Ravenswood School District, which lies within East Palo Alto, has been making progress towards its goal to have 30% of its students reach proficiency in English and math, according to the Almanac. Current test scores stand at 12% for English and 7% for math.

A note of congratulations

Ravenswood’s push to improve education for students in their community is worthy of commendation and recognition. Good education — and good public education especially — is an equalizing force. At a time when job offers even for college graduates are scarce, it is essential that students from lower-income backgrounds have access to public education that can put them on a level playing field going into the job market.

Recognizing the disparity

However, it’s also important to note that just a few blocks away, schools like Menlo-Atherton, Menlo, Crystal Springs, Palo Alto, and my own, Sacred Heart Preparatory, have access to resources and funding that Ravenswood school districts lacks. Sacred Heart is dedicated to service and community, and yet I haven’t seen any initiatives to support local school districts. We do work with Peninsula Bridge, expanding educational opportunities to students at a socioeconomic disadvantage, but I want to know if there’s more we could be doing to support students our own age just a mile or two eastward.

I plan on doing more investigating within my school community on this topic, so I’ll update this blog or post a new one if something interesting comes up. In the meantime, I want to encourage residents of the Bay Area — and anyone else, for that matter — to recognize the crucial role education plays in shaping individuals’ lives, and how socioeconomic barriers can prevent students from receiving the quality education they have a right to.