Making Sense of Urban Communities

As I reviewed the information from the report and compared it to the book I can make some clear correlation and comparison to daily living items like housing, childcare, transportation and food. In the area of housing, Both Katie and Harold live in public housing and receiving public assistant. The buildings are not well keep and run down. Harold apartment has a problem with roaches and it is too small for his large family. If both of these families were living in Essex County they might be face with similar problems. The largest expense on the NJRCL report is housing. These families live below the FPL and would not be able to afford better housing. They would be living in a similar housing situation in Essex County. According to the NJRCL report there is no tax credit for child care. Katie mother tried to relocate to another state and wanted to live Katie behind with a family member however, there was no one to really care for her. Ms Brindle would have the same situation living in NJ. She would not have the funding to pay for childcare since she is on public assistance. On days when she had to go and pick up her food stamps she was face with the choice of taking her youngest child with her on the bus or asking a family member to watch him. Ms Brindle was looking for work, but if she were called for the interview, she would be stuck with the decision of deciding whom she would have to leave her son with.The NJRCL report sites transportation as and expense, however the report is only considering families with cars. In the Book, both families used public transportation to travel around. In New Jersey, owning a car is very expensive. Auto insurance is the highest in the nation and the cost of fueling the car is also very expensive. Family living below the FPL would never be able to own a car. Other basic needs would have to suffer like buying food. I believe the families in the book would have had same or similar experience living in Essex County. It makes me wonder where to you begin to try to make a change. Would education, retraining help? When I looked at the LSNJ report and compared it to the book unequal childhood, there are many similarities and differences. Both pieces of information site common information like family structure, education background, employment, housing, and food expenses. The reading compared the information by gender race and ethnicity groups.In the area of geographic location, as an example, New Jersey is a state with some of the highest cost of living expenses. Basic needs expenses like food and shelter and utilities are at an all time high. Housing is unaffordable and over price and with out a good paying job many families are now prioritizing. I find it hard to believe that incomes in the state of NJ is the highest yet families still are unable to meet there finances. The report is based on information that is reported, but what about information that is not reported. When a family is lacking resources, especially those families with children, other areas are like healthcare will also suffer. One of the ways to make a change in the socioeconomic status is to seek education. Even the cost of education has gone up. Financial aide is very hard to get. Proving that the aid is needed create more of a problem. Families are not saving money because they don’t have any to save. The link to success was education now that has change. More highly educated and skilled people are unemployed and with the financial state of the economy, that is not going to change any time soon. I see the communities of today; very similar to what I saw when I was growing up. I was faced with the reality that I needed to do well in school and work hard and that would guarantee success. I was able to change my social economic status from a working middle class to middle class because of education. As a budding urban educators working in this environment, I feel today education still what is needed for urban student to dream big and be successful but the dream are fading away. I feel that government has removed many of the program that once were available, making people are now responsible for their own success. As an educator, I want to empower children to change their outcomes in society. I will be there to guide student through the education process.Communities are what they are. I believe families’ needs to want to change their environment. Families are working harder and still unable to rise to a level of success. I feel that education systems are always changing but you are giving students tools that can be applied though out life. I see people’s differences as unique and special and it is something to embrace. Students will come to school with different cultures, languages, races, and gender. Teachers will need to be flexible with student as they get to know the students and help develop the best in a student. Not being so quick to judge a student base on what they are lacking or don’t have will be important. Some student may not have resource to do their schoolwork at home and all factors should always be considered before making a judgement call.
draft