How poor schools cheat smart students

Students in suburban schools are repeatedly told they need to go to college, and they’re told what they need to do to prepare. But that doesn’t always happen in poor schools. There, even the best students often lack the basic encouragement and support they need to access a college education.

I believe we could change this by providing better counseling and higher education programming, particularly in Title I schools, which seem to focus on getting students into jobs rather than getting them into college.

I began my education in a Title I school in Saluda County, where my best friend, with hopeful hazel eyes piercing through her glasses, dreamed of becoming a doctor — only to end up with a technical school as her only choice.

She knew she needed to make good grades, and she worked to do that. What she didn’t know was that taking this test-prep course and then that one, and visiting this campus and then that one, was also part of what it meant to be college ready.

I knew this because my parents attended college and could walk me through the process. I knew it because I had a guidance counselor who was great at helping students prepare for college — if they knew to ask. My friend’s parents weren’t college-educated, and her family didn’t have a lot of money. So while I was afforded the opportunity to attend Furman University, one of the most prestigious schools in the state, my friend, and many other classmates, had no choice but to take an alternative track.

Title I schools receive federal funding to help students who are failing or at risk. But what about the students who are not failing, who are excelling in the classroom but don’t have the financial means, resources or encouragement to take their educational pursuits to a higher level? Our schools are failing successful students who come from a disadvantaged background.

We are asked from a young age, by our teachers and other prominent adults, what we want to be when we grow up. What kind of society would ask this question to children and then not give them the tools they need to get there?

We need to change our school counseling and programming to ensure that all students are encouraged to dream as big as they can, and are led to the resources to get them there. Schools like Furman give financial aid based on both merit and need, which means students like my friend can receive a full ride to a college that prices its four-year experience at a quarter million dollars. Of course, not every student would be admitted, but schools should make sure students and parents know about the opportunity.

Imagine this: Counselors assess the performance and ambitions of all 10th-graders. Students are grouped based on their initial interests and can transfer into another group as their goals change. Those interested in college would gather weekly to talk with college admissions staff, discuss ACT or SAT signup and study habits, talk financials and student life with college students who attended their high school. Students not on the college track could meet high school alumni in different industries and professions to get an understanding of their options, and how they need to prepare themselves.

College makes a huge difference in who is poor and who isn’t. How could we let that inequality just be a function of parents’ wealth? We can break the cycle of poverty in our state simply by talking about college with our students.

SC is ‘breaking the law’ by ignoring poor schools

Think back to my friend, with her eyes full of hope. If she had been told in the 10th grade that she could go to college to become a doctor, if she had mentors to guide her through the college-preparation process, she could be sitting in the desk right next to me. After all, we came from that same spot on the map.

Let’s give all South Carolina students their best chance.

This story was originally published April 30, 2017 at 6:25 PM with the headline "How poor schools cheat smart students."