Reading response: "Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints"

   I have recently read an article called, "Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints" by Jon Hurdle. This article is about some schools in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Newark that are planned to close or reorganize because of racism and complaints of discrimination against black, Hispanic, and people with disabilities. Jon Hurdle wrote this article to tell readers that some schools are racists of some people with different cultures or disabilities, and that they are planned to be closed because of this. Daren Briscoe had said, if a school district has been caught to violate civil rights through a closing program, it is will be taken to court or denied federal funds (Hurdle, 1). The article also says that last month, in the district in Philadelphia, they published a plan to close thirty seven schools in order to close a 1.1 billion dollars budget over five years. the plan will be voted on in the month of March by the School Reform Commission, a body that looks over the schools of Philadelphia.
   Many schools have been filed because of violating civil rights, and some of those schools have been planned to be closed. One example that shows is that in the article it says that "community groups in New York, Chicago, and Washington have also filed civil rights complaints, although those have not been investigated." This shows that there are several schools that have been filed for civil rights complaints, but only a few that have been investigated or been sent to court, and have been planned to be closed down. Another example is that Jitu Brown, a community organizer from the South Side of Chicago, is quoted, "Racism is real in the U.S. ...there are different rules for the students in our community." This means that there are racism and it is a major dilemma and it affects our schools.
  There many results on Monday, which was when a department official confirmed the complaints about those particular schools. One example is that Action United, a group that opposes the closing of schools, presented data that shows that "eighty percent of the students affected by the planned closings are black; the district's enrollment is 55 percent black and 19 percent Hispanic." This shows that the closings will affect the students, or more likely, the victims of the racism, will be affected by the closing of the school greatly because many of those people are enrolled there (Hurdle, 2). Although, another example is that Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the Philadelphia school district, is quoted, "The district understands that a higher proportion of students in under-enrolled, low-performing schools are African-Americans, and these are the schools that are most affected by the recommended facility closures." This means that it is best for the schools to close down because of schools that are low-performing and are too under-enrolled.
  In conclusion, because of some school's racism, they are decided to be closed down for the better so that the students with the unfair advantages will get their opportunity. However, many other schools do not get their chance to become a better student, but wvwntually, it will change.

Works cited

Hurdle, Jon. "Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints." New York Times on the Web 28 Jan. 2013. . 29 Jan. 2013 <http:/www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/education/education-department-to-hear-school-closing-complaints>.

Reading response: A Room on Lorelei Street

    This book is about a girl named Zoe who rented out a room on Lorelei Street, and she works at a small diner slinging hash. She feels like she's in the shadow of her mom, and feels like she needs attention from her family.She also feels comfortable in her room on Lorelei Street, and she doesn't want to give it up when her grandma demanded her to come home to her mom. But she doesn't because she feels like it was all about her mom, and not her; it was also because she works hard to make ends meet, while her mom doesn't, and feels that she lived two lifetimes because she acts like an adult, she does all of the chores, takes care of Mama, and she just wants to relax and act like her age.
    Throughout the book, she goes to school and feels like her teacher controls her and doesn't respect her like an actual human being. She feels disrespected and she responds by acting immature like cursing, but then she tries to keep her patience during class. Zoe represents some teenagers in the outside world. Some work hard to pay bills, curse, and feel like everyone controls her. For example, her teacher, her grandma, and the guidance counselor. Some teenagers also do things so that they can get attention because they feel in the shadow. In Zoe's case, she moved out into her own room so that she would get attention and not her mom. She also feels like she owes everyone something. For instance, she owed the landlady her rent, she owed her mom her care and attention, and that she owed her grandma for not being kicked out of the family. In the book, Zoe feels that she worked hard to keep things together, like her grandma. In Zoe's case, she tries to go to a group session and work hard on her tennis team as well. In her grandma's situation, she tries to keep the family together and not fall apart when Zoe moves out, Mama drinking, and her Zoe's father's death.
   I also think Zoe represents some teenagers in the outside world because they have to grow up faster because of a parent's death, or their parents are not either healthy enough or sensible enough to take care of the family. So they are left to pay the bills, taxes, and work for the money they need. Sometimes they are stressed because of that early development, and they would crack, like disrespecting their teacher and they are feeling like that they don't need help from others, but to be honest, they do need help and are afraid to admit it.
  I also think that the book is a bit about second chances. In the end, Zoe decides to start fresh, and moves to Brownsville so that she could have her second chance in life. She feels that she has made bad choices, and  tries to begin a new chapter in her life.