Discrimination in Education 1

Discrimination of Low-income Students in El Paso

Literature Review

Vanessa Luz Avelar

University of Texas at El Paso

Discrimination in Education 2

Abstract

Discrimination in the United States education system has been prevalent since the origin

of our nation. Originally it was not allowing students a chance at an education based on the color

of their skin or their gender. Then leading into giving student a less than adequate education by

segregating students of minority races away from white races. Overall the United States history

of education is known for giving less than adequate educational opportunities to just certain

groups of people. However, now we are facing an even bigger issue of not giving students an

equitable chance of success based on student income. In this paper I plan to outline the pitfalls of

the El Paso Independent School District and bring to light the educational discrimination low

income students face to succeed as opposed to their peers in higher income schools.

This is important, because it will allow people in the EPISD boundaries to see how we

need to improve lower income student education to help them have a higher chance of

succeeding after high school and end the cycle of inequitable lifestyles. All students no matter

their economic background should be given the tools needed to succeed now and after high

school.
Discrimination in Education 3

Discrimination of Low-income Students in El Paso

Review of Literature

“Low-income communities are defined as communities in which there is a high

concentration of children eligible to be counted under Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act of 1965, as amended. A school serving such a community receives the low-

income designation, on a yearly basis.” Students from low income families have a 59% chance

of graduating from college versus the 77% chance students with higher incomes. EPISD is a

school district in El Paso, Texas whose average family income ($40,682) for 79924, which

includes Andress and Irvin high schools. In this same school district, the average family income

($82,382) for postal code of 79912 which includes Coronado and Franklin High Schools. That is

a difference of $41,700 on average of basic family income, meaning parents of these children

have money to afford their more programs/ opportunities to help their child/ children to succeed.

This can include, but not limited to SAT/ACT prep, additional tutoring, sports lessons, and even

professional college advising.

There is one distinct factor of schools in EPISD that makes them stand out in a negative

way from other school districts in El Paso. EPISD some offer the options of magnet programs

that can help students prepare for a field they would like to pursue after high school. This

program while made with best of intentions pulls students and therefore funding away from

schools whom do not have a magnet program offered; typically, low income schools. Students

are driven away from their home schools, by the prospect of being able to succeed after high

school. Schools without magnet programs are seen as “bad school” or even “ghetto” giving

schools that are supposed to offer the same education opportunities a bad reputation.
Discrimination in Education 4

It is important that all people in the communities surrounding EPISD schools know of

this educational discrepancy, because one day it’s going to impact all of us. The youth is our

future and if we fail them, we fail generations to come after them. To put it simply these young

adults, teens, and children deserve more than what we are offering them. In this paper I will be

addressing the following questions.

1. What is discrimination in education?

2. Why should we care about educational discrimination?

3. Is there a solution to discrimination in education? What is it?

4. How can people who do not have kids make a difference?

What is discrimination in education?

Discrimination of education is when students do not receive adequate or equitable

educational opportunities in comparison to their peers in various school. In the city of El Paso

there are over ten different school districts. These school districts can be private, public, or

public charter. Each of these school districts have different standards education for their students.

Due to limited time to do research for this project, I will only be focusing on the EPISD school

district. There is a total of eleven high schools in EPISD, with the research I have done it shows

that EPISD does not give equitable opportunities to all schools in their district. Discrimination in

schools is not blatant, by giving magnet programs to schools in higher income areas, these

students in higher income schools have more rigorous educational programs.

Discrimination in Education 5

There have also been instances in which teachers who have committed offences and

instead of being fired are moved to lower income schools. For example, if you refer to the article

“Chapin High teacher draws explicit image on student's assignment” there have been instances of

blatant discrimination by having teachers who should be removed from teaching relocated to

better the environment for the higher income students. As well as “promoting” teachers whom

have done well and moving them into higher income schools. The most obvious form of

discrimination in schools in the EPISD region is when higher income schools are given new state

of the art facilities, while lower income schools are going without fine art facilities or even

proper stages for their theatre programs.

Though there are many more forms of discrimination in EPISD such as giving more

rigorous magnet programs to higher income schools, thus pushing upper middle-class students to

those schools. By doing this it takes away students from low income schools and takes away

Title IX funding from these low-income schools.

Why should we care about educational discrimination?

Educational discrimination in EPISD creates a negative impact on the students within a

district. By not offering rigorous course or programs that are consistent across all the different

we disservice to all students, because we are preventing them from reaching their full potential.

By not allowing students who come from lower income areas the same opportunities as higher

income students, we take away diversity from the future work field. Everyone should care about

educational discrimination, because every student should have an equal and equitable chance to

succeed and have a chance to move up in life. If you refer to the article Early Education Gaps by

Social Class and Race Start U.S. Children Out on Unequal Footing by Economic Policy

Institute, you can see how much harder it is for students coming from a lower class to get to the
Discrimination in Education 6

level that students of higher incomes are at. We as a developing society should find it morally

wrong to let this much of a difference stand between any students ‘education.

Is there a solution to discrimination in education?

The simple answer should always be yes. People like to believe that there is no way to

make education equitable among the masses. This is simply not true. In EPISD high schools

without magnet programs there is an option to go to Tech. Tech is an option to do vocational

training for half the school day once you reach the students junior year of high school. Many

programs like becoming welding certified, graphic design, and even cosmetology. If EPISD

would move all the magnet programs to this central location and students would be able to

choose not only what program they wished to attend, but it would be the schools responsibility to

take them to this location, meaning lower income students wouldn’t be discriminated against

since they would be able to have provided transportation.

The only thing that schools would have to adjust to is probably making all high schools

go to block scheduling. Which in retrospect is a way for students to have more learning time in

each of their classes, rather than only having a forty-five-minute class in which twenty minutes

are wasted in instructional/ attendance.

Discrimination in Education 7

How can people who do not have kids make a difference?

People who do not have kids, can make a difference by going to the polls for local

elections. Most recently EPISD passed a vote for additional funding, most of which is being

allocated to schools whom have magnet programs already in place. Every citizen eighteen years

and older can change what future generations will have to endure in their education. Also, all

EPISD meeting are open to the public, meaning you do not have to be a parent or relative as long

as you reside in EL Paso County your voice will be heard for the sake of the future generation’s

education. In doing this we can make sure all students have an equal and equitable opportunity to

succeed and moving to a higher education.

Conclusion

In order to have a society in which every person can succeed no matter their economic

background we need to make equitable changes, so that the future generations have a truly equal

chance to have a better life. This can be done by moving all magnet programs to one central

location and have all students have the chance to go during either the first half of their day or the

last. Much like the tech program offered to schools who didn’t have magnet programs. The

school district can still offer these rigorous programs without discriminating the students who do

not have the means to be transported back and forth. These plans for equitable changes can also

be achieved, because since all students will be moved to their home schools, they will be more

funding put into the given school. In doing this we can make the education system better for all

students.
Discrimination in Education 8

Resources for EPISD/ national legislature please visit https://www.episd.org/Page/4360 or

https://www.episd.org/Page/6730

 Alfredo Velarde District 2

 Rene A. Vargas District 3

 Joshua Acevedo District 3

 Cynthia Cooper District 3

 Benjamin Mendoza District 3

 Thomas S. Hicks District 6

 Gary Berglund District 6

 Fareed Khlayel District 6

 Daniel E. Call District 7

 Mickey Loweree District 7

National resources include

https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/gen/index.html?src=ft

1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)

Speakers available in Spanish and more than 170 languages

Mailing address:

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202

Discrimination in Education 9

Resources

1. Ascd. (n.d.). How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement. Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/How-

Poverty-Affects-Classroom-Engagement.aspx

2. Early Education Gaps by Social Class and Race Start U.S. Children Out on Unequal

Footing: A Summary of the Major Findings in Inequalities at the Starting Gate. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/publication/early-education-gaps-by-social-class-

and-race-start-u-s-children-out-on-unequal-footing-a-summary-of-the-major-findings-in-

inequalities-at-the-starting-gate/

3. Education Achievement Gap. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://brainmass.com/psychology/social-psychology/education-achievement-gap-573889

4. Foundation, T. C. (2019, April 03). Why Diverse Schools Matter. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtsNCWtzD6U

5. Infographic: Education and Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved

from https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/infographic-education-and-poverty

6. The Association between Multiple Domains of Discrimination and Self‐assessed Health:

A Multilevel Analysis of Latinos and Blacks in Four Low‐Income New York City

Neighborhoods. Health Services Research, 38: 1735-1760. doi:10.1111/j.1475-

6773.2003.00200.x