Everyone deserves equal education
The disaster of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans wasn’t only a natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina activated a disaster that was waiting to happen. The flood was caused by the levies breaking. Levies that people knew where poorly planned and engineered. It is possible that the only reason no one initiated a plan to fix the levies is because the people who would be affected the most where the poor. The poor were placed at the bottom of the “bowl. ” The wealthier areas, which are above sea level, wouldn’t experience nearly as much damage that the poor did.
After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, many companies and organizations in power saw a chance to make changes. I read in The Shock Doctrine, by Naomi Klein, that people even began calling this disaster that completely disrupted peoples’ lives a “blank slate.” But it wasn’t the people of the city, it was the people in power. To them, a blank slate meant they had the opportunity to bring economic philosophy into New Orleans.
After the disaster, there was now room for privatization. Privatization means taking something away from the public and creating private ownership and control. The people of New Orleans lost their homes and lost control over their entire lives. They were suffering from the loss of control and several businesses, industries, and services took advantage of this. Thousands of people were left homeless and most public schools in New Orleans were made into private charter schools.
The privatization of schools generates scarcity and increases inequality. It makes it difficult for the poor to diminish the gap between themselves and the wealthy. This is because private charter schools are allowed to create their own systems. They have the freedom to institute their own regulations and standards. Often allowing them to turn students away and discriminate against minorities including: the disabled, people of color, and the poor. These schools are being taken away from the public and given to people who can afford a higher quality education. Lowering the quality of the few public schools left in New Orleans. Many of the families which have built their lives in this city may not even be able to afford to take their children to private charter schools.
Naomi Klein stated that many believe that privatizing schools was “a way of reversing the benefits of the civil right movement, which guaranteed all children the same standard education.” This may be true, since private charter schools seem to have improved test scores, but its is difficult to justify them. Private schools cant claim to be improving scores if they’re are only accepting student with great capability. Charter schools often turn away students because they believe they are going to affect their scores, especially those with disabilities. Privatizing schools doesn’t allow for all individuals to obtain equal education.
Now, there should be equal education, it’s what is fair. People often question why it is that the poor stay poor and the wealthy get more wealthy. Well it’s because of privatization. Privatization takes away opportunities from people that can’t afford it. Leaving the wealthy with better and higher quality resources. If all people received equal resources, the economy may be different. Right now the dominant market is exclusive economically. An inclusive economy is what we should all strive for, even if it is threatening to the wealthy. Inclusive growth advances equal opportunities for all participants during economic growth with benefits acquired by every section of society. This would provide all members of society equal resources of life and education.
https://focalizalaatencion.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/tsd_nk.pdf
