Poverty in New Jersey

2. The families in the Unequal Childhoods book would all experience a decreased quality of life if they lived in New Jersey. However, the hardest hit would be the working class and poor, whose access to basic necessities would be further impaired. First of all, housing would be an issue. New Jersey is mentioned as having some of the highest rent prices in the country. Families such as Tyrec Taylor’s and Wendy Driver’s, who are paying $650.00 a month and having difficulty paying that would be hard pressed to make rent in New Jersey, where average is estimated as $1320.00 for a one adult/2 child family. Even with housing assistance, which the families might not qualify for, the rent would possibly still be too high. Housing in the suburbs is also more expensive, and taxes are high. Families might easily find themselves paying 50% of their income to housing costs. Food costs are also higher in New Jersey. In families where food is in short supply, or special outings to places like McDonald’s are a rare occasion, the prices in Newark will be too high. The report also discusses job quality. For parents like Ms. Driver, who hates her job and is definitely not making enough, even with her husband’s income, job training as recommended by the report could make a difference. The same could be said of Tyrec Taylor’s mom. They are both in secretarial positions, which are one of the positions listed as not paying enough to meet the cost of living standards. Billy Yanelli’s parents were both high school dropouts, with low paying jobs. They too would benefit from training. Also, health insurance is something that not all of the families in the study had access to. They wouldn’t be able to afford it in New Jersey, where, assuming an employer paid part, would be $339/mo for one adult, a preschooler and a child.

3. The poor families, Harold McAllister's and Katie Brindle’s, would fit with the demographic described as in poverty in New Jersey. They are female headed households with children. Though Mrs. Brindle has her GED, she is unemployed, and must care for her youngest. She does not have access to further education or daycare. Twice a month she goes to collect a cash stipend and food stamps from public assistance. She also gets a small amount from DHS, as child support from Katie’s absentee father. Small items put her over the top, and laundry is an added expense. Public housing is not available, and she is in danger of eviction because she can’t make her $600/mo rent. In New Jersey her resources would most likely be stretched even more, and her chances of finding housing would be slim. Mrs. McAllister is also unemployed and unmarried. In addition, she is a minority, and so at a greater disadvantage according to the study. She receives Aid to Families with Dependent Children and has a medical card and uses food stamps. Harold’s father, Hank the mechanic, does occasionally buy things for Harold. In New Jersey, his money would not go as far. Also, this family has somewhat of a revolving door policy, with extended family staying at various times. Resources are stretched thinner than can actually be accounted for. Both of these families fit in with what is described as the poverty class in Newark, and both require aid to get out. Unfortunately, given the current lack of programs and the higher cost of living in New Jersey, their situations would probably be worse. Also, the Brindles would not be in a working class neighborhood in this state, potentially worsening their plight .

4. Though not every student will fall into a neat category and I don’t want to make the mistake of stereotyping, my views of urban have solidified. I had a vague idea of what poverty was, but without experiencing or witnessing the day to day life of someone trying to make it without funds in an urban environment, it was softened. Seeing some of the figures in the reports, and imagining how those figures translate into real life is sobering. I’m not entirely sure what this will mean to me as an urban educator. In terms of how I view students, I would assume that their responsibilities outside of school might be greater than financially well-off kids of the same age. They might be expected to work, or care for other family members. Also, parents of students may not be what I expect. After seeing the reports, it became clear that there are a lot of single mothers trying to raise families with inadequate funds. Though they value education, providing basic necessities will be their first priority. One of my goals would be to place as little additional burden on these families. This may mean adjusting homework loads. As for the community, it seemed that parents viewed teachers with some caution, if not enmity. I would like to meet the families and discover their expectations for their kids, and make clear that their input is welcome. This doesn’t even begin to touch on housing, transportation, food and clothing, all of which are more difficult to come by for those in poverty than what I was raised to expect. As an urban educator, I feel that I will have to adjust my ideas of what kinds of projects are fair game outside of school. If I suspect resources are stretched thin, it will be my responsibility to make sure that students have access to what they need for the tasks I assign. I will need to reach out and question values. It seems that ultimately, with the number living in poverty, some working, some not, the only way to truly know what students face is to find out on an individual basis. I’m not sure how to do that without intruding, but I do feel that that knowledge will make me a better teacher.