PBS Video - Episode 3

Episode 3 of the PBS Series "Story of School" was called Equality. It was based on the years between 1950-1980. During this time, schools in America were saying that this was the generation of students that would all graduate from high school and go onto college. Or at least all the white students would go to college. Schools were still being separated into black schools and white schools. Some kids were actually forced to walk past other schools that were closer to their house to get to their own school, because they weren't allowed to go to the ones that were closer. One part of this video that kind of surprised me was that the black teachers were actually more qualified to teach then the white teachers. Most of the black teachers had their masters degree, and the only job that they could find to use that degree was to teach in the black schools. That's why it was really sad when they finally decided to ban segregation in schools because all the black teachers and administrators lost their jobs. Segregation wouldn't have even started if it wasn't for President Lyndon Johnson. He tricked the schools into allowing different races of students to come to their school. He said that schools would lose all of their federal funding if they didn't obey the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but if they did obey it then they would receive even more federal funding. It was a smart move on his part, but it would still take awhile for students to get used to going to the same school.

Even after this, there were still problems in public schools. Women were discriminated from sports, higher level classes, and from a college education. One woman shared her story about wanting to join the boys basketball team because her school didn't have a girls basketball team, and she was told that she would have to shower with the boys if she made the team. It was ridiculous how women were treated during this time. I couldn't imagine going to school then and trying to take advanced math classes. I would probably be told to take home economics classes instead because that's what girls did back then. I'm glad that enough women stood up for themselves to get Title IV in the Higher Education Act of 1965 passed which banned women from being discriminated upon. It was also extended to students with disabilities. Most students with any mental disability weren't even sent to school, and if any students were in a wheelchair for a physical disability they weren't allowed in school because there were no ramps for them to get into the building. But because of these laws schools had to provide resources for these students, and the public schools in America were starting to improve.