Defense Paper

Entering the conversation of free tuition I wasnt sure what direction my inquiry
would led me. After reading over several sources and analyzing data collected from
the National Center of Education and Statistics, I was quickly forced to reanalyze my
line of questioning. I was finding that America has no problem graduating gradeschool level students, the problem lies our ability to graduate post- secondary
students. With America reaching an all-time high of 82 percent of high school
students graduating, it was astonishing to find that only 30 percent of minorities
combined graduate college (Statistics 2012). As I continued my search, all roads led
to the unfortunate economic states that students are experiencing inside and
outside of school. It became evident that the academic conditions in America are a
direct reflection of the economic conditions of America.
In 1954, Brown v Board of Education ruled that it was against the law for public
schools to be segregated. As a result of that ruling, by 1961 big city institution
became considerably instable. By the 1980s Whites were a shrinking minority in
virtually all of the nations largest city systems and in a growing number of smaller
ones as wellby the 90s the number of white students became very small, some
places even less than 10 percent, (Rury 1993). The metropolitan urban areas of
major cities would soon become the location for the development of economically
and socially disadvantaged neighborhoods (Amy Ellen Schwartz 2010). One third
of these government authorized housing units are located in areas where poverty
exceeds 40 percent and 50 percent of the residents are minorities. Considering the
education system remained neutral, though unlikely, the only element that changed
in communities, that once had a graduation rates well above 70 percent, is the
people that now occupy them. Inner- city graduation rates today are all over the

board. You find cities like Cleveland with 38 percent of their inner-city freshman
student graduating in four years and their suburban counterpart graduating 80
percent of their freshman in four years. Or New York, graduating 54 percent of their
inner-city freshman and their suburban counterpart graduating 83 percent (Dillion).
When considering numbers like those in New York and Cleveland, my previous
research of degrees being received became more understandable. In FY 2009-2010
(the most recent federal data available) degrees were dived out as followed:
Associates Degree: White- 66.3 %, combined other- 33.7%, Bachelors Degree:
White- 72.9%, combined other- 27.1%, Masters Degree: White- 72.8%, combined
other 27.2% and Doctrines: White- 74.3%, combined other- 25.7% (N. C. Statistics).
With all this information, I attempt to push my line of questioning even further. What
are the effects a low-income environment have on a childs ability to learn? Dr.
Evans, American Psychologist, says:

Poor children confront widespread environmental inequities. Compared with

their economically advantaged counterparts, they are exposed to more family
turmoil, violence, separation from their families, instability, and chaotic
households. Poor children experience less social support, and their parents
are less responsive and more authoritarian. Low-income children are read to
relatively infrequently, watch more TV, and have less access to books and
computers. Low-income parents are less involved in their children's school
activities. The air and water poor children consume are more polluted. Their
homes are more crowded, noisier, and of lower quality. Low-income
neighborhoods are more dangerous, offer poorer municipal services, and

suffer greater physical deterioration. Predominantly low-income schools and

day care are inferior. The accumulation of multiple environmental risks rather
than singular risk exposure may be an especially pathogenic aspect of
childhood poverty (Evans 2004).
Childhood poverty, as Dr. Evans refers to it, has a direct effect on the academic
poverty that is evident in our educational system. How are we to expect children
that are being raised in insufficient conditions, with inadequate resources to
succeed? With the implication like Standardized Testing, the public school system
was given a way out. Schools are now, in a sense, equipped with the answers to the
test. They no longer have to teach students how to exercise their brains, a students
ability to regurgitated information is more appealing. Thus rendering statistics like
the following, Federal data show that 68 percent of public two-year college
students have to take at least one remedial course; the average student who starts
at a two-year college takes 2.9 remedial courses (Kelly).
The bigger picture begins to form. The United States of America is allowing the lives
of children and their progression in life to be taken by the hands of poverty. The
revolving cycle of misfortune continues. Students are raised and expected to study
and learn in filth. They are then passed through Americas makeshift education
system. There, they are force feed information that will only prove worthy for taking
one test and boosting high school graduation statistics. But, the revealing of twelve
years of inadequately spent time doesnt become apparent until these students
cross the thrush hold of college. Entering post-secondary school two and half
classes behind only adds to these emotionally and sociologically broken students.
Yet, they are still excepted to succeed.

To provide a free education to all, wouldnt help those who need it the most.
Children are being born in economical situations that solidifies their academic
progression for the remainder of their lives. Some of these very children I speak up
have the ability to attend college for free already. So, it isnt the cost that is the
burden, it is the condition of the mind that is tainted.
I have created these memes as a light hearted way to bring awareness to a real
issue. This revolving circle of economic and educational disconnect must end. And
the first to doing so is concisely acknowledging that these inequalities exists and
actively attempting to implement change. With memes being accessible to all age
groups, ethnicities, religions, and social media platforms, I thought it would be a
great way to get the conversation started. My memes contain simply facts, none are
opinion based, to encourage the readers to build their own conclusions on the
conversation. The non-biased approach also allows for the conversation about the
meme to take a natural form versus an implied form.