Contrasting Goals Of Pearl Cohn And Hume Fogg

Confidence in the principle of universal equality of educational opportunity is difficult to maintain when one views the breadth of the educational landscape in America. When observing two schools that fall on opposite sides of the spectrum in nearly every measurable aspect, it is crucial to make sense of where such disparity is founded so that the education system can be altered to better society. One such example of a tremendous educational gap is found in the 3.6 miles that span between the Nashville High Schools Pearl Cohn and Hume Fogg. Pearl Cohn, an entertainment magnet school located in a predominantly African American and poor socioeconomic area, has a 69% graduation rate, whereas Hume Fogg, an academic magnet school with 97% of students

Pearl Cohn is an entertainment magnet school. It is open enrollment and it “works to equip all students to be citizens, scholars and leaders by engaging them through academics and creative career- and service-based learning experiences” (“Pearl-Cohn Entertainment”). The entertainment aspect gives students a reason to be at school. It is a thematic approach that guides students into the work force. In addition, Pearl Cohn takes a whole school, whole family approach ("Pearl Cohn"). This means that Pearl Cohn becomes a safety net that guides students through life issues. This was evident in the language used by the administration. It was clear that the school was working to beat the odds that exist for their student population. The fact that Pearl Cohn’s presentation included a description of their role in life preparation implies that they are a sort of “surrogate parent” because many of the students come from lacking backgrounds. Pearl Cohn gave a vibe that students were in ‘training.’ This feel was bolstered by their values of “own it,” “answer the call,” “others first,” “no limits” and “more grit” (“Pearl Cohn”). Additionally, they have “nests” where each student is advised (“Pearl Cohn”). Pearl Cohn did not address their average ACT of a 20 (“Best High Schools”). Pearl Cohn’s goal is remedial and it attempts to reverse the trends that many African American

Pearl Cohn’s educational philosophy is extremely unique and untraditional. This is because it represents remedial action, a way to change the trends for blacks. The fact that Pearl Cohn overturns widely held beliefs about the purpose of a school reveals how the inequity produced by Brown has forced the school to correct the mistakes of society. Ogletree discusses how the marred educational system produced by Brown has made it so “many individuals and groups have assumed the responsibility of creating an alternative educational system that meets the needs of children” (Ogletree 264). For example, in Harlem there are now many afterschool programs (Ogletree 271). Both the society and the school have stepped in to ease inequity and the principal of self-determination is more widely used. The adjusted goals seen in Pearl Cohn’s presentation result from the racial inequity propagated through Brown’s loose and poorly articulated mandate. Thus, as a result, the same conclusion can be drawn about Hume Fogg. Its hyper academic atmosphere and above average ACT score speaks to the disproportionately excelling societal majority. Because schools such as Hume Fogg that attract students with high socioeconomic status, predominantly as a result of race, they have less to overcome and they can excel more academically. Brown ensured the success of the majority and