How cultural dynamics and teacher preparation affect the educational opportunities of minority students

The academic achievement of minority students in this country has been an issue of debate for educators and policy makers since the origins of education in America. Education reform has failed to offer a permanent solution that does not blame the students for their failure. America’s “color-blind ” attitude and it’s refusal to accept the effects of cultural differences in the learning process will lead to a continued increase in the academic achievement “gap ” in our classrooms. In this paper I address the historical contributions of America’s “biased ” and self-protecting mechanisms that still plaque the education system today, the effects of culture on learning, how school culture can affect learning, teacher preparation for minority students, the overcrowding of special education, and the effects of No Child Left Behind. The Problem It amazes me that the American education system spends so much time and money blaming the academic failure of minority children on environmental, social, or genetic factors, instead of placing the responsibility where it rightly belongs, which is th