SED 406 - Education Essay

Prompt: Central Falls High School has been in the news recently. What have you heard? What do you expect?

Growing up, the most I knew about Central Falls High School was that my grandmother graduated from there in the late 1930's. I know there used to be a prominent Polish demographic in the city, but that has changed significantly in recent decades. The most I know now about CFHS is that it is located in a rough, economically challenged neighborhood that gets a bad rap on the news.

I recall seeing a news story on NBC Nightly News a couple years ago about CF. My ears perked up when I heard Brian Williams mention Rhode Island. Unfortunately, the news turned out to be bad- Central Falls had just purged its entire staff of teachers and administrators. I can't remember today the rationale behind firing allthe teachers, but I remember the CF schools being closed, and broadcasts of middle-aged folks hooting and hollering and waving picket signs. I'm sure low test scores and failures to meet standards played a role in the firings. I have also heard about low graduation rates among high school students.

I expect to meet a culturally and socially diverse student body once we get to CFHS. The last time I was in CF I was doing inspections on foreclosed properties, and I got a sense of widespread poverty and hard-living. I'm sure those circumstances will be represented in the classrooms. Students' lives outside of the classroom undoubtedly impact their performance inside the classroom, and I am interested in observing that effect and how it is faced by teachers and administrators. I am also interested in being immersed in that environment and to observe the teachers' interactions with the students. It has been a long time since I have been in a high school classroom, and I'm sure my experiences at an all-boys Catholic school will differ greatly from CFHS; but I am nevertheless very excited for this experience.