Teachers, Schools, and Society by Sadker & Sadker
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Chapter Summary

1. For centuries, the impact of white people on Native Americans has been one of territorial conquest and attempts to diminish the Indian culture, often through schooling. Today, less than half of the 2 million Native Americans in this country live on reservations.
   
   
2. The education of African Americans during the colonial period was sometimes illegal, and, when schools were provided, they were inadequate and underfunded. The doctrine of "separate but equal" (Plessy v. Ferguson) legalized segregated schools, but, in 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka), "separate but equal" was declared unconstitutional. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed in an effort to eliminate continuing discrimination and promote the desegregation of schools.
   
   
3. Desegregation still persists, thanks in part to racially segregated neighborhoods. African American children are often assigned to special education programs and tracked into less challenging academic areas. African American students have lower test scores and higher dropout rates than do white students.
   
   
4. There are more than 30 million Hispanics (or Latinos) living in the United States today. The nation's Latinos comprise several major groups, including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. Hispanic immigration from Central America, including Nicaragua and El Salvador, is increasing. Students from poverty-stricken, war-torn countries must overcome psychological trauma, poverty, and language barriers to succeed in the United States. The Hispanic dropout statistics are even higher than those of African Americans.
   
   
5. Asian is a label assigned to several billion people from a score of nations. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, especially new immigrants from war-ravaged nations in Indochina, must overcome trauma and adjust to a new culture and language, not unlike many Hispanics. Other Asian Americans, such as the Chinese and Asian Indians, are stereotyped as model minorities, a label that often masks the impact of prejudice on these children.
   
   
6. Although females have been in North America as long as males, their struggle for equal educational opportunities continues. At first denied access to schools, once admitted they were often segregated into gender-restricted programs and careers. Today, researchers find subtle patterns of bias as teachers interact more frequently and more precisely with male students.
   
   
7. Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments Act prohibits sex discrimination in schools that receive federal financial assistance. Progress toward gender equity is evident by increased female participation in athletics and improved test scores in math and biology. Other areas, such as computer technology and vocational programs, remain gender segregated. Compliance with Title IX is erratic.
   
   
8. One in five U.S. children lives in poverty, a condition that frequently short-circuits their educational promise.
   
   
9. The traditional family unit of the past has undergone a radical transformation. Divorce, remarriage, wage earning, parenting, and alternative relationships have restructured the family and the home-school connection.
   
   
10. Latchkey children are those who are left home alone for a significant portion of the day. Many latchkey children are found in middle-class white homes with working parents. Psychologists do not share a universal view as to whether this is a harmful experience, but some express concern about possible trauma, poor nutrition, and safety problems.
    
    
11. The dramatic decrease in the amount of low-cost housing built and available during the 1980s and the rising cost of rent led to an increase in the need for public shelters and specific educational services for homeless children. Passage of the 1987 McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, amended in 1990, was intended to lessen the impact of this problem. This law protects the rights of children, who have no permanent address, to attend school and receive all necessary services and opportunities.
    
    
12. Today 86 percent of students complete high school. Poor students, urban students, and students of color are more likely to drop out than are others. Reasons for dropping out range from lack of motivation to teenage pregnancy. Schools continue to develop programs to retain students through high school graduation.
    
    
13. The mixed messages sent to students in our society have contributed to an alarmingly high rate of teenage pregnancy. More than one in eleven teenage girls become pregnant, and many are destined for an early end to their educational careers and poverty. Current school responses vary according to community norms. In some communities, sex education is a major emphasis; in others, it is minor or missing entirely.
    
    
14. Fear of AIDS has served as a catalyst for establishing sex education programs, in hopes of reducing this deadly disease. The courts, contending that AIDS is a disability, do not allow schools to discriminate against students or teachers with HIV.
    
    
15. Although substance abuse by teens has generally declined since the 1970s, reports in recent year suggest drug use (especially alcohol) may again be on the rise. Statistics on the extent of the problem are difficult to quantify and interpret, but, clearly, substance abuse has a devastating impact on the education and health of those involved.
    
    
16. Teen suicide, often the result of depression, is attempted by 10 percent of teenage boys and 18 percent of teenage girls. Although there are some warning signs, parents and teachers find it difficult to anticipate who will be involved in suicide attempts.
    
    
17. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are more likely to commit suicide than are heterosexual youngsters. Schools need to do much more to address the needs of these often "invisible" students. Guidelines for teachers include directly confronting homophobia across the school culture.
    
    
18. An ongoing debate exists over whether equity and excellence in education are compatible. Some claim that efforts for equity drain resources from educational programs and subvert academic excellence. However, others claim that education cannot be excellent unless it is excellent for all.
    
    

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