Dialecttic journal 1 &2

“The overall figure for New York City in 2002-2003 was $53,000, while it had climbed to $87,000 in Manhasset and exceeded $95,000 in Scarsdale.” (Jonathan Kozol Pg.412)

In my opinion I feel like this salary is ridiculous! There is no way that living in a different part of town as a teacher can decrease or increase your salary by more than $40,000! That is just nonsense to have a teacher that works in a school a couple miles away getting paid $40,000 less than others. Maybe this is why schools like the one Elizabeth went to (the one who affected Kozol in a letter to help their school) are so beat down and in need of a garden, gym, arts etc. Does teaching white people get you more money? If teaching white people gets you more money than this system still has their head stuck in the 50’s or lower because last I heard we were non-segregated! We shouldn’t raise the salary or lower the salary just because of the person’s race that is just being ignorant and stubborn! I feel like since schools like Scarsdale and Man hasset were built before diversity are still not used to being diverse. Even though it’asfs been more than 50 years. Some people might think that a color defines a man, but they are wrong because a man defines a man.

“ Even from the start, however, parents in the neighborhood showed great reluctance to permit their children to enroll in at Martin Luther King….” (Jonathan Kozol Pg.407)

This quote talks about how white people didn’t bother to enroll their children into this near by school. I believe that the name does play a huge factor, because that’s where a lot of parents avoid enrolling their children in. I feel like a lot of parents feel as if that school would become ghetto just because of that name They might feel as if any school with a black persons name is going to be ghetto. I for one feel like that is just being so ignorant! Their children are going to grow up and avoid other races other than their own. Parents shouldn’t put their children through that, because the real world is filled with tons of races brought together. Now for an example if you enroll your child to an all white school they will just be comfortable with a white person; however, when it comes to an African-American they aren’t going to feel as comfortable as they would with a white person. Being in schools with other races makes a huge impact in peoples lives! Our real world consists of more than just white people they consist of other races! When they grow up they wont just have white people at their job, there is going to be other races to so why not welcome that race as a child than as an adult. For example, if you welcome a different race as a child you will more than likely have nothing against them because some African-Americans might become their best friends; however, if you ignore welcoming them as a child you more than likely grow up having something against that minority just because you’ve lived so long without them you will feel like they are worthless. In reality no one is worthless! Others might think we are but we aren’t! Parents shouldn’t enroll their kids to other schools just because the name they should enroll them to a school where they can have a taste of the real world and not just a little tiny bit.