Stigmatized and Socialized

School is a vital function of society. Without the education system we wouldn't be able to produce bright scholars we so often witness changing the face of society. Because we are at such a progressive time in our culture, elders rely on the intellect of their children to continue this era of progress. We want to see the best and brightest in the most important positions of society but in order for America to function there is an unspoken need for blue collar jobs that allow the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. The job market feeds off the  products of the school system.

Who are the garbage collectors and who are the doctors of our society? I would venture to guess that those labeled as disruptive, unsuccessful, and failures are more likely to be in the blue collar positions. On the other hand those who are seen as successful, committed, and often called on in class are mobilizing themselves into the more affluent jobs.

There are students in schools all over America right now who could potentially reach beyond what others tell them. They could defy what statistics say about where they come from, the color of their skin, and how poorly they perform on standardized tests. Unfortunately the reality is that these students have internalized the labels they have been given and meet the "standards" others set for them. It's a cycle that needs to stop if we want to close the achievement gap. Schools board members, administrators, and teachers need to understand the psychological effects of their actions towards students who are assumed to be unteachable.