Shelley Quema

Professor Prior

Sociology 1

28 May 2017

Savage Inequalities Reading & Reflection

1. Irl Solomon's history class

- Irl Solomon is a teacher who has taught in Urban Schools for approximately 30

years. He is 54 years old that has reddish hair which is slowly being engulfed by

white hair. After graduating from Brandeis University, he decided to attend law

school but soon learned that it was not the right fit for him so he decided to teach

in the toughest places to teach. In Solomons senior class, he says he has 4

pregnant girls or girls that just gave birth. He questions the girls why have a

baby and they respond by saying there is not much for them in public school. He

understands why his students do not look forward to graduating because a

diploma from a ghetto high school will not get you anywhere in the United States.

Of all his students, only about 55% of them graduate with only 20% of them

attending college and the rest enlisting in the military. The school lacks

equipment and certain staff which makes the kids not want to attend school.

Solomon says that the school lost their one and only Latin teacher. Overall,

because of the lack of resources the school and community has, students are not

as motivated to attend school.

2. Jennifer's views on schools in poor area (Bronx & East St. Louis)
 - Jennifer grew up in the Bronx in New York. She attended school that was poor

and hell which is why her and her family decided to move. Jennifer believes that

the poor must want to have a good education. If they want a good education, then

their parents and themselves must do something about it just as her family did.

She believes that the taxes her family pays should not help pay for the poor

schools since it does not benefit her. But overall, she believes that all students

should have the equal opportunities to take the same academic courses.

3. Contrast East St Louis with the school in Rye, New York

- The schools both express the difference of poor education and higher education.

The contrast between the two shows the readers that having a poor/higher

education and limited/unlimited resources can ultimately affect your education

path and your life. East St. Louis is a poor, urban community which is 98% black.

There is only a limited amount of jobs and services that is offered. a third of its

families live on less than $7,500 a year; 75 percent of its population lives on

welfare of some form. The city has a very poor agricultural structure and has the

highest property tax rate in the state. The raw sewages of the city affect the school

greatly which then affects the students learning ability. The school lacks

educational funding causing impacted classrooms and the layoff of teachers. In

contrast, the school in Rye, New York is very different than the school in East St.

Louis. The school resembles a New England Prep school suggesting that it has

more money put into it. Parents donate money and raise private charitable funds

for the school. Students have a library, a student lounge, and offers AP classes.

This school has more of an advantage than the other.

4. After your summary, include your own perspective/opinion about this article. For

example, given your experience do you think in the past 20 years anything has changed in

our system? If so, what? If not, why have things remained the same?

- The article is trying to showcase what having a higher/poor education can do to

students. I believe having a poor education is tough. Many students that are in this

situation cant do much to change this. Location matters. For example, I went to a

high school that was not as big and well-funded. But the town over has a bigger

and better school, plus its in a nicer area. Kids that went to my school were

constantly ditching class and getting in trouble. Many of them ended up dropping

out. I think the system has stayed the same. Though there have been a few

changes here and there, I still believe it is the same. Some schools are more

privileged than the others. Students that attend higher education schools tend to

get accepted into better schools. Just how the article mentioned. Students is poorer

areas may not even go to college. And kids in richer communities tend to go to

college.