Rationality of Poverty

I was having a discussion with a friend on why friends that we grew up with make the decisions they make and why they can not see beyond the neighborhood or local community.  The Central Valley is very poor.  I call this phenomena the rationality of poverty.  Being impoverished can dictate a lot of choices and the immediate need for food and shelter can drive decisionmaking where, to the outside eye, the decisions look illogical.  There becomes a point where the decision making methodology becomes hardwired in our day to day actions.  I came to this realization when I go to fill gas in my car and how I may drive another block or mile to save another penny a gallon.  That makes no sense but in the rationality of poverty, it makes sense to save all that you can.

Developping the Talented Tenth versus a Functional Vocational Society Through Education

What is the role of education?  “Education” in French translates “to raise” a child.  Is that what a system is supposed to be doing?  And if so, is it doing a good job of that?  Fundamentally, is education for society or is it for the development of the individual?  In terms of resourcing and funding an educational system, who is the primary benefactor of the education system?  We know that, theoretically, an education system should afford all students an opportunity to be successful but one must question whether the role of education should benefit society.  Outside the United States and in other developed nations, the education systems have a role in benefiting those societies.  While higher education may be free or much more affordable than the United States, there are limitations on who has access.  The reason is not to be punitive but rather to address the needs of the nation.  There is a need for professionals in a myriad of occupations and the education systems of these countries address that.  Only so many students will get into higher education just as there will only be so many apprentices to learn carpentry.  School is a method to “educate” the children to build capacity within the national interests.  Juxtaposed to the United States where there really is no cap or limits on who can access higher education.  Education is seen more in the lens of a personal benefit; a social equalizer.  American schools are utilized as a form of equality and equity.  If one fails to access or take advantage of educational opportunity it is more of a personal choice in light of a European model where only so many lawyers, doctors, and clocksmiths may be needed to keep society function.

   

School budgets are a reflection of a community’s values.  The money will be allocated to either what matters or what is mandated by government.  Equity and equality drive a lot of the budgets in California which leads to the idea of personal development.  The equity vs equality debate is not much different than the W.E.B DuBois versus Booker T. Washington debates of 100 years ago.  Do we want to fund the “Talented Tenth” (DuBois, 1903) or do we want to build capacity in society by teaching life and professional skills (Washington, 1901)?  The DuBois (1903) method is more focused on the individual in hopes of finding society’s brightest which will then lift up others and, therefore, improve society.  Washington’s (1901) method is more of exponential capacity building.  By allocating resources to developing many needed occupations, education is being used to ensure that a community is functional.

A focus on allocating resources based on standardized testing is problematic in that one separate but equal system is being replaced by another.  While race was the primary focus of segregation and offering inferior education to a class of students so too is what happens when testing is used to justify limiting resources to one group for that of another.  Especially when the outcomes are similar to what they were under a race based allocation system. 

When it comes to budgeting and fairly allocating resources, leadership must have values and priorities beyond metrics which are inherently biased.  Regardless of what the data says, it can never supersede the equal protection clause of the Constitution nor does it overturn the Brown vs. Board (1954) decision.  Those are codified values which require a form of equality and equity in how budgets are planned and how we educate our children.