Reflection: Blog 4

 The achievement and opportunity gap was very interesting to read about as well as very informative. It's a constant reminder that there is a big gap when it comes to the number of opportunities that students are given based on where they live and what school they attend. It's unfair when you think about it but it's nice to keep in mind that there are students every day who rise above and work through that to achieve their dreams. The segregation in schools was something that I know I was aware of but didn't get to fully educate myself on how the segregation of schools was in New Jersey. When completing the discussion board questions, one of them asked which was the most effective way of fixing the segregation problem in NJ. The one that stood out to me the most was for the state to stop building low-income housing and making children attend schools in that same area. I believe that continuing to build these low-income housing and making children attend those schools in that area is not fair to them and makes the problem even worse. The best thing I read was about the importance of diversity. As someone who works at a charter school in a not-so-great area of jersey city, I witness parents who are just trying their best. Although they don't meet with the teacher when their child isn't doing as great, I keep in mind that their parents must have something going on which doesn't allow the student to get the help they need at home. As someone who grew up with a mother who doesn't speak English and a working father, it was difficult for my teachers to understand what I needed. I know most of them thought my parents maybe didn't care but it was simply because I didn't have someone to help me at home because they didn't and couldn't understand the material that was being given to me.