Synthesis Essay

Like many of the the students from my mostly white, upper-middle class high school, I

graduated with high honors and left feeling confident in my abilities to succeed in college and

beyond. On graduation night, I remember the roar of parents, family members, teachers, and

friends hollering with pride when my peers threw their hats in the air, at last marking our

completion of a successful four years at Olympia High School. As I finally left that night, I

remember thinking that despite the many late nights of studying and long hours spent in

extracurriculars, I was grateful to have received a diploma from one of the best public schools in

Washington.

But in retrospect to having received my high-ranking education, I have learned that my

circumstances were based off of one defining element: luck. Of course, I worked extremely hard

in my studies so I could attend college and secure a scholarship, but when looking to where I was

six years ago, it wasn’t always written in the stars that I would succeed in school. As a child, I

faced extreme struggles in reading and writing. My lack of confidence in school carried on to

many other subjects, and it wasn’t until many years later that I was officially diagnosed with

dyslexia. In middle school, I finally sought tutors that helped me develop effective strategies to

combat my dyslexia, and I began receiving high grades that wouldn’t have been possible before.

While I am extremely grateful for the resources and educational support that I received

at such a critical point in my life, I can’t help but imagine what path my life would have taken if

I hadn’t had such a dramatic turn around. My experiences have led me to question what happens

to the students who are left behind. The articles “Meritocracy and Its Discontents” by

Christopher Hayes and “The Problem” by Nikole Hannah-Jones depict that in reality, education
in America is an institution that upholds the social elite, while simultaneously creating more

obstacles for students already at distinct disadvantages. Instead of providing equal opportunities,

our education system renders certain groups much more likely to succeed or fail than others.

One of the most dangerous things that our education system does to youth is that it

intentionally labels students early in their academic career. Hayes described that “[the education

system] begins testing all children, and the score becomes their defining identity (Hayes, 41).

This means that all students are evaluated on only one piece of criteria, which then becomes the

basis of their entire academic pathway. However, these tests are extremely unforgiving and have

severe implications to those who do not make the score cut-off. Most notably, it creates a

psychological barrier on these children because they are made to believe that since they never

received a good score, they are simply not as smart as their other peers. I remember that as a

child, one of my most dreaded events was taking the Washington state standardized test that

tested basic math and reading skills at my school. Every year, I received below average scores in

almost every category because I was not given accommodations for my dyslexia. This greatly

contributed to my lack of self esteem in academics, and if it wasn’t for the help of teachers and

tutors later, I would likely not have the same academic confidence I do now. Likewise, the

reverse is also true: students who do not have the support of positive mentors would likely never

receive the confidence they need to be successful in school and later on in life.

Besides the psychological effects that testing and education has on children, the

education system separates pupils according to an unfair bias that tests a student’s academic

“ability.” An example of this happening is in elementary schools in New York City, where “the

bright children are segregated early on and put into special schools lavished with resources”
(Hayes, 41). This indicates that instead of putting the children that are not receiving as good as

scores into institutions that would help them catch up, they are seperated from the children who

are already doing well. However, in standardized testing, there is a certain bias for these kinds of

abilities. Distinct groups, namely African American or Hispanics that have a lower income and

more stresses in their life, tend to score lower. Therefore, many of the students who land spots in

top-tier schools like Hunter High School are Caucasian or Asian, and have a higher

socioeconomic status (Hayes, 51). Standardized testing proved to be a barrier for me because of

lack of accommodations, yet standardized testing also tests for certain aptitudes like

socioeconomic status-- which plays a large role in determining a students success. Students of

color and lower socioeconomic status have a harder time not only attaining admission into

selective schools, but they are also enrolled into segregated schools that do not have the same

access to quality education. This contributes to the social justice issue that higher income

students are more likely to succeed because they ​are able to afford the thousands of dollars it

takes to pave a way into the higher caliber schools, which eventually lead to high caliber jobs

and lifestyles.

Nikole-Hannah Jones similarly points out that, especially in retrospect to one’s ethnicity,

the playing field in education is not equal because those in underfunded high schools are also

offered the least amount of support. She showed statistics that illustrated this, one being that

“​The US Department of Education put out data in 2014 showing that black and Latino kids in

segregated schools have the least qualified teachers, the least experienced teachers. They also get

the worst course offerings, the least access to AP and upper level courses, and the worst

facilities” (Hannah-Jones, The Problem). Even though these ethnic groups tend to have more
disadvantages, like being more stressed out, they are also given the least amount of resources

that could potentially offer needed support. In my hometown in Washington, I can personally see

the effects of how more segregated school districts perform in comparison the higher income

high school that I attended. At my high school, I remember that even though there were many

students who came out of district, they were able to attend my high school because their parents

bought or rented a house in the district so that their children could get the best possible

education. However, this was not possible for those students who could not afford to do so. As

such, they had to attend the less fortunate schools in my district. Usually, these underfunded

schools had an influx of minority students, and they also were not given the resources that my

school was given. The best, most qualified teachers always wanted to teach at my high school

because of the alluring pay and reputation. This had severe consequences for the underserved

schools in my own city district because though my school continued to receive the best students

and high funding, the other schools were left with the same disadvantages and problems that they

had before.

As a naturally inquisitive person, many of my thoughts surrounding the topic of

education inequality have caused me to ponder about the thousands, if not more, displaced

students whose American education system failed them in providing adequate resources required

for future success. For as long as I can remember, equality and education seemed to be a

congruous statement--one could not happen without the other. Yet, I have learned through the

articles in CTW and my own experiences in there is still a bias in education that separates

students due to uncontrollable, inherent circumstances. There is no such thing as a

“standardized” testing because “standardize” suggests a sort of uniformity throughout the

masses--when in reality there are not equal opportunities for all. There are a myriad of factors,

including psychological, socioeconomic, and downright chance that play into who ultimately

receives the best education and attains the most success. Though I have not experienced many of

the biases that continue to haunt students of color or lower income, I am passionate about

studying the effects that stem from those who had less fortunate circumstances in education here

at Santa Clara.