Urban School Environment Assignment Analysis

One of the main reasons why I applied to the School of Counseling Master’s program at Brooklyn College was to learn new skills and methods that I can apply in my practice of helping others. I once believed that with empathy, skill, and generally wanted to help those in need was the sole requirements needed to be an effective school counselor. After completing this assignment I realized that being able to meet the client in the here and now is needed to efficiently execute advocacy. For this Urban School Environment assignment, I will explore urban schools in its entirety and explain what I believe I can bring to the table as far as bringing change in quality of life students will have in urban schools.

Urban Schools From Past to Present

I first learned about segregation in the third grade during Black history month. I guess since I learned in class that it was a thing of the past, I could not see pass that most of my classmates were Black or from other minority groups. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I was attending predominantly Black and Latino school staff was mainly Caucasian. I believe their presence in the school gave off the illusion that I was in a racially diverse environment, even though there were a lower percentage of Caucasian students in the schools I attended. It was not until I read “Still Separate Still Not Equal” by Kozol, that I was made me aware of this. Kozol spoke of the reasons why schools are still legally segregated in the form of fundings, and quality of education given to minorities versus white students that is partly due to the society as a whole being unaware of this. In the article Kozol talks about how the students' that he met in different states in these minorities filled schools were well aware they was being treated unfairly by their school system. These students were also aware of the fact that there are other schools where their students the opposite. Overcrowded schools, poor school meals, and lack of clean and working restrooms was part of the complaints he heard from students in urban schools. He was asked by students if he could help change their current educational situation. When he questioned officials about this he was told that it is due to the unstable economy. The views of privileged and wealthy do not believe that the funding would help the public school students' problem as if they are unaware of the fact that they spend a lot of money making sure their children get the best education in private schools. Kozol concluded by stating that the time has passed to be figuring out or making excuses as