According to Horace Mann, education in America is "...the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery." If men cannot be born equal, then they can be formed into equals through education. Although Mann's statement seems ideal, I doubt its possibility. It is true that education is essential for success, but education alone cannot secure equal opportunity.
Reading Annette Lareau's book Unequal Childhoods has revealed to me a disheartening truth: a child's social class and family dynamics have the potential to overpower the influences of education. Lareau's observations conducted in the families of varying economic and social classes showed that education cannot always undo the structure that a child is born in to. The "American Dream" places rose colored glasses over our perceptions of classes.
Unfortunately, most of society will not accept the argument that classes exist let alone that they restrict opportunities. Therefore educators and politicians are blamed for any inequality in schools. This places a lot of pressure on the educational system to combat any negative effects of parenting styles or economic restrictions.
When every student is so different, achieving the expectation of standardization is daunting and often ineffective. Giving every student and equal opportunity does not mean giving them all the same experience. So what should be done? Personally, I do not know. So far Lareau's book has created more questions than answers for me.
Despite the lack of answers, I would recommend Lareau's book. Her observations have encouraged me to ask hard questions about social structures and my future teaching techniques. Hopefully being aware of the questions, even if I do not know the answers, will remove my rose colored glasses and allow me to teach in the trenches of the war against inequality.
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