During my visit, I began to wonder whether educational reforms really make a difference as the NCLB act clearly has not been able to improve urban schools. The questions as to what makes a great school began to fill my mind. Certainly great teachers help to make a great school, a great principal helps to make a great school, and a supportive community helps to make a great school. The more the suburban principals talked, the more I realized that one of the greatest advantages suburban schools have that urban schools do not have are a majority of parents who demonstrate involvement and investment into the urban school. The affluent parents of suburban schools seem to hold schools more accountable for upholding excellence. They also volunteer as one school had a parent creating beautiful murals throughout the library, others donated monies to provide field trips for students. A parental presence is one of the most consequential influences in suburban schools as urban schools must learn from them. Although the financial base of suburban parents may be deeper, urban parents can offer other kinds of involvement; like volunteering in the oversized classrooms, or using one’s skills to improve the appearance of an urban school, or helping with anti-bullying in the schools.
The federal and state governments provide funding in various forms to support the urban public schools as well as tax dollars of residents. Unfortunately, the white flight to the suburbs left urban schools with an abundance of disadvantaged minorities and segregated schools. Studies show that when racial segregation exists for minorities, health risks, and poorer schools follow, as teens also have lower test scores in these segregated areas. The obvious social distance is exacerbated between the white majority and minorities when minorities grow up in poverty (Haines, n.d.). Social development cannot be overlooked when comparing the two kinds of districts as many poor students have limited experiences beyond their urban settings.
Although gentrification is beginning to occur in many parts of Philadelphia, the poor still remain in most areas and they cannot be ignored. Certainly the tax dollars of the new and wealthier urbanites are needed and welcomed; however, the people must take ownership of their schools while not looking for someone else to do the work. Urban parents must see themselves as the keepers and preservers of their communities and schools. Although, the new neighbors bring increased economic activity as seen through the sale of real-estate, the demographics change; while median income increases, and new culture and community characteristics become evident (POV, 2014), the responsibility to improve one’s public school lies in the hands of the parents within the school community.
