Referral

As children fail to meet academic standards in the classroom, teachers assume that the student is at fault. Those who fail to meet work expectations or exhibit problematic behaviors may be placed in referral. How do those who teach in low income environments make decisions regarding referral? As a teacher it is important to distinguish learning disabilities from behaviors that come from living in poverty, so that referral isn’t the only option. Teachers who come from middle class backgrounds may not be able to relate to students who live in low income environments. The reason for this is because of the cross cultural boundaries between teacher and student, which may influence their perception of students in poverty. As stated in Learning
Families that live in poverty stricken areas must work longer hours, in order to make rent and put food on the table. As stated in Why Urban Parents Resist Involvement in their Children’s Elementary Education “Many of the parents worked. However, their jobs consisted of low wage, low skill employment” (McDermott & Rothenberg 2000, p.3). Majority of teachers in the study made a conscious effort to reach out to parents through notes and comments on their child’s notebook. Although parents received notification of their child’s progress, there were many factors that prevented them from having face to face communication, such as a lack of free time or transportation. These parents wanted the best education for their children, but could not afford to attend parent teacher conferences. Parents gave insight into the complications that prevented them from being involved in their child’s education, but they also praised teachers for reaching out, such as Mrs. Desantis who took time out of her day to visit the housing projects. Teachers must be aware of the challenges that parents living in low income areas face and be open to communicating with them through notes or