NOTE TO USERS This reproduction is the best copy available. Poverty and Inner City Education: Community Economic Development at the Local School Level University of Manitoba Doctoral thesis submitted in partial fuIfWent of requirements for Ph. D. Program in Educational Administration Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology Q Copyright by Heather Hunter 2000 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue WelIington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Ottawa ON KI A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Libras. of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn-bute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la foxme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. 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The author reserves otber publication rights, and neither this thesisfpracticum nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's written permission. Acknowledgements My thanks to Ben Levin, John Loxley, and Jon Young for their advice and support. Thanks also to Bill Maynes for his contribution as external examiner and to Jim Silver for the opportunity to collaborate. Of course, most of this work wouldn't have happened without the wonderfûl William Whyte fdlyof children, staff, parents, and al1 of the people in the neighbourhood. And, thank you to my family, to Steve and Stepheny. But, especially, thdsto Ben. Abstract Poverty is a root problem in public education. When primary needs of children are not met due to root causes of poverty, children experience difficulty in school. This is most notable in inner city comrnunities where poverty rates are highest. In the face of poverty, inner city schools appear unsuccessful with efforts to make the processes of schooling work as well for poor children as for those who are not poor. This study of poverty and hercity education asks what can an kercity school do to counter the negative effects of poverty on learning? Given that poverty is systernic, to what extent can education be an instrument for social and economic change? The first part of this study is a conceptual analysis of inner city education. Political economy provides the theoretical frarnework for understanding the structural role of schools in sustainhg unequal social and economic conditions. Stemming fkom this analysis, cntical theory is applied to the notion that community economic development rnight occur at the local school is considcred. Comrnuniq-based schooling is conceived as alternate educational practice to counter poverty effects through structural change at the Local school and neighbouhood levels. Identified within this analysis is the role for critical educational leadership to meet the challenge of finding ways to make a difference in the lives of children. Through formal research and practical inquiry, evidence of this merence could then be shared so others might be more encouraged to job in transformîng practice in inner city communities. The latter part of this study is an account of how this critical perspective was applied to practice efforts at William Whyte Community School located in Winnipeg's ianer city. In this section, community-based schooling is deçcnbed as alternative educational practice that recognize and supports both individual and capacities in order to create and sustain opportunities for individual growth and community development. The study concludes with consideration of the research and policy implications for inner city education if comrnuniQ economic development strategies are to be implemented at the local school level through the practice of community-based schooling. Table of Contents Acknowledgments Abstract Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Poverty and Schooling Poverty Underperceived Poverty Effects on Leamhg On the Importance of Education Nature of the Study Potential for Community-Based SoIutions On Community and Change Outline of Contents 'Community School Changes Kids' Attitudes": March, 1994 Chapter 2 Poverty and Inner City Education Introduction On Capacity and Resilience Educational Reforrn Efforts 8 Partial Solutions to Poverty 8 Deficit Thinking and Compensatory Approaches Partial Solutions Result fiom Absence of Power On Absence of Power "Soup, Snuggles and the ABC'S": April, 1995 Chapter 3 Political Economy and SchooIing Introduction On Class Issues of Class in Education Education as a Political Act On Domestication People are Comm~~Ûty "For the Children's Sake": December, 1996 Chapter 4 Leadership in Inner City Education Critical Theory and Inner City Education Outsider Research Critical Participatory Research On Community Leadershi@ Educational Administration as a Field of Study Uncritical Educational Administration On School Leadership Critical Theory and Educational Administration "Education Innovations: Solutions for the City"; May, 1997 Chapter 5 Community Economic Development htroduction Conventional Inner City Development Local Economic Developrnent Participatory Econornics Developrnent on a Human Scale Education and Community Economic Developrnent On Local Economic Development "School Accomplishes a Small Bit of Magic" : October, 1998 Chapter 6 Community-Based Schooiing at Wilüam Whyte Introduction The School ProfiIe Background to Cornmunity-Based Change On the Selection of an Inner City School Administrator School Planning Community Econornic Development at the Local School Level Conimunity Education at the Local School Level William Whyte Cornmunîty School Project On Andrews Streer Andrews Street Family Centre "Community School and Family Project Interim Evaluation": June 1997 Chapter 7 Conclusion hReview On William myte Schooling Efforts to Counter Poverty Effects InSummq On Jean 'Toilowing Community Economic P~ciples": October, 1 998 References Poverty and Inner City Education Hunter 1 "This House... seek(s) to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000.yy Unanimously passed resolution of the Canadian House of Commons, November 24,1989 Nearly a decade later, ONE IN FIVE chiidren in Canada lives in poverty - an increase of 564,000 children since 1998. National Report Card 1PM: Campaign 2000. Toronto Family Service Association, 1998 The majority of Canadians believe the country's poor became that way through no fault of their own, and that governments are not doing enough to help them. ..51 per cent of Canadians believe people become poor because of circumstances beyond their control. "Poor Get Shortchanged, Canadians Tell Pol[" The Globe and Mail, December 18, 1999 Poverty and berCity Education Hunter 2 Poverty and Schooiing Poverty is a fundamental probIem in public education. In Winnipeg's inner city, schools encounter abject poverty that presents daunting challenges and barriers to teaching and leaming. Working and leaming together at the local school level, teachers are to educate children, to extend leaming expenences to ïnclude families, to build on nch diversity, to respect both the cultural and the cornmunity contexts of inner city neighbourhood life. Notable among those working in inner city schools is a willingness to go beyond the mandate of public education to contribute in whatever ways may be helpful to family and comrnunity life. But aiways poverty has an opposite effect whereby the things we wanted most fkorn education are least likely to be found where people are the poorest (Levin, 1995). Despite detexmination on the part of teachers and parents, conditions of poverty have worsened in Winnipeg and continue to impact in negative ways on school and life experiences for children. Manitoba has one of the highest rates of child poverty in Canada* Babies bom to poor families have twice the rate of infant mortality and disability as children living in afnuent families. In Manitoba, the child mortality rate in the Abonginal population is several times higher than that in the population as a whole. According to Statistics Canada, the rate of child poverty grew in Manitoba fiom 21 -2% in 1989 to 26.6% in 1996. This gives Manitoba a rate of child poverty that is the highest in Canada at 5.5 percentage points higher than the national average (Chernomas,