The Impact of Integration and Increasing Hispanic Population

   My opinions and stated observations, in this post, will likely foster some debate. Nonetheless, the decline in public education and the fact more and more public schools are devolving into correctional settings rift with  rampant violence, gang activity, which have forced many public schools to conduct body scans and pat down searches of their students, has coincided with the increasing number of African American and students of Hispanic descent in the public schools, especially in American urban areas, during the past fifty years.

   African Americans, particularly those of the underclass, generally have a different value system which does not embrace or appreciate the opportunity to be educated. Unfortunately, too many young African American students equate applying themselves in a motivated manner in school as being “white,” or  “crackerish,” and not “keeping it real.” Perhaps this sentiment has its origins in the black nationalism and Black Panther movements in the 1960s  America where the “establishment,” which includes the educational system, was eschewed and those black Americans who accepted “it” were branded “sell outs”?  Likewise, many students of Hispanic student often have an disdainful attitude towards school and education. This is exacerbated by the tendency of many Hispanic families in the United States not making an effort to properly become fluent or learn the English language.

   Both African Americans and Hispanic Americans also have a tendency to view the United States and world exclusively through their provincial cultural lenses. In other words, if the subject(s) being discussed or being studied in school does not involve or pertain to an aspect related to African American or Hispanic culture, then little interest is shown or devoted to that said subject. Moreover,  the value system of these two groups has gained greater public recognition and arguably public acceptance with the growing popularity of Hip- Hop/ Rap music among American youth during the past quarter century. Consequently, these value systems, which generally disavow education, literacy, and intellectualism, and conversely celebrate “bling,” power and money obsessively have influenced the values of other American young people of different ethnic backgrounds especially white young Americans from the working class and underclass.

Decreasing Parental Accountability

   From free public school breakfasts and lunches, to expecting the public school and other agencies of the public sector to provide after school and recreational activities for their sons and daughters, parents in the United States have increasingly expected the schools and other entities to become their children’s caregiver provided by tax payer expense. Even those politically ardent conservatives, who advocate limited government, still in times of national disasters and in terms of providing public education, have an expectation that the local and state governments fulfill exclusively and meet all scholastic and extra-curricular related activities.

   This has coincided with the increasing number of single parent households and two parents households where both parents hold full-time jobs. In many instances, parents either through lack of time or lack of effort, are not spending time with their children reviewing homework or supplementing their children’s schoolwork and education in school. In addition, the television and the computer have become increasingly relied upon to keep children occupied or busy serve as a babysitter. On a related note, parents are too preoccupied being their children’s best friends or attempting to stay “cool,” with their kids, and, consequently, not enough discipline is being applied in many American households.

The Glorification Of Stupid and The Dumbing Down of American Society

   Through different mediums such as radio, television, and movies, a disturbing paradigm has manifested in American popular culture whereby the unmotivated and reckless student who shows no regard for education, oneself, or others is celebrated. Conversely, in these mediums, particularly in television and movies, students or young people who attempt to lead good lives and apply themselves at home or at school are mocked and ridiculed. Students who fit the jock, slacker, and renegade prototype are glorified, and in many cases, the authority figures, parents, teacher, school administrators are portrayed as despicable, abhorrent, and mean-spirited. This is reinforced by our celebrity obsessed culture where people such as Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan, arguably people with very little substance or talent, are ubiquitously publicized merely for their famous or infamous status.

“Yer Teacher Blues” Yes I’M Lonely, Oh Fellow or Former Teachers, You Know The Reason Why

   Good day, everyone. Having been involved in Education field for the past fifteen years, I have had the opportunity and privilege  to teach in a variety of different settings and work with a diverse population and age of students ranging from kindergarten to adults. Most of my teaching instruction has involved work with middle school and high school aged students.


   Though I have had many rewarding and fulfilling moments as a teacher, I have often found myself hamstrung and exasperated by the lack of preparation and apathy among the large number of my students particularly those at the middle school and secondary school level. Some of this student disinterest admittedly stems from inherent and social inadequacies in the educational system. For example, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has been lambasted by many educators as a law which forces teachers to instruct students with the sole purpose of passing standardized tests as opposed to developing students’ general knowledge and content areas.  In addition, as in any profession,  the teaching field is comprised of a number of incompetent and  overly complacent people/educators who make no effort to stimulate curiosity and interest among their students.

   Nonetheless, from my own experience as an educator, the general disdain of  the majority these students stems from mainly the low priority that their respective families and home environments place on education.  In addition, a number of social and cultural factors, which many leading educators and reformers fail to mention publicly  due to their arguably polarizing nature, which I will outline on this online blog forum. In addition, I will recommend certain actions that can be gradually implemented to offset these disturbing trends in education.