| Volume XXVIII Issue 26 | April 24, 2003 |
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Students study effects of money on education Adam Smith - Reporter
Several freshman education students this spring have realized that their assumptions and stereotypes can easily be proven false. Professor Melinda Rice and her Introduction to Education class, with the help of a Project Pericles grant, have traversed the state this spring to observe schools with varying socioeconomic levels and discuss whether monetary levels effects the quality of education. "We are exploring the differences between schools with a higher clientele of students versus schools with poorer students," freshman Renee Overcash said. Students have been to schools in Burlington, Tarboro and Princeville in Edgecombe County, and will visit schools in Chapel Hill and Carrboro in the next week. According to Jennifer Lowers, student, this project is important, "because all schools are supposed to get the same funding." But students said that this is not often the case. In reality, schools do get similar funding, but choose to use it in different ways. The more dilapidated schools have to use funds for repairs, while newer schools can use funding for more educational purposes. Most of the students said, however, that low funding does not necessarily mean a low quality of education. "There are places with low status, but teachers want to teach," Lindsay Andrews said. Another student, Carissa Berglund, said at one rural school "all the teachers were excited about being there, so the kids were excited." A more urban high school in Alamance County, with more money than the rural schools, had students who were less respectful and did not care as much. Funding does play a part, but good teaching can overcome this, according to students. Students have also noticed the community that surrounds the school plays a vital role in education process. "The community status doesn’t always mimic the status of the school," Dana Cunningham said. In one rural area, Cunningham said, the surrounding area was very poor, but the school was beautiful. Geoff Childs said he could tell the difference between the communities that take pride in their schools and those that do not. "The key is caring," Lexi Whitney said. In one school with lower funding, teachers and administrators find their funding through grants. "They want to push their kids," Whitney said. Kelly Sharpe said the experience "made me realize there are problems in rural areas," but she said, "they don’t get the funding like inner-city schools do." At the end of their research, students will write final papers analyzing the situation, making suggestions as to how the problems can be fixed. "We can see what other states are doing to equalize funding and look at what we’re doing," Quinn Kirby said. More important than the research and papers the students will write are the insights students will make about their futures as teachers. "It breaks down stereotypes," LaToya Marcus said. Students who have never before experienced school systems with lower socio-economic levels can now decide if they would want to teach in such an environment. "It’s been a new kind of learning experience for a lot of [the students]," Rice said. Going in to the schools "has been a very different type of educational experience," she said. The experience has been a culture-shock to some, as some students said they did not realize there were huge gaps in schools in North Carolina. Students in the class come from public schools of both high and low socioeconomic levels, as well as private schools. "It gets the students out in the community," Rice said. "[The research] has opened their eyes to things they hadn’t previously considered." |
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