Journal Entry 2- Demographics and Diversity

Asa Messer Elementary School at a Glance (2016-2017 data)

• Public School
• Pre-K to Grade 4
• 42 teachers
• 534 students
• 65% Hispanic
• 13% Black
• 10% White
• 10% Asian
• 2% Multicultural

Notable Statewide Student Survey Information from the 2013-2014 Academic Year (grades 4 and 5)

Statement	Asa Messer’s Response	Statewide Response
Percentage of students eligible for subsidized lunch	93%	48%
Percentage of ESL/ Bilingual Education students	38%	8%
Chronic Absenteeism %	30%	12%
Percentage of students who believe they will finish high school	68%	84.7%
Percentage of students who believe they will go to college	61%	79.8%
Do your teachers think that you’ll go to college?	Yes: 62.7% No: 5% Not sure: 32.3%	Yes: 61.5% No: 1.9% Not sure: 36.6%
How many days a week do you usually eat breakfast?	0: 5.7% 7: 54.1%	0: 2.5% 7: 72.7%
How many days a week do you usually run around and play for at least an hour?	0: 14.6% 7: 25.3%	0: 5.6% 7: 39.7%
Percentage of students who feel safe walking outside of school	62.2%	80%
Percentage of students who had been robbed at school	26.5%	15.9%
Percentage of kids who had been called names/ made fun of	55%	37.8%
Percentage of kids who said that they had been in a physical fight during the current school year	27.3%	12.7%
Percentage of kids who had seen another student with a weapon of some sort within the past year	33.8%	11.6%
Percentage of students who had ever consumed alcohol without the permission of a parent or guardian	13.4%	3.4%
Percentage of students who had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days 1-2 times	6.7%	.7%
Percentage of students who had consumed alcohol 3+ times in the past 30 days	3.3%	.5%
Percentage of students who had ever smoked a cigarette	7.6%	2%
Percentage of students who had ever taken an illegal drug	4.3%	1%
% of students who had been offered drugs at school	5.2%	1%

Things that I have observed that reflect these statistics

• The teacher's assistant speaks some Spanish to the kids. For example she will call some of the boys “Papito.” She also uses Spanish when kids aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing. It helps because it reminds them of their parents, who they are used to listening to. I think that using Spanish words in the classroom is probably comforting to students and it makes them feel represented and like they belong.
• I also see posters of kids of different races around the classroom
• The teacher's are firm with the students. Sometimes they seem harsh (example: saying things like “Did I tell you to do that?” or “Worry about yourself” in a certain tone that shows attitude) but it's just the culture. There isn't any “okay so if you want, you can…” it's just commands. They sometimes yell but it isn't in a mean way. They aren't afraid to show that they have power because otherwise they would be walked all over.
• I know that the school is in a poor neighborhood and I wasn't surprised that so many kids get free lunch, I've also seen that the kids are given breakfast in the morning.
• When I told a member of my family that I was volunteering at Asa Messer, she kind of grimaced. She said that it was a bad area and that the kids there were probably going to be difficult and rough. Looking at the statistics of fighting and things like that would probably make people agree but I don't. None of these numbers make me see anything but children. I see children who have a lot of stressors in their lives but they are trying their best and they are so sweet and kind.

  When I walk into this school I feel safe, welcome, and even at home. I think that people who come from more privilege might look down on a school or neighborhood like this but they would be missing out on the bigger picture. The bigger picture of a community where everyone knows and supports each other and they have this bond over their shared cultures. Everyone is so comfortable around one another. I think that people who aren't from here would really benefit from coming here and seeing that and learning how people in urban areas are and how to interact with them. But I personally don't feel like I can get as much out of this experience because it's already so familiar to me. I almost wish that I could have volunteered at some rich school with mostly white kids, that would have been new.