Term Paper on "Urban Education"

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Urban education is perhaps the single most challenging sector of education within the United States today do to a variety of different factors unique to urban settings and inner cities. Urban education for decades has faced criticism from the public who often believes it has expert opinion about the manner in which students should be taught, regardless of their background (Goldenberg, et. al, 2003). Much of the public criticizes urban educators for failing to serve students in many ways. Test scores and overall student performance are community-based issues in urban education that have oft been addressed by administrators and the public seeking to maximize a student's potential for success in the future. Many people criticize urban education for failing students, without first addressing the issues facing urban educators.

There are several factors that must be addressed when examining urban education, primarily: accountability, diversity, leadership and learning. Each of these is explored in greater detail below.

First and foremost, who is accountable for the quality of education in these schools, and the success and achievement of students attending them? The answer is not simply 'educational administrators' or the 'government' but both. Communities, families, educators and the government have an obligation to commit themselves to urban educators, to ensure that students in these often underserved populations are provided with the same opportunities as children elsewhere in the United States are.

The integration of communities, families, educators and government is more important in the urban school setting than in others, because students in these settings face more unique challenges and thus require a broader support framework that schools in other sectors of the United States.

Diversity is a central issue in most urban schools, where the majority of populations (up to 75%) are ethnic minorities (Wilson, 1994). Educators must take into consideration teaching approaches to ensure that students are welcomed into a collaborative environment that is inclusive of the many different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities naturally represented in the classroom.

When the curriculum isn't geared toward acceptance of diversity and promotion of diverse values, urban students are set up for an increased risk for failure. The emphasis within urban education needs to be on culturally diverse approaches to learning and achievement.

With regard to leadership and learning, urban educators face many challenges, discussed in greater detail below. Urban students require strong leaders willing to fight for their rights and equitable opportunities. A majority of students attending school in urban settings are not afforded the… READ MORE