Blog #3

 

What “Counts” as Educational Policy? Notes toward a New Paradigm by Jean Anyon

Argument:

Author Jean Anyon argues that urban poverty is neither natural nor inevitable, but rather the result of economic, metropolitan, and social policies, which fail to pay sufficient attention to the most disadvantaged and result in minimal education in poor urban neighborhoods.

There are some key points worth emphasizing from the archive 🔑🔑: Human poverty is political, not an accident. Poverty is a significant barrier to education, even long before children start school. Economic stress can affect mental health.

If we start from all the key points and focus on what Anyon meant, we will find a wave of information that will consume us. Poverty is rooted in policies from federal to metropolitan, as it supports the minimum wage, substandard housing, and high taxes. At the same time, those in wealthy suburban areas reap all the public funds. It's heartbreaking to know that aid, instead of going to the most needy, goes to those who already have a relatively comfortable life. This is why Anyon emphasizes so much that the "poverty wages" of residents further diminish the sources of funding available for urban schools.

Poverty can even affect children cognitively, as the stress their parents experience due to poverty causes emotional and learning problems. We can recognize that all of this is true, as programs like NEW HOPE and others provide financial support to families, which helps children improve their reading, behavior, and educational aspirations. All of this means that poverty is a cancer that slowly destroys families without financial assistance.

Anyon proposes a new vision where policies to combat poverty are considered educational policies. But that's not all. He also suggests a living wage, creating more employment opportunities, taking measures against discrimination, and creating public transportation routes. Finally, she proposes that wealthy suburban districts be part of the support for school restructuring, which is a great idea.

I started researching the incomes of people living in Rhode Island and the vast differences between these populations: https://dlt.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur571/files/2025-01/towninc.pdf. On the other hand, I found it very impressive to see the graphs that link family structure or race to poverty or need. In the data that I will share, you can see which children are most in poverty in Rhode Island, in combination with their race and age https://rikidscount.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/children-in-poverty_fb2024.pdf?utm_

Reflection:

This document has touched me deeply because, as a Dominican, I've lived in poverty, so I've had to work almost my entire life to be able to study and have a better future. So, seeing people like Anyon who genuinely care and speak out makes my heart swell with pride. Poverty and wealth are like strings where the state controls which side you'll take, and that's simply terrifying. But there are still people who care about children growing up healthy and able to study, and who want families to have a better future.