SOCIOECONOMSOCIOECONOMIC INFLUENCESIC INFLUENCES

Patricia MacyPatricia MacyHannah SavageHannah SavageKyle KuetermanKyle KuetermanTonya MaynardTonya Maynard

Boys and Girls Club When I spoke with children at the Boys and

Girls Club about their parent’s jobs I tried not to get too personal and didn’t push my questioning very far. When I did ask them what types of occupations their parents had, they seemed to have a large range of answers, most of which were minimum wage jobs in the area with a few students who had unemployed parents. When I asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up, most of the children were indecisive. However I spoke with one student named Demarious, he said he wanted to be a veterinarian because he liked animals. Being from an upper class town I can remember more variety in professions that children in our town wanted to explore even at a young age than what I experienced at the boys and girls club. Being a science major I also asked several students if they enjoyed science in their schools, only a few said they take interest in the subject of science.

Economic Opportunity

An important topic relating to economic status in regards to schools and other An important topic relating to economic status in regards to schools and other community based organizations is economic opportunity of a given town or community based organizations is economic opportunity of a given town or area. Although in an article entitled “Economy and Education: Foundations of a area. Although in an article entitled “Economy and Education: Foundations of a General Theory” it is stated that the industrial economy in metropolitan towns General Theory” it is stated that the industrial economy in metropolitan towns (like Muncie) have little bearing on the funding for educational organizations, it (like Muncie) have little bearing on the funding for educational organizations, it is also stated in the article that there seems to be a ideological trend relating to is also stated in the article that there seems to be a ideological trend relating to economic “pressure” in these towns that has an effect on education. It is easy economic “pressure” in these towns that has an effect on education. It is easy to see how opportunity effects areas. When I asked my High School Principle to see how opportunity effects areas. When I asked my High School Principle how he feels opportunity effects education he had this to say “When children how he feels opportunity effects education he had this to say “When children get a chance to see the world and all of possibilities there is for them, they tend get a chance to see the world and all of possibilities there is for them, they tend to have a better chance to work hard to take advantage of that opportunity. to have a better chance to work hard to take advantage of that opportunity. Some children only get to see the opportunity for them in there towns and never Some children only get to see the opportunity for them in there towns and never really get to take advantage of all the opportunity there is out there.”really get to take advantage of all the opportunity there is out there.”

Economic Opportunity cont’d

• Economic Opportunity Act– Implemented in 1964 by Congress – According to Grant and Sleeter, the act “established

compensatory education for programs such as Head Start.”

– “Head Start was designed to help preschool children compensate for ‘cultural deprivation’ in the 1960s.”

• Title I of ESEA– to improve reading and math achievement

HOUSING IN MUNCIE

• Millennium Place– Millennium Place is part of a Muncie Housing

Authority urban renewal effort funded by leveraging funds from a Hope VI grant award by HUD in the summer of 2002.

– Millennium Place has replaced Munsyanna Homes.– In addition to the housing construction, Millennium

Place will include a Community Center, a Grocery Store, a Child Development Center, a Food Court with adjacent retailer, and park areas.

– In addition to the housing construction, Millennium Place will include a community center, a grocery store, a child development center, a food court, and park areas.

– 1 to 4 bedroom apartment homes, 11 single family homes, and 10 duplex homes.

•Rents ranging from $225 to $903 monthly.•http://www.munciemillennium.com/video.html

HOUSING IN MUNCIE CONT’D

SCHOOL FUNDING

• Funding is directly related to the economic status of the community that the school is in.– Parent participation, PTO

• Troubled schools that consistently score low on standardized tests receive less funding and support.

Conflict• The Metropolitan Life survey of 1993 found that ¼ of

teachers were afraid of assault inside or near their schools

• Muncie’s Youth Opportunity Center provides a safe and structured environment for troubled youth who suffer with– physical abuse or neglect– attempted suicide

– truancy– theft

– drug abuse

CORRELATION TO TEACHING

• No standards or INTASC principles tell us what to do about socioeconomic differences

• Students behavior reflects home, community, and school environment

• As Howard stated, “new streams are continually forming, bringing diverse religions, languages, cultures, tastes, styles, and traditions into the composite channel.”

Science in Multicultural Schools

In many low income schools one of the main courses that is suffering today is science because of the high cost of supplies to teach these subjects. Another problem hurting schools on a larger scale is that, according to an article entitled “Science Teaching in Secondary Schools”, students have a low interest in science courses. This is in part due to their reputation of being more difficult and more work. Another aspect that makes kids less interested is that high schools tend to only want to play a rule in college preparation which rules out most kids going to college. This also effects students who do not plan on attending college because these students definitely feel they have no need for science. According to Dr. Schriever of the University of Oregon on science in high schools, “more students regret not taking as many science classes in high school as they should have than any other course.”

Family and Consumer Sciences

• Co-op courses are geared toward students of low socioeconomic status

• There is an opportunity to incorporate a variety of cultural backgrounds

• Curriculum is conducive to “authentic assessment”

Cited Sources• Grant, Carl A., and Christine E. Sleeter. Doing Multicultural Education for

Achievement and Equity. New York: Routledge, 2007. 199.

• Hollenbeck, Kevin. "Education and the Economy." Employment Research (2001). 28 Nov. 2007 <http://198.108.159.119/publications/newsletter/kh_101.pdf>.

• Howard, Gary R. We Can’t Teach What We Don’t Know. New York: Teachers College Press, 2006. 71.

• McEldowney, Roger. Personal interview. 18 Nov. 2007.

• "Millinium Place." Muncie Millinium. 17 Feb. 2007. 18 Nov. 2007 <http://www.munciemillennium.com/index.php>.

• Roberts, K. "Economy and Education: Foundations of a General Theory." Comparitive Education 1 (1971): 1-12. 28 Nov. 2007 <http://www.jstor.org/view/03050068/sp030016/03x0562p/0?searchUrl=http%3a//www.jstor.org/search/BasicResults>.