Delivering education to all Americans is a goal that the federal government and state and local authorities are committed to accomplishing. It is the case that encouraging progress has been made. Minorities are able to attend schools where quality education is offered. This situation contrasts sharply with the state of education in previous years when minorities were denied access to quality and affordable education. While the US should celebrate the remarkable progress that it continues to make, Americans should recognize that more still needs to be done. In such cities as Miami, there are students from poor neighborhoods who attend inadequately funded schools. The experiences of these students underscore the need for more effort and for partnerships between communities and schools.
Demographic Report
In their text, Gallagher, Bagin and Moore (2016) acknowledge the intimate relationship between schools and communities. They observe that in exchange for the services that they offer communities, schools receive financial and moral support from communities. This support incentivizes the schools to remain dedicated to delivering quality education. However, as Gallagher, Bagin and Moore point out, such ills as poverty and crime hamper the partnerships between communities and schools. The situation at Jose De Diego Middle School in Miami, Florida confirms the point that these scholars make. Being in a poor neighborhood, this school grapples with serious challenges that hinder the effective delivery of education. In the following section, a demographic profile of the Miami Date community which hosts this school is constructed.
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Census data shows that with a population of 2.71 million, Miami Date county grapples with high levels of poverty. This population size represents a 10.2% increase compared to the figure for 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d). The poverty rate stands at 18.3% and the median household income is estimated at $45,935 (“Miami-Dade County”, n.d). Jose De Diego Middle School reflects the poverty that defines this county. With a majority of the school’s students being Hispanic and Black, the school’s poor performance and low levels of investment underscore the damaging impact that poverty can have on education. In order to fully understand how the socio-economic status of the Miami Dade County affects the performance and operations of Jose De Diego Middle School, it is helpful to examine such factors as housing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 52.6% of the county’s residents occupy their own homes (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d). This means that over 40% of the population relies on rental housing. The proportion of renters in Miami Dade County is higher than the national average which stood at 36% in 2016 (Summerville, 2017). Since buying a house is cheaper than renting, it is reasonable to blame high poverty levels among the residents of Miami Dade County for the high rental rates.
The education levels, population size, employment, culture and education funding are some of the features of the Miami Dade County community that help to explain the poor state of such schools as Jose De Diego Middle School. Figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that between 2012 and 2016, the proportion of the workforce stood at 62% (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d). Most of the residents of this county have obtained high school diplomas. However, the college graduation rates in the county are depressingly low, standing at a paltry 27.3% (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d). Manufacturing, retail and wholesale and food services are the economic mainstays of the Miami Dade community. The low employment levels coupled with the disappointing rates of advanced education shed light on why the schools in this county are performing poorly. Highly educated communities tend to place greater emphasis and invest greater amounts in education. It is therefore not surprising that given the low educational attainment levels in the county, schools like Jose De Diego Middle School are performing dismally. Gallagher, Bagin and Moore observed that the socio-economic status of a community defines its engagement with schools. If the community faces high poverty levels, this challenge is reflected in the quality of education that schools offer. Therefore, in light of the numerous socio-economic issues that Miami Dade County faces, clear connections can be drawn between the county’s socio-economic status and the performance of Jose De Diego Middle School.
It is true that for the most part, the socio-economic factors at work in Miami Dade County have adverse impacts. However, there are some factors that appear to work in the community’s favor. Diversity is one of these factors. While the white community constitutes a majority of the county’s population, such minorities as Blacks and Hispanics are well represented. Jose De Diego Middle School reflects the ethnic and racial diversity of the county. It is fair to conclude that the diversity enriches the experiences of students and allows for harmonious interactions between the community and the school.
Observation and Profile of Class
As part of this assignment, I was required to develop a profile. In general, the class’ profile mirrors the situation in Miami Dade County. A significant number of my colleagues are from poor neighborhoods where home ownership is an elusive dream. Furthermore, most of my classmates are from families with low levels of educational attainment and meager incomes. However, I observed that there are some areas where the profile of my class deviated significantly from the situation in the county. For example, whereas the white community is the dominant group in the county, minorities form the greatest proportion of the size of my class. Most of my colleagues are from the Hispanic and Black communities. While developing the county’s profile, it was difficult to establish the influences that cultural dynamics have on education. However, owing to my close interactions with my classmates, I was able to observe that culture appears to play a role in education. Some of my colleagues have shared that they are from cultures which discourage education and place more focus on such issues as establishing families. They added that the educational attainment levels in their communities are low.
I engaged in a reflection with the aim of determining if the profile of my class has any impact on instruction and communication. This reflection led me to conclude that the impact of the profile is rather limited. Most of my classmates have defied the expectations that their communities have. For example, whereas it is true that a number of them are from poor backgrounds, they strive to achieve excellence and transform their communities. As regards instruction and communication, I find that the profile plays no role. Our instructors endeavor to use effective and established approaches when delivering content. They have simply refused to allow the profile of the community to dictate how they deliver on their mandate. For instance, one would expect that given the low levels of investment in education, the instructors would abandon their responsibilities. This is not the case. The instructors have demonstrated remarkable levels of commitment and a desperate desire to equip us with the competencies that we need to improve the situation in our communities. I would challenge other practitioners in education to go beyond the bare minimum and commit their resources and effort to helping students overcome such challenges as poverty and violence.
References
Gallagher, D. R., Bagin, D. H., & Moore, E. H. (2016). The school and community relations. 11 th Edition. London: Pearson.
Miami-Dade County, FL. (n.d). Data USA. Retrieved November 15, 2018 from https://datausa.io/profile/geo/miami-dade-county-fl/
Summerville, A. (2017). There are more renters than any time since 1965. CNBC. Retrieved November 15, 2018 from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/20/there-are-more-renters-than-any-time-since-1965.html
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d). Miami-Dade County, Florida. Retrieved November 15, 2018 from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/miamidadecountyflorida
