Qualified, but cut, what now?

[mathteacher]

Hi folks,

This is my first post. Just want to say thanks to everyone for the thoughtful responses and great info in this thread.

I teach math at an urban Title I HS in south Texas - enrollment about 1800, mostly Hispanic. Because our counselors are overworked, students ususally don't get much help with the college application process until their senior year.

Last year I had the privilege of teaching an "academic mentoring" course to a select group of juniors, mainly to prepare for the PSAT and subsequent SAT's. I quickly discovered that except for the top ivies and football powerhouses, most out-of-state colleges weren't even on their radar. So over the last 10 months or so I have become the school's main source of info on SLAC's that meet 100% of need. Much of what I've learned has come from lurking on cc.

My students come from a family-oriented culture that sometimes gets in the way of their opportunities. A few years ago we had an AP Art student who received a full ride to RISD. Daddy said "we need you close to home" and she enrolled in the community college. So part of my task is to convince parents that four years at RISD or Amherst or Conn College is a much better deal than even our local State U, which barely graduates 30% of its students. I pitch SLAC's as family-like enviroments that generally are serious about diversity and very supportive of their students.

If any of you are aware of cc threads discussing the challenges facing urban URMs as they apply to college, please let me know.

[curmudgeon]

Glad to know that someone's doing something. I'm about 200 miles to your north and our district is only 30% Hispanic and NOT URBAN but we do have similarities. LOL. P.M. xiggi. He's a fellow Texan and may have some already filtered results for you. Good luck.

[ejr1]

Glad to hear someone is doing something. I, too, am a TX teacher, although in a large suburban area and 5A school. Even though the vast majority of kids is caucasian, they still don't explore outside of UT, A&M, etc. A couple years ago, I started talking to some of the kids in SNHS, and one of the girls is going to Princeton because of our talk. I found that most kids don't even realize there is a possibility of something more. (And I am NOT saying that there is anything wrong with the TX schools - far from it - just that most kids make their decision without being aware of what is available.) I remember being at the tailor's and D needed her stuff pronto so she could take it with her to college, and there was a man there who asked where she was going, and she said Amherst, and his response was that maybe if she did well there, she could transfer to UT next year! So it isn't just the Hispanic community.
Since I teach Spanish, I am aware of the situation. It is cultural, and very difficult to overcome. The parents will listen if one of their own tells them. There are Hispanic leaders (Edward James Olmos has done a lot) who are on the bandwagon about going to college. Perhaps you can get a tape of one of his talks - he did a segment on Cristina. Just getting the parents to see past a job after HS can be difficult, but maybe getting the info to them through one of their own would help your situation. They don't know anything else, and college is a strange world to them.

[DRJ4]

MathTeacher,

Thanks for trying to help your students. It sounds like you are a teacher that makes a difference.

[jlauer95]

OP "Also, I think his work ethic is totally gone, since he didn't see a payoff. "

He doesn't see a "pay off"?????? He is going to his state's flagship university for FREE!!! Isn't that a pay off?

Tell him that grad school is more important and he'll have an easier time getting into an ivy or "ivy like" school then.

I think he thinks too much of himself. If he spent some time on this board, he'd find that his stats are not rare. He's convinced himself that his is "special" , in fact, "too special" to attend his state's U.

[marite]

Mathteacher:

S's roommate at Harvard is from TX, as far south as can be. He seems to be enjoying himself, though he misses Tex-Mex food and does not care for the cold (S claims he likes it hotter than everybody else by 20 degrees). Perhaps stories about TX students who are attending colleges outside TX will inspire your students and their parents to consider going out of state. For urban URMs, there are many schools that are ready to provide full-rides. And if your students are interested in math/science, all the better!

Kudoes to you from me, too!