Essay On Socioeconomic Gap In Education

Many researchers have noted that education in America, as it is today and has been in previous centuries, does not tap into the uniquely diverse experiences of Black male pupils given the Eurocentric approach to education. As a doctoral student working on what I am hoping is my last semester of coursework ever, I can say that my own education has not done for me what I would have hoped knowing what I know now. If anything, my education has taught me the importance of assimilation and code switching as a foundation for success; it has been authorities and explicitly defined what my learning outcomes were to be. The learning outcomes have often been in opposition to my true interests and my learning style, which I do not believe are gendered.

Many have suggested endless policies to address the achievement gap, specifically for males of color, such as—enhancing literacy in 3rd and 4th grade, tracking schools with disproportionate suspension and special education placements, hiring more males of color educators, etc. However, few have acknowledged that day-old saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.” This works with boys too. Policies can only lead boys to education, but …show more content…
In this paper, I explore the links between cognitive development and masculinity. Researchers have explored if ‘boys will be boys,’ but equally note the problems of hegemonic masculinity standards. I explore these topics through my own experiences and anntedotes to position some of what literature has found to be of merit to the conversation of masculinity and education. I then turn to explore how masculinity may be in opposition to schooling. Next, I discuss the achievement gap in regards to race, socioeconomic status, and gender. Lastly, I turn to structural changes that may impact schooling for