How the ‘opportunity gap’ creates obstacles for teachers
A few years ago, @DrVEvansWinters created #BlackEDU on Twitter as a forum for Black teachers (and those who teach Black students) to discuss issues that directly impact our most vulnerable student population. One of the most important conversations held was the re-framing of the ‘achievement gap’ discussion. Many eduformers were insistent that the low academic achievement of Black and Latino students was solely a direct result of low IQ or academic ability. Our online community believed otherwise. Since that time, I have seen more use of the phrase ‘opportunity gap’, which ultimately places the onus on the racist nature and structure of our education system and those responsible for decades of decision-making.
I just ended my first year teaching a K-6 start-up charter school in Metro-Atlanta. Our school is one of a handful of state-approved charter schools operating in the state of Georgia. One of the obvious opportunity gaps I noticed within the student population was reading and all of its intricate parts, e.g., fluency, decoding, and comprehension. My K-12 teaching experience has primarily been at the high school level; however, I was faced with the challenge of reteaching basic phonics, spelling, grammar, and writing skills to students with IEPs and the English as a Second Language (ESOL) program in grades 1–6. I will admit that I did the best I knew to do, with help from many people on Twitter and Google. That being said, I am my own worst critic and, therefore, know that it was not enough. We needed a research-based and effective reading program for struggling readers and ESOL students. My task for the summer is to find one.
That brings me to what I have been doing these past few days: Researching programs with training components, ongoing professional development/support, and an established reputation. I became familiar with Lindamood Bell, Orton Gillingham, and Wilson Language Training a few years back when I considered working in private school settings. Based on the brief research I did at the time, I learned that all three programs were well-established, reputable, and very, very expensive. That last part…The expense associated with the aforementioned methods is likely why very few public schools (at least here in Georgia) use them. I have worked in three different districts, but never heard anyone discuss them. These programs are common in private schools; most jobs require that applicants have training in one or more methods. Affluence provides an opportunity for students in private school to receive exposure to these programs. Kids in public schools are, once again, denied tools to close the ‘achievement gap’.
If these programs are the best and most effective at building phonics, decoding, and comprehension skills for struggling readers (mostly those with Dyslexia or another Specific Learning Disability), then why is access inaccessible for teachers? We are responsible for student gains. Our students with IEPs are required to demonstrate gains on state assessments, with fewer testing accommodations. For example, instead of having passages read to them by a teacher or computer, kids who are one or more grade levels behind must struggle through actual grade-level text and questions. This also applies to students in the ESOL program.
Can our education leaders proclaim they want teachers to spend their summer vacations thinking about how to better serve their students, without investing the necessary money to address a glaring opportunity gap? Furthermore, can education leaders say they believe in and support their teachers’ professional development without actually matching their verbal pledges with financial ones? I do not think it is possible, but I am determined to find a way to get myself into one of these training programs. Watch.
