<p>I'm writing an article on how education in a lot of the US sucks, but then I realized i know nothing about why education sucks in low income areas. So, what do you (low income students- I want no middle class/upper class kids telling me what they think) think are obstacles standing in your education's way?</p>
<p>I am middle income, your question is phrased wrong, you should be asking everyone in low income areas because anyone that is informed can see what the problems are. </p>
<p>Anyway. </p>
<p>A major problem in my district is lack of communal support and open communication. It seems like unless you are a student, or work in the district you have no idea what goes on at the board, its kept that purposely. Well, let’s just say there’s no effort to change that.</p>
<p>Since i’m low income I think I can explain something…
I guess money is involved every way including education. Education is a resource and when you don’t have money, you have that resource. When people have money, they can hire professionals giving intense and great tutoring services to their children.</p>
<p>can’t have *</p>
<p>Those of us who are considered low income cannot afford SAT tutors, the application fees, etc.</p>
<p>One school in our county has one guidance counsler for 1800+ students.</p>
<p>Of course money and resources are an issue, but not as much as people make them out to be. My family is really poor, but I was still able to succeed nonetheless. I think that how parents treat education matters A LOT more than income. When I was younger, my mom took me to the library multiple times a week, and I’ve always loved to read. She could barely speak English (and still can’t speak well) but I have been in advanced classes since elementary school. I’ve always done relatively well with the little resources I have.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I have a lot of classmates who come from very affluent backgrounds, and that doesn’t guarantee success. I know a kid who is a double legacy at a top Ivy and who has Cs and Ds in every class. I guess the discrepancy in achievement lies in the fact that the wealthy tend to value higher education more than low-income families do, since a lot of poor students see graduating high school as a success and don’t have as much of an incentive to maximize grades for college.</p>
<p>I understand the guidance counsler problem…okay. But, I’m sorry, I never had a tutor and I do fine in school. I’m studying for the SAT using free resources (except for the BB, which I bought for $10). And don’t many colleges waive the fee of applications if you’re very low income?</p>
<p>No motivation to improve perfectly happy with the status quo and not nearly enough money to go to top colleges. It is not seen as an investment but a waste of money. Also parents don’t normally help. At least that is my view</p>
<p>Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using CC</p>
<p>@collegebound8899- thanks for your answer, that makes a lot of sense. It’s unfortunate that people believe education isn’t important because their household acted like it’s not.</p>
<p>You can only get 4 fee waivers and some schools don’t even accept those.</p>
<p>@1Rachel94- If some schools don’t accept fee waivers, why would one apply? If someone wants a college to accept AP credits and the college doesn’t, the person wouldn’t apply there either. And 4 schools isn’t nothing- many middle class kids don’t apply to more than that anyways.</p>
<p>milky, define “low income”.</p>
<p>Because they like the school. Shouldn’t low income students be allowed to have options and be allowed to be undecided? Most people who have applied to 4 or less are typically decided on where they want to go. I qualify for fee waivers, but my first choice didn’t accept them Imagine if you couldn’t even apply to your dream school.</p>
<p>If you have netflix, go watch Waiting for superman. It examines the failing public.school system esp in low income areas</p>
<p>I don’t think I can? Like, I’m an upper class student, I really don’t know the dollar amount of a x person household that would be considered low income. Like. Idk. If a person has two parents and both of them are working at jobs which require minimal education and gave little career growth opportunities and don’t let the parents utilize their abilities to be creative or express their ideas, I guess that would be low income.</p>
<p>Well Not really… even if the school doesn’t take the AP credit, they still apply. I know someone going to a school where they don’t take certain AP credits. I think it’s hard for me to achieve to the point where i want it to be is because first of all my parents are very poor and my mother is mentally disabled. She can’t even help me with certain things at all. She doesn’t speak english and my dad is never home so I don’t exactly have much access to certain things as other people…</p>
<p>@1Rachel94- I understand what you’re saying…but it’s not like it’s only lower income kids who have to give up on their ‘dream school’ (a term I dislike) because there’s something fatally wrong with it- if a school doesn’t accept AP credits, I can’t afford to go there because I’m paying for part of college by myself and can’t pay 4 full years of tuition.</p>
<p>@lilmenlonred- thank you for your input. do you feel that’s a common problem among low income students- not only that the culture isn’t very pro-education, but also parents aren’t very willing to help out?</p>
<p>@rachel… Pace right? They do reduce the fee for the apps. That school desperately need money?</p>