State of America’s Children Critical Inquiry Presentation

Megan HattonED 5021/30/16

Child Population - Extinction of School Age Children

• Historical Perspective: The number of school aged

children has been on a steady decrease since 2009. Before

this time, school aged children represented more than 25

percent of the population in the United States. Children of

color are steadily increasing in the population count and it is

predicted that by 2019, children of color will be the majority.

Child Population • Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: As an educational

system, it is important that we adapt to each of our

students, even when the minority becomes the majority.

The number of students in a classroom will be affected.

Also, teachers will need to take more time for one-on-one

activities with students who are struggling (“The State of

America’s Children,” n.d.).

Child Poverty - Childhood Poverty Epidemic

• Historical Perspective: Childhood poverty has reached an all-time high,

especially in children of color. Poverty can have a devastating effect on children,

especially on their education. If a child comes to school hungry, they will not be

able to focus. If a child comes to school without having adequate sleep, they will

be distracted. If a child does not have access to medicine, they will never feel

well enough to participate. Although the recession ended in 2007, there are

many families who feel the aftershocks of the hard times.

Child Poverty

- Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: Once there is a history

of poverty in a family, it is hard to escape. Most times, children who are raised in

poverty are slow developers and they do not have access to extra help that is

needed to be successful in school. Eventually, they might fall behind in school or

even drop out. The increased dropout rate can, in turn, contribute to a higher

crime rate. Although childhood poverty is not a guarantee that the child will never

escape poverty, there is a direct correlation between childhood poverty and that

child being in poverty as an adult(“The State of America’s Children,” n.d.).

Family Structure & Income- The Falling Out of Families

• Historical Perspective: In the past, a woman and man were

married and took on the responsibility of raising a family. Raising children

and providing for their futures were the most important things to a family

in a time not long ago. However, today is a much different story. Families

today can consist of only the mother, only the father, or both parents. A

family might also be a legal guardian or perhaps a grandparent. No

matter the case, the family structure can play a major role in a child’s

education.

Family Structure & Income• Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: If a child comes from a

single home, the parent might have to work long hours to meet the

family’s most basic needs. When the parent is absent, the older

children in the family might have to take on roles of a parent. This

can cause the student to not have time to study or complete

assignments in school. Income can also be a barrier for student

success. Lack of funds can lead to inadequate nutrition, living

conditions, and supplies for school (“The State of America’s

Children,” n.d.).

Housing & Homelessness- Homeless Children on the Rise

• Historical Perspective: Housing is the most

expensive necessity for a family. The number of homeless

students in America has been steadily increasing since the

recession. Almost one fourth of black parents report living

in an unsafe neighborhood.

Housing & Homelessness•Acculturation/Assimilation Issues:

Homelessness can cause students to fall behind in school,

causing a spiraling effect on their adulthood. In addition to

homelessness, students deal with hunger, sickness, and

truancy issues. These issues can cause students to fall

behind in school (“The State of America’s Children,” n.d.).

Child Hunger & Nutrition- Hunger Amongst Children

• Historical Perspective: The recession has impacted America in

many ways. Perhaps the most devastating in the amount of hungry there are in

America. Nutrition programs set up by the federal government have helped many

children escape the effects of hunger. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women, Infants, and Children was created in 1972. It provides pregnant

women and their babies with formula, milk, and other healthy foods for their

young children. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, created in 2008,

also provides families with healthy foods.

Child Hunger & Nutrition• Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: Hunger can affect

anyone at any age. A child, especially young children, can be severely

crippled by the effects of hunger. If a child experiences hunger often

at a young age, they might fall behind their peers developmentally. It

has been shown that a student’s test scores drop if a student is

hungry. There is even a chance that a student can become obese due

to the lack of access to healthy foods. This can cause additional

health issues for students (“The State of America’s Children,” n.d.).

Child Health - Lack of Healthcare for Children

• Historical Perspective: Many children across the United

States have no health insurance, especially poor children and children

of color. There have been several acts by the government that has

helped increase healthcare for children. Medicaid was put into effect

in 1965 under President Johnson. The Children’s Health Insurance

Program was formed in 1997. Affordable Care Act of 2010 was also

put into place to ensure that children can have access to affordable

health care.

Child Health

• Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: Although the

number of children who remain uninsured has decreased,

many children are still unenrolled in healthcare.

Struggling with sickness can be a distraction for the

student. If they do not feel well, they will not feel like

learning (“The State of America’s Children,” n.d.).

Early Childhood- High Cost of Early Education

• Historical Perspective: Child Care and

Development Fund was created in 1990 but was

reauthorized in 1996. The fund has distributed over 5

billion dollars to go towards early childhood education to

families who are less fortunate. The money can pay for

child dare, pre-school, and other child care related

expenses (“OCC Fact Sheet,” n.d.).

Early Childhood• Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: It has been

shown that adequate early childhood education can

prepare students to be successful in their later years.

Early childhood is a vital stage in development. Adequate

educational experiences are key to leading a child in the

right educational direction.

Education- Unequal Access to Education

• Historical Perspective: Although the most important

goal for the educational system in the United States is to

provide each child with a quality education, it can be argued

that there is an unequal playing field for poor students or

students of color. Historically, an uneducated parent will not

have as high educational expectations from their children than

their educated counterparts.

Education• Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: One study

showed that most children of color are at a disadvantage

because of their parents’ expectations of their educational

career. If they come from a home in which the parents do

not have a higher education, education might not be a

priority for that home (Cook, 2015).

Child Welfare - Child Abuse and Neglect

• Historical Perspective: Children can be in the

foster care system can due to abuse, neglect, or other

reasons. However, children of color represent a majority of

children in the system. Thankfully, the number of children

in foster care is decreasing. Children of color are more

likely to be a victim of a violent crime than other children

(Cook, 2015).

Child Welfare • Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: Students

who are in foster care have numerous challenges in

education. Often times, students in foster care do not have

access to the things they need to be successful in

education or adulthood (“The State of America’s Children,”

n.d.).

Juvenile Justice - The Young Life of Crime

• Historical Perspective: Children who come from an area of

poverty are at an increased risk of crime. The number of children in

the juvenile justice system has decreased over the past 10 years. It

has been shown that children who are incarcerated have more issues

with the law as adults. They also face assault, harassment, and

violence in the jail setting. Residential programs seem to be more

effective in rehabilitating children who have committed crimes.

Juvenile Justice • Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: For those

students who have been in trouble with the law, after

school programs can help the student stay out of trouble

and stay on the path to educational success (“The State of

America’s Children,” n.d.).

Gun Violence - Life Lost too Soon

• Historical Perspective: The gun violence in the

United States is at an all-time high, especially effecting

children and teens of color. Since the 1960s, over 150,000

children have been killed by a gun.

Gun Violence

• Acculturation/Assimilation Issues: A child who

lives in poverty has several struggles including hunger,

inadequate health care, and fear of homelessness. In

addition, many higher poverty areas are affected by gun

violence. The added stress of an unsafe environment can

negatively impact the learning environment (“The State of

America’s Children,” n.d.).

Article• In the article “Multicultural Teaching Models to Educate Pre-

Service Teachers: Reflections, Service-Learning, and Mentoring”

discusses the issues that teachers might face in the real word when

it comes to different ethnicities and the challenges that might

present themselves over the course of their career of teaching. One

issue is the diversity of today’s schools. The challenge that teachers

must overcome is to reach individual student even though they are

all coming from different cultures and face different circumstances

that can affect their learning. (Krummel, 2013).

Reflections• I was raised in a middle class family in a rural community. I came from a two

parent home. Education was always very important to my parents. In fact, they

encouraged me often to go to college, as neither of my parents had a higher

education. Both parents had full time jobs so my grandmother watched my brother

and me while my parents were away. We did not have a lot of extra money but we

had enough for the necessities. I consider myself very lucky to have come from the

situation I did. However, my personal experiences inhibit my knowledge about

some of the struggles that students face. In my classroom, I have students who

struggle with poverty, hunger, and broken families. I can see its effects on my

students. America should strive to take care of its own, especially its children.

They are our future and we should invest in theirs.

ReferencesCook, L. (2015, January 28). U.S. Education: Still Separate and Unequal. Retrieved January 25,

2016, from http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/28/us-education-still-

separate-and-unequal

Krummel, A. (2013). Multicultural Teaching Models to Educate Pre-Service Teachers:

Reflections, Service-Learning, and Mentoring. Critical Issues in Education, 16(1), 1-8.

Retrieved January 28, 2016, from

http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/1059/450

OCC Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2016, from

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/fact-sheet-occ

The State of America's Children® 2014 Report. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2016, from

http://www.childrensdefense.org/library/state-of-americas-children/