high school has racial and economic diversity at all grade levels. However, I do not notice a linguistic diversity in our student body. I feel that the presence of diversity is extremely important to me and my family. Diversity is a reality and you need to to be exposed to it throughout your entire life. Being around diversity will allow people to grow and. “help them develop empathy,” (Daniels, 2019, 5.). Schools will help create better adults by providing diversity. Being around diversity will help with overall racism. I believe as a student that is around diversity each day, I have become open minded about all races and economic backgrounds. Having the opportunity to be exposed to all backgrounds will me make me a better adult. We all need to look at each other as equals and it should start in the school system.
Going to a school full of different cultures and religions, I Believe its extremely essential to have a good amount of diversity in all places. However I think that having this characteristic in Schools is most beneficial because kids from a young age need to be able to learn, adapt and interact with all kinds of people so it molds their personality optimistically. I’m sure we all have met a person who is not very outgoing and social therefore has trouble adjusting to the diverse environment around them. Being biased of certain differences can lead to serious problems, both for the person and the people around them. Over the last few years, we have heard mass shootings in schools, most of them are rooted from severe racism and hatred towards a certain group. These types of events are often results of kids not exposed to diversity.
Redistricting for the sole purpose to increase diversity seems a little absurd to me. Redistricting should be implemented if a school is overflowing or if a certain school is closer for a large group of students. Although I agree that diversity is an important factor to have within a school, but it doesn't mean that a student should have to not see their childhood friends in school.
Stereotypes for every high school exists. People can never escape stereotypes, we just have to deal with and prove them wrong sometimes. Sure I go to a school that has many people that come for an above average income but that doesn't mean that we don't respect our peers that come from a low income family. We are all students and money should have nothing to do with that.
Where a student goes to school is based on their location to the school and around the high school that is so-called "ghetto" there might be lower cost housing that a family can afford. The distance from a school can be detrimental fro a student. The article said that parents would not be able to get involved in the school and that students might have trouble participating in after school activities is true. The drive to a school plays a big part, especially in high school, and that would be one of the most influential cause to redistrict students. Not if the school has more black, Hispanics, or white students.
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I believe that racial and economic diversity is important in schools but it shouldn’t be forced. My school is pretty diverse both economically and racially and was done without the movement of students. In my opinion, having people from all different backgrounds allows for students to become more open-minded and accepting of everyone. These lessons are something that will stick with the students forever, especially when entering the workforce.
The article is about the transfer of seven-thousand students to different schools in an attempt to better mix different races and economic levels. The county has a problem with a lack of diversity as certain schools have become primarily for the privileged and others for the children of families that are struggling. Groups opposing this movement have said that “longer commutes to school, they argued, would mean less time for students to do homework and to sleep.” Even the students themselves are somewhat hesitant with the movement of schools
(Part 1)
Lately, my town has been trying to abolish “neighborhood schools,” which I frankly find ridiculous. I like diversity as much as the next person, but there’s no reason to break up kids from their friends, make traffic even heavier than it already is, and make it more difficult for parents to get involved in their children's’ schools all in the name of ending segregation. It’s just not efficient, and our schools have been “desegregated” since Brown v Board of Education in 1954.
Hateful extremists exist everywhere you go, on both sides of the political spectrum, but they’re usually in the minority. Most people are more or less like me; I will acknowledge that people of other races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic standing are different than me, but I also know they are worth as much as me. I don’t think less of them for how they look or where they live, and I believe many of my peers feel similarly. I of course value diversity, I just don’t think it’s worthwhile to go to the trouble of desegregating our already desegregated schools.
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I think that school districts should prioritize having a diverse racial and socioeconomic student body. I think that instead of switching all the students who are already there, the school should just mix around future students. That way, there won’t be as many bad things said, as they won’t know as much. At my school, there are stereotypes. My school is a very good school, so “all the students accepted are all REALLY smart!” Yes, we’re all smart, but maybe not as much as you would have liked. It’s a very integrated school, but there is still some conflicts. Racial, economic and social diversity is rather important in my family. My family wants me to be friends with people from all different backgrounds. That way, I can understand many different lifestyles and learn to accept more people, rather than just people who are like me.
I personally believe that diversity is one of the most important things for a student to be exposed to. It helps to open their mind and overcome stereotypes they may have heard or assumed. That being said, I do not support this redistricting policy. While diversity is important, you have to look at how people's daily lives will be affected. Students who live farther away from schools will have to spend more time to get there and back, as will their parents if they are driving them. Students will be taken away from their friends, which in high school, is a big deal. Students may feel ostracized or out of place after being forced to a school they do not want to go to. While diversity is important for students to experience, the negative impacts this redistricting would have on people's daily lives is, in my opinion, too big of a price to pay.
The debate seems to be segregation vs. no segregation, I think diversity in schools is very important, if you only have rich white kids in one school and everyone else in another the kids will grow up around only their race and income pool. I think it's healthy to be around people of different races, gender, age and income. It makes you aware to the differences we have from each other and prepares us for our futures. I think someone who has spent all of their time around kids of the same status are more likely to feel uncomfortable being around someone of a lower/ higher income or race. But if they're together from a younger age it will seem more normal then and in the future.
@Alex M I definently agree. Being surrounded by people of different status and race from a young age makes it much easier to connect with people who are different than you. Diversity is very important in schools, but I don't think that this problem is as easily solved as just shifting the school districts. When this is suddenly implemented in high school, it can tear friends apart from one another, make for longer commutes, and lower grades because of these things. Our school districts have tried to essentially gerrymander some of the districting before, to the point where it simply doesn't make sense on where people go to school. My friend lived in a neighborhood where it would make sense to go to the nearest middle school, but instead she was disctricted to a school all the way across town.
As you have said, this should be implemented from elementary school age, not sprung on people at the high school level. Maybe if it started at the roots and worked it's way up the grade levels, so that people wouldn't be torn from their friends and thrust into a new environment.
Attending a school with both racial and economic diversity is important. School officials such as Dr. Martirano agree that students should be surrounded by others with different backgrounds and that is why he planned to pull 7,400 of the district's students to different schools. There are multiple perspectives on his decision and many are positive but the negative commenters seem to have a point. The Equity in Action plan would pull students from countries with a majority of Hispanic and Black communities. Though this would increase diversity, it would also split up years of friendships and even cause a problem for parents who can't drive their kids to the new school. Other complaints are from racists who don't believe that "Certain families and communities do not have strong values on education".
I believe that my school has diversity but it could be greater as there is only one person of color in my Pre-DP classes. My school also has a large amount of economic diversity and because all students have been introduced to each other early on in life, we are all polite to each other and nothing on race or wealth is used as an insult.
Though I think that schools should have as much diversity as possible, I can't agree that it's fair to move students out of the district just to add numbers to a pie chart especially if it upsets the students and decreases the amount of time the students have for homework and sports.
Diversity in schools is extremely important. In my previous school, out of the 75 students in my grade level, only 9 students were people of color. As an Asian female, I felt ostracized from the rest of the white students, who commonly made fun of certain aspects of Asian culture. Diversity helps us learn and grow through our differences with other people. This is an application not only for just high school but also for real life. However, this does not mean that we should force diversity by sending students to different schools. Creating diversity cannot be done through force. This creates resentment among students and families of the opposing side. Additionally, increasing racial and economic diversity in schools in order to increase test scores is based on an unsubstantiated claim. While students in lower-income areas have lower test scores, this is not a result of a lack of diversity, rather a lack of quality education. Rather than transfer students from higher-income areas, the education system in the area should be better supported by the government in order to level the playing field of students.
There are definitely stereotypes about my school, and the town I am from. Why and how these stereotypes start is beyond my understanding. I could only guess that it was a small group of people that did something to another group of people or other people who came by the town and had pointed out details that they noticed. Alisa may be correct in certain circumstances, but every person in the school is human. While people may come from different backgrounds, I don’t see how big of a deal it is that people come from different places and can be so different, I don’t really have much of an experience with that. In the article, “Is Racial and Economic Diversity in Schools Important?” by Nicole Daniels, expresses that there are stereotypes in schools and that they are based on statistics. “Wilde Lake, where 46 percent of students come from low-income families, and River Hill, where fewer than 5 percent of families are low-income. [...] fewer than 5 percent are Hispanic.” (Daniels, 2019, 5).
I live in Hudson, a small town in North-East Ohio, it is much like River Hill, in the sense that Hudson is a bit wealthier and has a lower Hispanic and African American population and more of a dominant Caucasian population. However, I take classes at another school too and when some of the other students saw that I am from Hudson, we joked around that I'm a “rich white kid”. In reality, we are all just human beings.
(Part 2)
Wilmington is a big town, but not a city, and our traffic is horrendous. My school is about three miles from my house and it takes about twenty minutes to get there in the morning. That’s an average of approximately 10 miles an hour. With busing kids in from out of district, this traffic will only get worse. Worse traffic means less time to do work, less sleep, heavier transportation burden on parents and other working adults, and/or arriving late.
I could go on about how redistricting schools breaks up childhood friends we’ve grown up next to and makes after-school involvement in activities more difficult, but the bottom line is, this idea is just less efficient than the system we use now. You won’t see me or my parents in front of city hall protesting school redistricting, but you may see one of us roll our eyes when it’s mentioned.
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Even though I don’t like the idea of forcing students to go to different schools, I think it is important that students learn other values and lessons from one another. The blending of these two groups could create something really positive. On the other hand, if these people aren’t brought together, further divides between the two can be created.
I would only like something like this to be done if it didn’t harshly affect the families that would be transferred. The article talks about this aspect of the plan. It mentions how it would take more time to get to and from school which means less time for other activities, homework, or sleep. Low income parents would be most affected. If this problem is solved, then I think Dr. Martirano’s plan would be effective. The article says that bringing together people of different backgrounds together can boost test scores and empathy. This plan would bring people of different backgrounds together so they can learn to live in harmony while growing up.
The two sides of the debate I believe can best be described as those who want change vs those who accept the status quo. Those against the proposition believe that schools like Wilde Lake will change who the students are as individuals and note that many students are comfortbale being in a lower income school, or they hate minorities. Those for the idea want to give these children who've had it rough with income and segregation a chance to truly flourish in today's landscape. I mainly side with Alisa Drake and Dr. Matirano, kids who may not get a chance to show off there full potential due to something they can't control should be able to have a chance. It gives the poorer children more options, teaches other kids that just because they aren't of the same race doesn't mean that children from minorties are different from them, and widens the perception that we're all just people at the end of the day. My school already has many kids of different social classes and races occupying the same classrooms and hallways, and I hope the rest of the world can do that to.
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The two sides of the debate within this article could be described as encouraging and acknowledging racism and working to oppose it. Throughout the article various schools, communities, and education centers have shared their thoughts toward racism, with some being for it and others being against it. For example, the Howard County Families for Education Improvement claim that opposition is not about race but instead has focused more on the possible experiences of other people’s children. Two high schools that were mentioned in the article include Wild Lake and River Hill, where both schools debate about the topic of diversity and integration. One of the Wild Lake students talked about her fear of integration saying, “I don’t want people in our school who feel like they don’t want to be around a group of kids because of the way they look or how much money they have.” Despite this I believe there are benefits to integration. I feel as if students will concentrate and work harder when they are surrounded by people of different ethnicities and races. They would not have to be worried about being discriminated against as much as they would if they attended a less diverse school. Therefore, I also believe that school districts should prioritize having a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body. Overall, I believe this will make children feel more comfortable and encourage them to perform better in school.
Racial and economic diversity within schools is important because it allows students to familiarize themselves with other cultures and lifestyles in order to learn to be empathetic towards others and embrace differences rather than ignore them. The article points out that “a growing body of research suggests that bringing students of disparate races and social classes together can boost children’s test scores and help them develop empathy.” Due to the empathy and social knowledge learned from being surrounded by a diverse student body, students are able to have a more unbiased and diverse view of the world around them, which translates to their school work and test scores by offering them a wider range of socioeconomic knowledge. Learning from differences and embracing diversity instead of ignoring it is important for the learning process because students are able to gain that wider array of knowledge and apply it to schoolwork. It is later mentioned that “wealthier students might not want to be around [less fortunate] students because of their socioeconomic status” which unfortunately may be true for some. By being exposed to students of different economic statuses, however, wealthier students are able to become educated on different lifestyles and empathize with less privileged students which will humble their opinions and worldviews. Diversity is extensively important in schools in order for adequate social learning, empathy, and education to take place amongst students.
I feel as though the two sides of the debate are fairly equal. Each side has made some very good points. It is important to the Howard County Families for Education Improvement that this proposal not be acted upon because of the detriments it could cause many families. They argue that this proposal will hit low-income families the hardest as they "will not be able to get involved in their children's schools." Some of their fears are that the mixing of these two different groups of students will negatively affect those who are achieving excellence in school. Those in favor of the plan say that it will create a more equal society and better opportunities for low-income students.
I think that school districts should prioritize having a diverse student body because it prevents one school from having unfair advantage compared to others. I think it is important to assess school districting to make sure that schools stay diverse. At my school, there are different people from different places and there is a good amount of diversity. This important to me because I think that everyone has the right to a good education and students should not have to be considered a "minority" of a school.
I think that Amaiya's concern is very valid. I have experienced feeling like an outsider based on others around me and what they thought of me. At school, I think that teachers can look out for their students and ensure that they are included in an equal, yet diverse, nourishing school environment.
I think that idea of mixing and incorporating all the different races and ethnicities is not only beneficial for the school, but strong for the students who have more choice to learn from different walks of life. But I do agree that meeting with people that are from the same backround as you is more comfortable, talking with others can also help you learn so much, things you never heard about. So I do think racial diversity is important, it fuels learning, interaction, and education because the kids are exposed to things out of their comfort zone and help them grow not only as students but as living adults.
While people might think that students should not swapping schools because they will not fit in with other kids, this is only normal as desegregation is not a single step process. However, I do believe that school swapping in highschool would not work very well as people already developed their friend zone and culture. It would be very hard to change their point of view. It is not impossible but it’d takes few generations. I believe that mixing younger children would produce a better result and makes the future easier and more vulnerable for desegregation.
Diversity in schools is important to me because learning about different cultures is one of best things you can do as a young adult, because it prepares you for the world outside of your hometown. However, I don't find it necessary to make students who already go to one high school, move to another. This kind of defeats the point, because if you transfer someone with force who is unwilling, they don't really want to be there, and will most likely keep to themselves, when the whole point of moving them is to show other races and cultures their background. Also, not wanting to be around people because of their "socioeconomic status" does not make any sense. You can't judge someone by their bank account, and definitely not their skin color or cultural background.
Racial diversities in schools is important. It shows how students must see each other’s backgrounds. Many of these backgrounds also differ from one another and they can learn from it if they put in the time to find out more about each other. Besides that, racial diversity is also good because it could teach you skills that can help a person out as they get older. Although it teaches your life skill, I still don’t agree with racial diversity in schools increase test scores. There is no evidence to support this to be true. I also think the idea of moving the kids out of their communities to attend different schools is a good idea. If we were to move kids of their community then they have a chance to learn about the world around them and this could also open more opportunities for them. Even though they would have to leave some friends behind it would be better for them in the long run.
@Ryan Palmer I agree that exposure to different backgrounds than your own and different communities can be very beneficial to a student or any person in general. Some people struggle communicating with others if they don’t feel that they have anything in common. It is important to understand that although a common characteristic may make communicating feel easier, it is not impossible to work with people we have practically nothing in common with. I also don’t really see how racial diversity would affect test scores. If what you said is true and there is no research to back this assumption, then I would like to see how they correlated the two. I think the development of empathy would definitely be affected positively by an increase in diversity, so maybe there is a correlation between qualities like empathy and how the brain learns.
@Ryan Palmer Would you like to be moved away from your friends and attend a school thirty minutes away? Would you like to be put on a bus at 6am and take an hour bus ride to school when you were in walking distance to another school? Probably not. These are just hypotheticals but I know that you wouldn't want to be shifted around just to 'see the world'. You won't see the world you will just see a school that most likely runs the same. I don't think you or I should be speaking for anyone who has been moved around. I just think you aren't thinking about what it would feel like to be taken away from your community of friends.
@Ryan Palmer Would you like to be moved away from your friends and attend a school thirty minutes away? Would you like to be put on a bus at 6am and take an hour bus ride to school when you were in walking distance to another school? Probably not. These are just hypotheticals but I know that you wouldn't want to be shifted around just to 'see the world'. You won't see the world you will just see a school that most likely runs the same. I don't think you or I should be speaking for anyone who has been moved around. I just think you aren't thinking about what it would feel like to be taken away from your community of friends.
There are stereotypes that outsiders have about my school. People from other schools think of kids from my school to be rich, preppy kids. In reality, it is a very diverse community, with ranging economic status because of financial support and scholarships. I believe the stereotypes originate from other schools and rivalries. When it comes to other schools, there is definitely tension as to who's the best. I I think the beliefs come from the majority of people coming to my school live in safe, high income neighborhoods, but it does not mean there are not people from low income neighborhoods as well. I believe if you are around peers with different backgrounds, you can change people's perceptions. From seeing from other people's perspectives, you are able to understand what the other people have to experience in their lives.
@jerry
My school is similar to yours in that it is stereotyped as just a “rich white kid” school when this definitely not the case. My school is mainly White and Hispanic, but all races are represented. Also, we usually have better academic scores than the rival schools despite having a decent amount of diversity, showing that race does not necessarily have an impact on test scores. I enjoy having lots of kids with different backgrounds at my school simply because it makes life more interesting. If everyone has the same culture, we don’t learn anything new about other people and don’t experience anything new.
I would describe the two sides of the debate as people who want to make a change for generations to come vs. rich people who do not care about racial/economic diversity in schools. I do think, however, that school districts should make racial and economic diversity a priority throughout the student body, but I do not think that it is the most important topic as of now. What I do notice in my school is that there is a racial, economic and linguistic diversity and that these factors are important to me since I would prefer to attend a school with people who are like me. There are not stereotypes about students who attend my school, and this is probably because my school is well respected by those who know about it. I think that wealthier students have viable reasons not to attend Wilde Lake and to not be around the students due to their socioeconomic status. Whenever I pass through bad neighborhoods to get to and from my own neighborhood, I do in fact slightly feel like an outsider because of my appearance or how other people perceive me. I do not think that there is much students, teachers and schools can do to make sure that students get along and connect despite of their differences.
I would describe the side of Wilde Lake as being aware of their school and their stereotypes. They know it's described as a "ghetto school and that's the view of school in many eyes at River Hill. Alisa, who loves the environment, and was interviewed, probably like many other students, supports the proposal. On the River Hill side, many parents feel that the test scores aren't good and wouldn't like the longer commute, don't support the proposal. I believe a benefit of the integration would be that many privileged can be made aware of the struggles these other students face to find a better person. I believe having diversity is incredibly important. Having diversity shows that the schools are very accepting and aren't concerned with social class in the classroom. I think other school districts should see how successful this proposal is first. I think they are other ways you can try without having criticism. However, I believe this is a great start. There is diversity in my school. From economic to racial. This is very important to me and family because it shows that my school doesn't focus on social class. Rather intelligence. No, they aren't many or at all stereotypes that I know about at my school. I have a positive experience at my school and hope to maintain that environment. I completely understand Amaiya's concern. She possibly feels that the wealthier students will make fun of these differences in the minorities. I haven't felt like an outsider in many situations.
I can agree that racial diversity is an essential aspect in just about anywhere as it can affect how people view others and even themselves. It brings people together and educates others on different cultures and bringing down stereotypes. plus, students have definitely grown to become more accepting of others and it could be bolstered if there was a larger effort to bring a variety of ethnic backgrounds together.
On the stance of economic diversity, moving students to different schools seems to be quite a wide stretch. Low-income families might live in areas relative to where their children go to school because maybe housing is cheap and affordable there. Moving students around would most definitely hurt these families for that reason. Not to mention longer commute would be taxing on these families both in the free time available and the cost. It's really something that should be thought about by, but as of now the best thing to do is to make no change.
Greg Smith
I think that these issues need to be taken care of. You cannot have these students separated just because of their race or financial situation. From what I can see by the hateful emails people sent degrading other races, there is a role that racism plays in this debate. Transferring schools means a longer commute for some students. A longer commute means less sleep, less sleep means a lower performance. It is unfair to make some kids travel farther than they should just because of their cultural background. There is a big gap in diversity between the students of River Hill and the students of Wilde Lake. However, each school should not decide the capability of the student based on race but rather their ability to learn and think.
I can notice at my school, Fordham Prep, there is somewhat diversity. My school accepts all races and sexual preferences. In my school, there is some economic diversity because some kids need a lot of financial aid when some kids are extremely rich, I don’t think that anyone at Fordham prep is poor. There is racial diversity at my school but most of the student body is Caucasian, but everyone at Fordham Prep is friends. There is not a lot of linguist diversity except for the kids that come from other countries, on retreats, and attend the school for several months. These factors are not that important for my family because in my neighborhood there is not a lot of diversity, but my parents’ old neighborhoods there was a lot of diversity, so they are used to both diversity and not that much diversity.
1) The most important thing about the Howard County Education center is to be able to protect and ensure the safety of all their kids from racism and discrimination. They are worried about intergrading schools because they feel like it would a tough situation for their kids worse.
2) Personally I believe that In order to prevent things like suicide, fights, and bullying. Schools need to do as much as possible to segregate the different races in different schools equally.
3) My school is very diverse. We have people here of over 100 nationalities and 5 religions.
4) To my knowledge, there is only one of the main stereotypes about my school. That is that over 50% of our population comes from the city.
5) I believe that is a legit and reasonable worry. this also happens at my school. Richer kids make fun of, and claim superiority of the kids who are middle class, lover class, and suburban.
Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence stated, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness….” I think that diversity in a classroom is very important because it affects the way the people in the room view others, including myself. All people should be looked at as equal despite their color or culture. I think there is a benefit in being in a diverse school, as it teaches us the way to act around other people and learn the world outside of their own. There aren’t any that I hear in my school, but from my friends in other schools, they tell me some people are thrown into stereotypes such as “trashy” and “ghetto.” These stereotypes exist because people today hear what other people say and try to fit in, or feel better about themselves, by bringing other people down. I do agree with Alisa about how being around peers from different backgrounds can change people’s perceptions. I agree with this because if we are around peers with different backgrounds, we can learn off each other and get along. By hanging around different peers, I think we could be able to live in a world today with no stereotypes and no racial comments towards any individuals.
racism in school is a big issue and it can really affect children especially if the politicians involved plans are to move children to new schools farther from home. children might not want to go to school farther from home or their parents wouldn't want them far away. parents wouldn't want to have their children far from home and in case of emergence it would be better for children to stay closer to home.
In the article, parents and students give the reader a perspective of each side and how they feel toward this topic. I believe that having students go to school with other races is very important but not in the way they are suggesting. The article is saying that they should take low income black children from one neighborhood and having them take a bus from a poor neighborhood and having them go to school with rich white kids. This is not a good idea because they students at the wealthier school will start to feel superior to the poor kids because they both know they are there because they are poor. This will almost always backfire and send racism into a downward spiral. This could start to build a sort of white supremacist message at this school. It is important for students to go to school with different races so a possible way for this to happen is if they start building communities where multiple races live. I believe my school does a very good job where many races are represented and no one is judged by their races in a negative way. Stereotypes can be very bad but they start when students are only exposed to very few people for a certain race. If students are exposed to lots of races and many people from them, they will start to actually understand the culture and not just false stereotypes people learn from the internet.
One side of the debate is Dr. Martirano saying that some white students should be transferred to schools with black students to make the school more diverse and have more black students transfer to the white school to make that school more diverse. They are also saying that having more diverse schools would increase test scores and would make students develop better friendships with each other. The other side is saying that transferring kids to a different school just to make it more diverse, is stupid and pointless because the transferred students would lose friends from their previous school, have longer commutes, less sleep, and overall more overwhelming and hectic lives in school. I think that this goal has no importance because if you look around in a normal and diverse school, you usually see groups of black kids only hanging out with other groups of black kids and white kids hanging out with white kids. So, if you transfer a group of white kids to a mostly black and Hispanic school, the white kids would most likely still only hang out with other white kids. If there is a way to prevent this from happening, then the school districts should be all for it because forcing kids to transfer schools, will not develop friend groups, but will anger not only the students but the parents and other people in the district.
I think this is an important issue but it will never work. Switching for kids is hard and they would have to leave their friends and have a longer commute. Lower income families would suffer because they would have to drive their kids or pay for buses a farther distance. I think that if people really think this is a huge issue then they should just move into a new district. With different schools. Until a large group of people start taking real action like moving instead of just talking about it then I think people could start to consider it but until then I think nothing should change.
I believe cultural diversity is an essential part of all schools. If you aren’t ever around a diverse group you may not be around opinions different from yours. The perspectives that other people very different from you have may never be shared with you. You might believe that only the way you live, carry out tasks, or things you believe in are the right way and other ways are lesser. Also, later in life, you will have to work with people different than you, with different opinions, so it is good to start that at a younger age.
I notice a lot of different things at my school. The school itself is very diverse when it comes to the students. There are a lot of different and unique people in my school including white, black, Spanish, Mexican, and so on and so forth. These factors are very important to me because at my old middle school, it was a mostly white populated school. Now, it’s very diverse and I get to see a lot of different type of people and learn about different cultures and habits. In conclusion, my school in high school is very diverse compared to my middle school.
@Charles Gordon I went through the same thing transitioning form middle school to high school. My middle school was a mostly white populated school and once I got to high school, I never knew how diverse schools could be. So in my opinion, it is important for schools to be diverse racially because it also causes people to get along, which has been a problem in history in our country.
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I do not agree with economic diversity in schools, however I also do not believe the solution is moving kids from one school to another. Kids might not want to leave their school, or they may not be able to travel the route that is farther from their home. Sending buses out to their houses would just spend more of the school systems budget. The reason one school may be filled with low income families is because of the surrounding area. The cost of housing is most likely cheaper which is why low income families would choose to live there. I think the solution resides in affordable housing. If we offer affordable housing in all districts and areas, there would be less of an economic gap.
The article notes a letter that was sent in arguing that the integration was not a good idea, it said, “Longer commutes to school would mean less time for students to do homework and to sleep. Some children would be severed from friends they had made in earlier grades.” This shows that the major issues rely with moving the kids, which is why creating affordable housing in all areas would be most effective.
@Lilly Smiley
Hi Lilly, I agree there is a pretty big gap in diversity of schools. I like your reasoning why there are schools that have poorer families at certain schools more than others, and you are probably right. If they provide more affordable living conditions near every school, it could really help with the gap.
Similar to what you said in the article, the redistricting is unfair to students who have made relationships with teachers and classmates. It may be hard for some students to redistrict, because they can be shy, and it makes it hard for them to make friends.
Regarding the topic of schools introducing more diversity, I think that racial diversity in schools is definitely important, and it really affects the way that many students, including myself, view others. Being in a very racially diverse setting and being mixed myself, I think that I can say that I have been able to have very positive experiences with others regarding different cultures and stereotypes, and it has definitely shaped me into a more well rounded and understanding person today. If we can implement more diversity into schools today and make it more of a priority, it would certainly be beneficial to all students, and it may help them build character, learning more about the world outside of their own. At my school, there is a somewhat diverse student body, with many being white, hispanic or asian, but there are also many students who are black, and some who come from poorer areas, so I think some students are a bit more discriminatory towards others. There are also many stereotypes regarding the students at my school and the school itself, mostly about the school being "ghetto" or "trashy". I think Amaiya Sancho's concern is valid, but I also believe that, especially today, many students are a lot more understanding and accepting of others, and mixing the students to create a more diverse school will bring more benefits.
@Nicole Medina I agree that diversity is very important and that it is useful for the students. Becoming accepting and of different cultures definitely shapes a person and their understandings. Stereotypes of certain groups of people does exist but as you said, the students tend to be more accepting and understanding of all people. Diversity is something that is essential in schools but should not be done in the way stated by the article.
Regarding the topic of schools introducing more diversity, I think that racial diversity in schools is definitely important, and it really affects the way that many students, including myself, view others. Being in a very racially diverse setting and being mixed myself, I think that I can say that I have been able to have very positive experiences with others regarding different cultures and stereotypes, and it has definitely shaped me into a more well rounded and understanding person today. If we can implement more diversity into schools today and make it more of a priority, it would certainly be beneficial to all students, and it may help them build character, learning more about the world outside of their own. At my school, there is a somewhat diverse student body, with many being white, hispanic or asian, but there are also many students who are black, and some who come from poorer areas, so I think some students are a bit more discriminatory towards others. There are also many stereotypes regarding the students at my school and the school itself, mostly about the school being "ghetto" or "trashy". I think Amaiya Sancho's concern is valid, but I also believe that, especially today, many students are a lot more understanding and accepting of others, and mixing the students to create a more diverse school will bring more benefits.
Regarding the topic of schools introducing more diversity, I think that racial diversity in schools is definitely important, and it really affects the way that many students, including myself, view others. Being in a very racially diverse setting and being mixed myself, I think that I can say that I have been able to have very positive experiences with others regarding different cultures and stereotypes, and it has definitely shaped me into a more well rounded and understanding person today. If we can implement more diversity into schools today and make it more of a priority, it would certainly be beneficial to all students, and it may help them build character, learning more about the world outside of their own. At my school, there is a somewhat diverse student body, with many being white, hispanic or asian, but there are also many students who are black, and some who come from poorer areas, so I think some students are a bit more discriminatory towards others. There are also many stereotypes regarding the students at my school and the school itself, mostly about the school being "ghetto" or "trashy". I think Amaiya Sancho's concern is valid, but I also believe that, especially today, many students are a lot more understanding and accepting of others, and mixing the students to create a more diverse school will bring more benefits.
I believe the overall diversity of a school is a very important component of the environment created in educational settings. With diversity, students would be more comfortable with the people around them and force them to socialize with various groups of people. This can lead to improvements in social skills and a better understanding of different backgrounds. I think more diversity would also solve many racial and economic stereotypes.
I am of the belief that racial and economic diversity is not important in schools. This is because there is no reason to have what I deem, "artificial diversity" where the students in the school do not represent the actual citizens of the district. The school should be comprised solely of the students in that district in a way that is not contingent on the students' ethnicity or socioeconomic status. The important thing is that the schools do not discriminate on who they choose to go to different schools, which could happen if a particular district chooses who to send to another to enforce "diversity quotas." The student make-up in the school should be indicative of the students in the district. There is no reason to enforce diversity, as it does little to solve any problems, and is arbitrary at best, while having negative consequences for some students at worst. If a district is comprised of a particular population, the schools in that district should have a similar population of students, not affected by external districts. The exchange of students for the purpose of diversity is useless, as long as students are inclusive of everyone, it does not matter what the make up of the school population.
I think it is important to make schools more racially and culturally diverse because once these high school students graduate, many will go to college or enter the workforce where they will have to collaborate with students of different ethnicities.
I believe that racial and economic diversity would be beneficial to all in schools and should be something that all schools have. It could help to educate people on other races, and become more empathetic or stop stereotypes. It can help to prepare people for interacting with everyone, like you would have to in the real world. Much like what was said in the articles, most people stereotype low income schools to be "ghetto" like Alisa said. However, if the schools are mixed and diverse with low and high income students, it wouldn't be an issue for which school a student attends or a bias based off of a school. I don't think there is enough racial diversity in our school but I do feel like there is a lot of economic diversity. These factors don't really affect me and my family but I feel it effects the environment of the school and the education. I do feel like there are stereotypes about people that go to our school saying that the school is trashy. However, I believe that it is just a stereotype and that people's perceptions would be different if they knew what the school was actually like. I have felt like an outsider before but I feel like you can only be an outsider if you separate yourself from others. If you get involved, and interact with other people it can help to blend you in or fit in almost. However, I understand that some people would want to choose to go to where they are most comfortable because sometimes it's better to be around people you can relate to.
I think racial and economic diversity in schools is very important. It allows student to have a natural way of learning from friends and classmates. Seeing different cultures and people is what makes our world so interesting. Economic diversity is also important because it allows students to feel apart some the same thing despite money. Everyone in the school is a student and is equal no matter what your life at home may be like. It is always important to hear two sides to every story. Racial and economic diversity in schools allows two sides to always be seen. It can also better your social skills when meeting new people outside of school and in students future.
I think that having economic diversity as well as cultural diversity in schools is important as it allows for students of all walks of life to come together and have a fair chance at a good education, as well as give the students an opportunity to communicate and bond with those who may come from a very different way of life then them, thus teaching them to accept and celebrate diversity among all people.
I think the crux of this debate lies in how the students feel, not what outside people think is best for the students. I do believe racial and economic diversity is important in schools, however I also believe that the students should be allowed to stay where they feel comfortable. It may ultimately occur that all of the students could feel comfortable in a diverse school through time, but for now many students feel comfortable and understood when interacting with people who have the same background as them.
While I believe racial diversity is very important among schools, it is extremely hard to swallow for students who are comfortable with their surroundings. Based on the school's environment, children are more accepting of others that share similar experiences in comparison to those who do not. While introducing racial diversity can cause many problems, over time it will teach students to accept others and further prove that racial and ethnic backgrounds are not the only factors that define people.
Racial and economic diversity in schools is very important to the developent of the area and people within it. Although this plan they are prosposig does have its problems regarding transportaion and already established relationships in the previous school, this plan can benefit the many it affects. Racial diversity in schools helps with the getting rid of stereo types of certain schools based on its population. DIversity in schools allows students of all backgrounds to communicate and develop an understanding of people different than you. A diverse enviornment of learning can improve test grades and enable a greater understanding and destigmitization of schools.
Racial and socioeconomic diversity is extremely important in schools. As some parents concerns show, this can help change peoples perceptions and help them develop empathy. The schools being mixed also help prepare students for the world after high school. The splitting of the two schools makes no sense, the students at each school love their teachers and the environment they're in. Along with the fact that they would be split up from friends they have known since lower grades. With this split, some students even have the concern that other students would judge based on appearance and their economic status.
I strongly support that there should be diversity coincided with economic status and race. Having a diversity of religions, skin tone, race, and social class should all strongly support that there should be diversity coincided with economic status and race. Having a diversity of religions, skin tone, race, and social class should all be different and have variations for equality and being treated fairly. Some schools gain a reputation due to them being in lower-class scales and being called "ghetto" dumb and irrelevant. Then rich schools think they are all that and are called rich snobs who look down on other schools. Diversity is key for a perfect society
I believe that diversity in schools is very important and the question should not have to be proposed on whether or not something should be done about diversity issues. Having a diverse community allows students to become more of a well-rounded person and to learn from others. It is especially important for diversity to be in schools because this is where children are growing up. Growing up with different races around you allows for the idea to become normalized and for race to become invisible eventually. Transferring students from the higher-income school, to the lower-income school will allow stereotypes to diminish.
Racial diversity in schools is very important and can tend to be overlooked. Having people with different racial and socioeconomic differences in school together will allow everyone to learn about new cultures that they may not be already exposed to. This will also encourage being more inclusive. People tend to stick with those that they are similar to, and having a diverse school will encourage a change and will encourage students to meet new people and befriend those who they may not normally talk to. Racial diversity will allow growth in mindsets that may have been reluctant to meet and talk to new people.
I think racial diversity to be very important for schools. When a child is young, it's good to see that there are many kinds of people in the world around you; whether it's skin color, poor or rich, gay or straight, Christian or Atheist. When someone grows up only around one kind of people, they don't see that others are not that different. For example, if a rich white boy only grows up around other rich white children, then that's all they know, and anyone else is weird and think that they are against them. So, when you grow up with many different kinds of people, you don't instantly think of skin color or anything, you only see another kid like you. You aren't closed off and in a bubble of your own, so you grow to accept different kinds of people.
I believe that racial and economic diversity in schools is important because it allows students to grow up and learn with students of all backgrounds. When being in a well mixed area, you are exposed to an abundance of different cultures, allowing you to broaden your horizon and open your mind to different things. Diversity in school allows students from a younger age to develop good attitudes and mindsets towards people with different ethnic backgrounds.
I do think it is important for their to be racial and economic diversity. This allows students to learn about others' life experiences and create a more diverse environment. However, schools who are not as diverse aren't that bad. Many students feel comfortable and more understood interacting with people who have the same background as them.
Having Diversity in School allows you to socialize with people who have a variety of different backgrounds. I think it is important to get used to ALL types of people, and it gives you the skills to interact with anyone. Practicing this can eliminate tensions between races, and tensions between people with different incomes. Having diversity in schools will give you better social skills when facing the real world as an adult.
I do believe it is important for there to be diversity throughout a school. I believe this because it allows for the students to learn how to work with everyone. It will also teach them that the amount of money or race you are does not define you as a person. These are skills that they will need to withhold in order to be successful in the real world.
I am interested to see how my students respond as this is an important topic to discuss.
I think racial diversity for schools is very important for an abundance of reasons. It allows students of all backgrounds and cultures to communicate and grow up together. Learning this young is what will improve the future and help eliminate any tensions being stressed between young people. If you grow up in this environment when young it eliminates the barriers that many people place between races, so where better to start than school?
Having diversity in a school environment is crucial. It gives a variety and difference in backgrounds. Also it teaches you to socialize and get used to everyone. It broadens your horizon.
The school I attend is very diverse and it is going to help all of us in the long run.
Even though I 100% agree with racial diversity, I feel in this situation it doesn't make sense. I feel the children in Wilde Lake love their school and teachers. Even though they have low test scores, is in a ghetto area, and have lots of low- income families, the students are happy and feel comfortable. At River hill they have a great school district, great test scores, and wealthy families. But I feel the children are probably not as happy as the children at Wilde lake because the kids at Wilde lake are a lot more grateful for what they have than the children at River Hill who have a lot more. Another reason why I feel racial diversity would not work in schools is because the text even told us how the children would be treated differently for being different and for not having as much as every one else. The low- income children would then feel uncomfortable and would eventually have to leave the school because they don't want to go to a school were they feel unwanted and mistreated.
I think racial diversity is very important for schools because having different point of views on different topics based on that certain people have experienced or learned . Also it could help people communicate and learn about different cultures and get to know how to act around different people.
I think that racial diversity is very important in schools. The best way to eliminate this is not have a school for rich kids and one for the lower-class. If this is the case most parents will probably put their child in the school with their social class so that they don't feel left out. I think this is how schools schools become segregated.
I think Racial Diversity in school is very important to me as a black man. At Fordham Prep there is a lot of diversity there's blacks,white,Native Americans and Asians we are very diverse which is one of the main reasons I chose to spend the next 4 years of my life here. Racial Diversity is very important to my family, we love all so we want all people to love each other.
I think that diversity is very important in the classroom. The diversity has a better look on the school and it allows the other students to learn about other cultures and how some people may eat or drink what might seem strange to you. It also allows others to learn different skills from certain cultures. I agree with the fact that diversity in schools can improve test grades because it can allow other to learn more about other cultures and can lead those to come up with a different idea of what a topic could be.
I feel that Racial Diversity within schools is important to help create a very different diverse environment. The goal of Diversity is to help integrate people of different race and economic status into different types of environments. At schools, it is good to have diversity so you can meet different people and understand different cultures. I feel that racial diversity is a great way to implement diversity within schools.
I feel that even though diversity is extremely important, I don't know if this would be the best plan. Making students transfer to schools to solve a diversity problem, might not be the solution. I feel that making the students transfer schools that they might've already been comfortable at might make them feel disrupted and uncomfortable. Something that I noted is that Dr. Martin was receiving hate mail because of his plan. I think that even if you don't agree with diversity, you shouldn't be scared of new changes or send hatred e-mails because of it.
I think that diversity is very important for schools to have in their classrooms. It gives the students the chance to learn about a culture outside of their own. This could be helpful for the students because in a world where many people are very racist, the new generation can learn to accept all types of races.
Racial Diversity in schools I think is very important. I say this because in school kids and teens should be introduced and communicate with people with different backgrounds and cultures. This can help with their communication skills and help them in the future for jobs. At my school, I notice that it is very diverse which I like because I get to meet new people.
I notice a lot of things in my schools, going to Hudson for all my life you definitely see that in Hudson it's all about how much you spent on your clothes or what car you drive. But in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter. In Hudson there is an almost no diversity in the article it said “River Hill High, only 7 percent of students are black and fewer than 5 percent are Hispanic”( Daniels, 2019). River Hills High School is very similar to Hudson High School and I think a diversity plan would be a great solution. If there are more students with all different incomes than that would solve the problem of students always looking at the price tag.
I think that racial diversity is a very important thing for schools. Racial diversity is the best way to eliminate racism from society because it naturally teaches kids of all different races to live among each other in peace and friendship. It is especially important in schools since kids should be in racially diverse communities from a very young age.
Racial diversities in schools are very important. It allows students to see how each other backgrounds are very different and they can even learn from it. Beyond that idea, racial diversity is also very good because it will teach you social skills that can ultimately help a person out as they get older. However I disagree with the fact that racial diversity in schools increase test scores. It sounds way to bizarre to be true. I also disagree with the idea of moving the kids out of their communities to attend different schools. That wouldn’t be fair for the students to leave their friends behind.
This is a topic that hits home in a way, and i can understand both sides of the story because I've experienced both. I do believe that diversity in all forms is something that should be in school systems, but their is no need to go to this extreme. Experiencing diversity will teach one social skills, help one see things in another view and will teach you how to really be you, but saying it will improve test scores is pretty ridiculous. " Wild lake teachers made her feel comfortable in her gifted and talented A.P classes( Daniels, Nicole 2019)". That is a quote from a girl in the low income class explaining how despite the claims and stereotypes, she is still happy and successful in her classes. In my opinion there are plenty of good things that come with diversity, but forcing kids out of their communities and away from their peers and into a new school is a step in the wrong direction.
I personally think that racial and economic diversity in schools are extremely important. I say this because it gives you the opportunity to learn about other people's background. Also, to be united as one nation and as people I feel like having people of other races and other places come together is important to the human race in general. We live in a world today where oppression increases each day and violence and hate crimes occur daily. So, to be able to come together I definitely think that experiencing and understanding diversity in the classroom is very necessary. Moving on, I also think that diversity in the classrooms can be a great way to learn about different, religions, cultures, and customs as well. This can only further our education and decrease out ignorance towards other people.