Education_System_in_Nyc

This was very disturbing to read. However, I am sure it takes place everyday. Students like Tarus who want to succeed and stay in school do not always get the support they need from their community, family, and friends. It is very hard to give support in the first place if they themselves do not have it. Anyone can loose motivation and become helpless. This story kind of reminded me of the monopoly article, (i.e., starting late in life and not having the resources needed to achieve success). Although resources and support are well need for all students, I think there are other underlying problems that existed in the case Tarus, (i.e., ethics). Mrs. Abram first approached the principal before going to the school counselor. School counselors are trained to counsel students. The school culture and respect for school counselors is questionable in this school. Secondly, the principal lacked sensitivity and did not take extensive time to hear what the student was saying, he dismissed Tarus. Ethically the Principal was supposed to notify the school counselor and work together to find out ways to approach the situation, (i.e., contacting Tarus’s Aunt, and promoting school safety). The Principal could have also looked into which students where part of the gang and notify police to patrol the school grounds. The incident where Tarus got attacked happened in front of the school. This could have been clearly avoided if it was handled differently. I think there are too many school administrators, principals, and teachers who are not competent to deal with students, parents, faculty, and school community. They are in a position of higher power and most of them lack multicultural sensitivity and have not taken courses in understanding racial and cultural identity. As a school counselor, I am very aware that we do not get utilized properly in schools. We have so much to offer to schools but are ignored and labeled as clerical workers. In the case of Tarus, clearly the school culture is reactive as oppose to proactive. If the school had gang and violence support groups or prevention workshops perhaps, the school would be more prepared to deal with Tarus. Is it the neighborhood and limited funds that prevent these programs or is it the people in charge, (i.e., the principal), who are more concerned about running a school but do not know how to'