Unequal Treatment In Mike Rose's 'I Just Wanna Be Average'

Education and public schools are two of the most valued products in the United States since they are essential elements for people’s growth and societal progress. Horace Mann, Secretary of Public Education in 1848, recognized this issue regarding education and advocated for the “common school” because he wanted every child to go to school and grow their minds to have a more productive and active life. However, his dreams of creating a perfect and equal school have not been realized until today. In the passage of Mike Rose’s “I Just Wanna be Average”, he displays his personal experience as a student who was mistakenly put through the rigorous journey of Vocational Education and how he struggled through his education endeavors. Similarly, to Mike Rose, Jean Anyon’s “Social Class and Hidden Curriculum of Work” discusses how
Firstly, unequal treatment in the classroom can negatively affect the academic performance and well-being of marginalized students. When students face discrimination, it creates a bad environment where they might feel unsupported. This can lead to a lack of motivation and lack of class participation, which only affects the students’ academic performance. Furthermore, letting these inequalities unaddressed can lead to the reinforcement of societal prejudices and discrimination, which in turn undermines the principles of equality and fairness and marginalized groups of students feel left out. Another issue that the public schools are not able to address is the disparity in teacher quality between working-class and elite schools. Jean Anyon's examination of educational practices reveals significant differences in the approaches employed by teachers in these two types of schools. She quotes, “In two working-class schools, work is the step of a procedure. The procedure is usually mechanical, involving rote behavior and very little decision-making or