"Pasadena: Revised Images of Excellence" by Mike Rose

After reading "Pasadena: Revised Images of Excellence", I have a better understanding of both the social demographics and  high school expectation from students in Pasadena California. Mike Rose explained both the increases and decreases in population in Pasadena, as well the number of Chinese and Mexican immigrants had migrated to Pasadena in it's early days. Rose also discussed trip he took to the Graphic Arts Academy, and he mentioned how graphic art labs and chemistry classes are beneficial to students either entering the work force or going off to college.

In the reading, Rose describes a character Mark Hall, and why he decided to become a teacher. Hall mentions a few different reasons such as the main task he loved to do at his current job was to train new workers and teach them new things. He loved the sight of people acquiring new knowledge around him. He felt that by teaching he could make a difference in people's lives.

I feel that this was an excellent reading to conclude the education unit. The reading gave me a more in-depth analysis of the norms in high schools in Pasadena California. I also made a connection with this reading because I too attending a rather small high school at the beginning of it's time; therefore, I completely understand the importance of education even to those in a small school with limited resources.

"Savage Inequalities" by Jonathan Kozol

Kozol begins this excerpt by describing the condition of a high school he is visiting; the high school that is said to be "the oldest high school in the Bronx" according to a plaque in the principle's office. From the description, the high school certainly lives up to Kozol's description. He speaks about how there are leaky ceilings and raggedy furniture, even in faculty offices. Many students also have an input on the schools condition. They sometimes get together to see a barrel fill with water in their counselor's office when it rains.

In the high school, Kozol also encounters a bit of racial separation. He speaks to one student who actually blames the condition of the school on the fact that many of the classrooms are filled with minority students. In the excerpt, Israel, a small Puerto Rican boy states, "If you threw all of us into some different place, some ugly land, and put white children in this building in our place, this school would start to shine. They would fix it up." It's obvious that he feels that the school believes minority students don't deserve a nice building. He feels that he should be able to enjoy the same opportunities as white students his age.