Dare to Ask: Is education valued less by the poor?

By PHILLIP MILANO, The Times-Union

Question

I teach in a low- to middle- class area and want to know why some parents seem to put little value on their children's education. It kills me to see this happening to kids before they know what they could be capable of.

Marita, 27, Athens, Ga.

Replies

My advice, as a psychologist, is find time for each parent outside the school. The building itself is enough to spring instant walls for those who are afraid.

Jon, 33, Pepin, Wis.

I was raised by a single mother from a poor neighborhood. She emphasized the importance of education, even though she never attended beyond high school.

SoulOnIce, 26, male, Philadelphia

A lot of parents look down on education because they don't see how exactly it can help their kids be better off.

Ryan, 20, Dallas

Some lower-class parents may believe "What's good enough for me is good enough for my kids."

J.F., 24, female, Houston

This is a tired question. What if every minority in the U.S. got an education? Who would pick up the garbage or serve you your frappuccino at Starbucks?

Educated Latino, 26, male, Akron, Ohio

My parents came from Eastern Europe and valued education. Some North Americans have a disrespect for achievement.

A. Urbonas, Canada

Expert says

A couple of concepts to consider here, said Patrick Finn, associate professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction at State University of New York at Buffalo, who wrote Literacy with an Attitude: Educating Working-Class Children in Their Own Self-Interest.

- Some people, whether minority or poor, develop "oppositional identity" - a part of their identity forms in opposition to those they feel have basically shafted them. They may not respect those in authority, such as a teacher, and they may also act culturally opposite from the authority figure.

- Studies show that wealthier students are rewarded for being assertive and inquisitive, while classrooms of working-class students are rewarded for being docile and obedient. Using only traditional methods to reach lower-income students might bore them or cause them to feel they are being ordered around or held down.

"So the kid thinks, 'I'm tired of doing the 30th worksheet, I'm just tired of it,' " Finn said.

Some teachers are condescending to lower-income parents, while parents may feel they are being brought up to the school to be lectured - all at the same school they themselves attended and where they may have had bad experiences.

One solution: get teachers on board with progressive methods, while also bringing parents and teachers together to dialogue in workshops.

"With a frank conversation, the teacher may say, 'I never knew the parents were that concerned about the kids,' and the parents may say, 'I never realized the teachers were nice and doing the best they can.' "

Phillip Milano, author of I Can't Believe You Asked That! (Perigee), moderates cross-cultural dialogue at Y? The National Forum on People's Differences. Visit www.yforum.com to submit questions and answers. Send general column comments to phillip.milano@jacksonville.com. You can also hear his podcasts or watch his TV spots.