Online assignment: the families of "Unequal Childhoods"

1. Review the families in Unequal Childhoods, and see if you can create a chart that reflects the following demographic and cultural information: Race/ethnicity, Language, Religion, Economics and employment, Housing, Geography, Food, Norms and values, Politics, Relationship with local geography, Formal Education and level/type of education, Structures and Institutions You may not be able to fill out the columns at this time.

Bringing chart to class

2. Turn to the NJRCL report and pay specific attention to the information provided about Essex County, and the concerns, challenges, and recommendations in the report. Review the six families in Unequal Childhoods, and make connections between the NJRCL report and the realities these families might face if they lived in Essex County, NJ.

The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Essex County 2008 sets a minimum self-sufficiency wage of $32,184 for one adult and one school age child. With two adults and one child, that minimum is raised to $53,722 per adult; with two adults and two children, $50,716 per adult. The only families that would survive in this county would be the Tallingers, the Williamses, the Handlons and the Marshalls. Even among these middle class families, there is a difference in the ability to live comfortably. The Williams would live the most comfortably, given the fact that they have only one child and a yearly income of over $200,000. The Tallingers, with two working adults and three children, make about $175,000, would also live comfortably, but with considerably higher expenses due to their larger family of three children.

The other two middle class families, the Marshalls and the Handlons, would certainly survive but would probably have to cut back on things that are not necessities for living. As the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Essex County sets the two-adult plus children income at over $100,000, I believe the Marshalls would be okay given their annual income of $100,000 and the fact that they have two school-age children. However, they are constantly concerned about the future, due to the rising cost of just about everything and the lack of job security. The Handlons, however with an annual income of $85,000-$95,000 and three children to care for, may have more of a struggle for survival in Essex County. Both families would probably have to cut back on the extras, such as vacations and extra-curricular activities.

I don’t believe the working class families (Taylor, Driver, and Yanelli) or the poor families (McAllister and Brindle) would survive in Essex County. Within the working class families, the Taylors have one adult and two children and are living on approximately $20,000 a year; the Drivers have two adults and three children, and live on $35,000-$45,000 a year, and the Yanellis have two adults and two children, working off the books in manual labor jobs. None of these three families is even close to what the Self-Sufficiency Standard sets as a minimum for families of their size, given the high cost of housing, food and transportation alone in Essex County.

The outlook for the poor families (McAllister and Brindle) would be even grimmer. These families depend on public assistance, food stamps and Medicare for their survival. They would also struggle to find adequate affordable housing given the size of their families and people who depend on them. Ms. McAllister is the head of her household; she receives public assistance, and cares for four children, two nephews and her twin sister. Ms. Brindle also receives public assistance, and cares for a family of three children.

3. Look at the two reports from the LSNJ on living in poverty. What further information can you glean from the reports regarding the struggles the poor families in Unequal Childhoods might face if they lived in NJ?

In “The Real Cost of Living in 2008: The Self-Sufficiency Standard for New Jersey,” a comparison of Jersey City, NJ and 11 other cities across the country ranks this Hudson County city as the 4th highest in hourly self-sufficiency Wage needed for one adult with one preschooler and one schoolage child; that figure, $22.61 per hour, is particularly noteworthy when you consider that the minimum wage in New Jersey is only $7.15 per hour.

There are several interesting findings in “Not Enough to Live On: Characteristics of Households Below the Real Cost of Living in New Jersey.” They are: employment is necessary for self-sufficiency, although it doesn’t guarantee it; income inadequacy rates are higher in families with children than those without, and disproportionately higher among families headed by single mothers; a high percentage of households with no working adults have incomes well below adequate levels (100 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level); education is directly correlated with income adequacy for all demographic groups; and the difference in the rates of income inadequacy among different demographic groups varies with gender, race and ethnicity.

What would this mean for the McAllisters and Brindles of Unequal Childhoods? Given some of the survival statistics for New Jersey families, it is not difficult to imagine why these families would struggle to live in New Jersey. Many of the findings listed above (employment, education, providing for children, and demographic issues such as gender, race and ethnicity) speak directly to the difficulties both families experience. Both families are single-parent homes headed by a female (mother), receive public assistance, live in poor, racially segregated communities, and have family members who have struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. The McAllisters are African American, and described as living in “formidable economic constraints,” including inadequate and dangerous housing in the Lower Richmond public housing projects, barely enough food to get by, and marginal medical and dental care. The Brindles are white, living in run-down, inadequate housing, and are on public assistance, food stamps and Medicare. Often the Brindles let the bills go to provide for a few extras, and are in danger of losing their housing.

Both families are marginally existing, and considering that the cost of living is much higher in New Jersey than in most of the country, would likely find life much more difficult in this state.

4. Finally, turn inward and think about who you are as a budding urban educator. In what ways is this information useful (or not) for you? In terms of better understanding a community? What do you need to learn, or what skills and dispositions do you need to develop related to demographics and economics to be a successful urban educator?

As a working teacher, I feel it is essential to know as much as you can about the community and its people. Before I began my teaching career in my school district, I worked for the same town but in another job. I was able to become familiar with the town’s neighborhoods, the diversity of its population, and the politics of the community. I learned that things are not always what they appear to be on the outside. It does seem ridiculous to think it’s useful to know what religion your students are, how their parents vote or what kinds of jobs they have, but it is so important. You can’t teach a child unless you know where he is coming from and what baggage he brings to the classroom every day. Much of this information is so personal and private (and sometimes embarrassing) to the families, but it always helps me have a better picture of the child with whom I’m working. The more you know as an educator, the better equipped you will be to deal with situations as they arise and hopefully come up with creative solutions and strategies.

Why is the politics of a community important? You need to understand, or at least be aware of, the sentiment of parents toward the field of education, teachers in general, their own educational experiences and that of their children. Parents – often unknowingly – view their children’s school experiences through the lens of their own memories of school. NEVER forget that these parents will also be your fellow teachers, administrators AND board of education members. It doesn’t get more political than that!

In general, I think the most important skills a teacher needs to develop are persistence, compassion, and good observational and listening skills. These skills will help teachers learn about their students and their community, as well as plan creative educational experiences that may actually be based in their student’s world.