A confluence of experiences
We wanted to conclude with a synthesis of the information presented to us by residents of the community, by the teachers at Furness, and by other stakeholders that we encountered.
Furness is a neighborhood public school and, like most public schools, has a unique set of challenges that are addressed by a unique set of assets. People were candid with us about what they thought these challenges were. They brought unique perspectives: from outside of the building to inside its halls. Everybody we talked to freely discussed what they thought challenges were--academic achievement, lack of resources, district bureaucracy, racial enclaves, and behavior problems--but not a single person was resigned to hopelessness.
People we spoke to were equally ready to tell us what they thought the community's assets were: from local organizations to a mindset of hard work to a respect for diversity. Nobody we talked to said that things at Furness were hopeless, and people relayed a genuine interest in the school as a part of their overall community.
Furness has been a school in the community for over 100 years, first as a junior high school and now as a high school. As the demographics of Pennsport stayed relatively the same (a majority of its residents are White), the student body at the school diversified. Addressing this diversification would call for another project itself, but it is important to highlight that the diversity of Furness is not viewed, by the school or the community, as a bad thing. Many community members referenced diversity as a way to highlight the fact that Furness does not have the racial tensions that they perceive to exist at other schools. All in all, Furness is a good example of a well-functioning neighborhood school. Yet the disparity in the racial population of the neighborhood versus that of the school demonstrates a continued dynamic of unequal educational opportunity for minorities.
Furness is a neighborhood public school and, like most public schools, has a unique set of challenges that are addressed by a unique set of assets. People were candid with us about what they thought these challenges were. They brought unique perspectives: from outside of the building to inside its halls. Everybody we talked to freely discussed what they thought challenges were--academic achievement, lack of resources, district bureaucracy, racial enclaves, and behavior problems--but not a single person was resigned to hopelessness.
People we spoke to were equally ready to tell us what they thought the community's assets were: from local organizations to a mindset of hard work to a respect for diversity. Nobody we talked to said that things at Furness were hopeless, and people relayed a genuine interest in the school as a part of their overall community.
Furness has been a school in the community for over 100 years, first as a junior high school and now as a high school. As the demographics of Pennsport stayed relatively the same (a majority of its residents are White), the student body at the school diversified. Addressing this diversification would call for another project itself, but it is important to highlight that the diversity of Furness is not viewed, by the school or the community, as a bad thing. Many community members referenced diversity as a way to highlight the fact that Furness does not have the racial tensions that they perceive to exist at other schools. All in all, Furness is a good example of a well-functioning neighborhood school. Yet the disparity in the racial population of the neighborhood versus that of the school demonstrates a continued dynamic of unequal educational opportunity for minorities.