Strategies for Achieving Educational Equity in St. Louis Region

This policy memo suggests strategies to achieve educational equity among school-going students of St. Louis region coming from different socio-economic backgrounds. The memo discusses the challenges faced by the region and proposes policies such as on-job training for teachers, post-school programs, and Magnet Schools.

Running head: POLICY MEMO
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POLICY MEMO 1
The challenge of attaining educational equity is a difficult task. Developed countries
across the globe are rapidly improving in terms of reducing the gap between students
belonging to low and high economic status. In America, the gap is widening with time which
is detrimental to the socio-economic progress of the nation (Freire & Macedo, 1970). Schools
in high-poverty area of the country are receiving less support than other schools of the same
district. This discrimination is leading to development of school drop-out, poor performance
in educational as well as in extra-curricular activities among students of low-income
background. Availability of professionalize teaching is also an issue in educational equity.
This is an alarming situation for the whole nation and this memo aims to provide certain
strategies to achieve the educational equity among school-going students of St. Louis region
coming from different socio-economic background.
St. Louis city is inhabited by 23.8% below the poverty line population. On the other
hand, families earning more than $40,000 are prevalent in the same region. Hence education
equity is greatly challenged here. Certain policies can be followed in order to ensure
moderate to high equity in education. They are as follows:
 Arrangement of on-job training program for the teachers in Charter Schools can be a
possible strategy to provide skilled and proper guidance to the students coming from
different socio-economic and racial background. The recruitment criteria for new
teachers should be set according to the standard to which employed teachers are
elevated to by the training program.
 Post-school programs are highly encouraged where parents and other family members
of both low and high social status background are invited. A platform is provided for
interaction among parents of different environment thus promoting social as well as
educational equity.

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 The concept of Magnet Schools has already become a popular intervention in
addressing the problem of the emerging gap in educational outcome of students from
different background. These schools offer special courses for the students coming
from different social, racial and economic background and ensure them to provide
equal educational outcomes such as placement in colleges, Universities and reputed
companies.
St. Louis city is a highly populated place with 311,346 dwellers. A wide range of
diversity is observed in terms of economy, ethnicity and education. Around 46.7% of the total
population are with dark skin tone whereas 43.5% are with fair complexion. Diversity in
terms of economic status is also evident. Around 23.8% of the total population are below the
poverty line (Wilkes-Barre, 2016). This miscellany is interfering with the educational
outcome of St. Louis. Poor income, unhealthy environment, inadequate nutrition, low skill in
teaching quality are causing greater psychological impact on children coming from low-
income background (Wilkes-Barre, 2016). Children belonging to different racial background
are also experiencing the similar hurdles in keeping pace with the high-income background
students. Another important aspect needs to be mentioned in this context is, schools of high-
poverty region of St. Louis are acquiring less resources for the students than the other schools
(Nelson, 2012). This is creating a potential barrier in achieving educational equity. Following
are certain policies addressing this situation:
Charter school is an existing option for students with low socioeconomic background
to attain good educational outcome. According to recent studies and survey reports, Charter
schools are performing worse than their public counterparts (Noddings, 1995). This is a result
of less skilled teaching. In Kanas City only a few teachers have been appointed in the Charter
Schools with a postgraduate degree. This problem should be addressed by arranging on-job
training programs for existing teachers and setting a new criteria for teaching staff joining

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such schools. The training course should include multi-disciplinary teaching ability
enhancement program so that a teacher taking biology classes would be able to deliver
classes on mathematics related to biology. The program should also essentially include the
training on building the ability in teachers to provide psychological support to students from
low socio-economic background. The drawback to this policy is huge funding required to
train all the teachers already appointed. Charter Schools are sponsored by the District Public
Schools. For this reason, grant for such programs will be difficult to obtain. Another problem
regarding teaching staff remodelling is lower salary structures for teachers in these schools.
This may create a potential obstacle in improving the teaching quality in Charter Schools.
Post-school program is also suggested in many studies where parents from different
social and economic background are likely to interact with each other. In this method,
psychological hesitation of the parents can be demolished thereby the children of different
economic status will freely collaborate with each other. The school authorities should design
projects in which group participation will be mandatory and in each group there will be
students from different background. This can only be achieved with support from
Government and school authority. Example of such programs includes, post school gathering
arranged by school authority and purpose of that program can be cultural performances or
science project presentation by students irrespective of all social or racial background and
parents will be invited to the same. Major drawback of this policy is mental dilemma,
unwillingness of the parents. The policy may face political issues in terms of accreditation. In
St. Louis, only Charter Schools are supported on priority basis by the political authorities
compared to public school programs. Such initiatives may not be approved smoothly from
political point of view.
Another approach to solve this problem can be establishment of Magnet School in
high-poverty area. Magnet Schools are education centres where students are ensured to be

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provided with proper academic courses along with extra-curricular activities, computers,
books, placement guarantees and scholarship (Labaree, 1997). Courses for science and
technology, arts, music and others are available for each student. Free meals, transportation
costs are provided by the schools. These opportunities are offered to students from all layers
of the society irrespective of their family wages, skin colour and citizenship. Former
President of USA, Barrack Obama had initiated a large funding for these schools. Funding
will not create an obstacle to this plan. Lack of awareness of the parent about Magnet schools
can lead to failure of this strategy to some extent. Financial drawbacks of this policy can be
neglected since grants for this school is easily achievable. The political and other issues are
regarding the transparency and purpose of the lottery system employed for the admission.
The mission of achieving racial diversity may not be successful as lottery would not provide
opportunity to a single racial community.
Among the three alternatives, Magnet School strategy is the most appropriate method
to address the major threat of inequity in educational outcomes. The concept of Magnet
school came into action in order to provide equal opportunity to the students of different
background and to omit stratification in education system. The educational programs offered
by these schools need expert guidance by teachers and other staffs. This may lead to
promotion of job satisfaction among skilled faculty members and high acceptance is assumed
among teachers and other staffs. Parents should be made aware of the facilities provided by
these schools. Thus, a healthy nation will be made when every student will be educated with
equal opportunity.

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References:
Freire, P., & Macedo, D. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NEW YORK: HERDER AND
HERDER NEW YORK.
Grubb, W., & Lazerson, M. (2009). Education Gospel. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Labaree, D. (1997). Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle over Educational
Goals. American Educational Research Journal, 34(1), 39. doi: 10.2307/1163342
Nelson, A. (2012). Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children's Life
Chances, edited by Greg J.Duncan and Richard J.Murnane, New York, NY: Russell
Sage Foundation, 2011, 551 pp., hardback.School Choice Policies and Outcomes:
Empirical and Philosop. Journal Of Policy Analysis And Management, 31(2), 481-
487. doi: 10.1002/pam.21627
Noddings, N. (1995). A morally defensible mission for schools in the 21st century. The Phi
Delta Kappan, 76(5), 365-368.
The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development. (2016). THE IMPACT OF
POVERTY ON A CHILD'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE [Ebook]. Wilkes-Barre.
http://www.institutepa.org/PDF/Indicators/2016/povertyandacademicperformce.pdf