Minority Education Considerations

Educational Considerations for Minority Students

“The United States of America is founded on the idea of educational equality. A major part of our national heritage is our collective commitment to the notion that all men-and women-are ‘created equal and entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’” (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p. 27). Unfortunately, equality in education is still something that is being sought after, especially for minority students. Socioeconomic status encompasses many things, including educational attainment. Low socioeconomic status often correlates with poverty, poor health and lower educational achievement. Race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status is intertwined and impacts the lives of many minorities. There

Food insecurity effects childhood illness. Poor families must make choices between medicine, food and shelter (Hammond-Darling, 2010). In many other countries, schools focus primarily on education. In the United States, because of the high rates of poverty, schools often provide food, and help families find housing and health care. Many resources are used just to provide these necessities. Additionally, there is often untreated physical and mental illness. These things create large gaps in a child’s readiness for school (Hammond-Darling, 2010). These gaps often continue further into the child’s education, creating educational disparity between minorities and those with higher socioeconomic

2015, January 28).” Teacher quality matters. According to The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future, “teachers’ academic background, preparation for teaching and certification status, as well as their experience, significantly affect their students’ achievement.” Students with novice teachers suffer academically. Ultimately, other teachers will end up suffering the consequences of their students having underprepared, undereducated teachers as well. This effect can last for years. Additionally, teachers that have less training and less experience are more likely to leave the teaching profession, resulting in high turnover rates for teachers in minority