The STEM Divide: How Specialized Schools Exacerbate the Opportunity Gap
By Jenab Diallo
So-called “failing” schools — underperforming schools whose populations are typically underprivileged as well– are facing a new opponent in America: charter and specialized schools. In the face of this competition, these “failing” schools are either being shut down completely or struggling to recruit and retain STEM teachers in hopes of offering their students higher-level STEM courses. Something is clearly wrong.
In 2017, it was announced that East High, having acquired an unspoken status for itself since its 1948 opening in Memphis, Tennessee, would be shut down in favor of establishing an all-optional school, specializing in science, math, technology, engineering, and transportation. This decision was the product of years of decreased enrollment and the school ranking among the 10 lowest-performing schools in the state. While it was clear to many in the community that the school needed help, restructuring, and better infrastructure, these same community members were dissatisfied with the “solution” of replacing East High. There was considerable community concern as residents believed that the student population, composed of mostly Black and economically disadvantaged students, would be negatively impacted by this shift to an all-optional STEM and transportation-focused school. Rather than serving the students immediately in the East High neighborhood, the new school would neglect the very community that needed it the most.
Stories like these are becoming more common throughout the United States education system. A similar situation unfolded just years earlier at Fairview Middle School, where Fairview was closed due to its “failing status” and the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy was opened in its place. Fairview’s neighborhood makeup was similar to that of East High, as the school predominantly served under-resourced students of color and was situated in a district with only 8 percent white students. Despite this, Maxine Smith grew to have a 50:50 student population of students of color to white students, and now only 16 percent of its current student population is considered economically disadvantaged. And the kicker? The principal who helped the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy achieve its status as an academically rigorous middle school, Lischa Brooks, has recently taken over the transition of East High.
In the past decade, efforts have been made to promote STEM education in order to better prepare students for the increased job growth in the technology industry. In 2015, the United States Department of Education collaborated with the American Institute of Research and other experts to hold a series of workshops and sessions to discuss the promotion of STEM education. They ultimately published guidelines and recommendations in what they titled STEM 2026: A Vision for Innovation in STEM Education, wherein they noted that STEM education is essential for acquiring skills like problem-solving, teamwork, persistence, and application that will be paramount in our rapidly changing world. The guidelines emphasize the importance of students learning these subjects, but, perhaps more surprisingly, they also do not shy away from a reality that we see reflected in the experiences of East High and Fairview Middle School students. More specifically, a reality where Black, Brown, and financially underprivileged youth are being left behind.
Unfortunately, even in schools that remain open and offer STEM courses, Black and Brown students are often denied seats in advanced courses at a much higher rate than their white counterparts. These barriers are rooted in our repeated failure to provide educational equity across the country and are reflective of the greater system of oppression within America. The issue of STEM educational equity is not just the challenge of students being able to access the courses, but also the manner in which the material is being taught. Both historical and modern STEM education is narrowly centered on the contributions of white men, and neglects to acknowledge the effects of negative stereotypes and histories surrounding some of the problematic scientific contributions themselves. Black and Brown students are often unable to see themselves in what they are learning and, as a result, are further repelled from the STEM field due to a lack of transparency and tangibility in their education. We are failing, on many fronts, to promote STEM education to Black and Brown students and, as a result, have left them defenseless in our rapidly changing world.
Some of the greatest challenges that are arising right now, such as climate change, will need to be addressed using key skills taught through STEM education. As we have seen, those first affected by crises are usually the most underprivileged members of society. In this case, Black and Brown students have been and will continue to be among the first to suffer from the effects of climate change, along with many other issues, but will lack the tools to resolve issues that are specific to them. The issue of STEM educational equity, along with overall educational equity, is immediate, and failure to address and work to resolve it will only continue to widen opportunity gaps along lines of race and socioeconomic status.
