This is an image of Glendale City Librarians. They shared a ghost story with us and told of us of the role they have on the community.

Education and Youth

AICGS Social Divisions

March 22, 2023

Issues in Glendale

K-12 Education System in Arizona

Like in Germany, in the United States each state is responsible for determining how education is managed. In Arizona, there are many different types of schools parents can send their K-12 student to, such as traditional public schools, charter schools (which are largely funded with public funds but operated independently), and private schools.

Public Schools: The Arizona public school system operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. Students are assigned to an elementary, middle, or high school based on their residential location. Public schools adhere to set standards put in place by the state and have to employ certified teachers. They are free and offer a wide range of classes and extracurricular activities. Students outside of the assigned school zone have the opportunity to enroll in a public school through the open enrollment process .

Charter Schools: Charter schools are a free alternative to public schools. Families have to apply, get accepted, and then enroll in these schools. It is important to point out that charter schools are not required to offer school bussing, which can lead to the exclusion of students who would like to attend a charter school but don't have access to transportation. Charter schools often have a specific mission, educational approach, and/or teaching methods. Charter schools are funded by the state.

Private Schools: Private schools charge tuition and are not funded by the government, allowing them more autonomy in setting their own regulations and educational standards. They often have their own focus and specific educational philosophy.

School Choice: The Privatization of Public Services

With the signing of the school voucher bill in July 2022, Arizona now has the nation’s most extensive private school voucher program in the United States. The expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Act (ESA) allows parents to receive 90% of the public funds typically allocated to their local public schools to pay private school tuition, homeschooling supplies, and therapy. While this might seem like a step in the right direction to ensure that every child receives the education that parents feel is best for their child and their families, it raises concerns about the potential privatization of public schools in the future. The privatization of public schools could have significant consequences for the quality and accessibility of education. Private schools are usually not held to the same standards as public schools, and they may not be required to accept all students, including those with special needs or learning disabilities. This could lead to the situation where only the most privileged students have access to quality education while those who are most in need are left behind. Additionally, the privatization of public schools leads to the decrease in funding for public schools, hurting the quality of education for those who remain in the public school system.

Opportunities and Challenges in Memmingen

Our meeting at Stadtjugendring Memmingen

We visited Stadtjugendring Memmingen (SJR, City Youth Council Memmingen), an organization that supports youth associations and activism in the city. The organization serves as the mouthpiece of the city’s youth and is also responsible for a number of trips, events, and programming.

While the staff of SJR seemed positive about the livelihood of school-aged children in Memmingen, opportunities are more limited for young adults. Because Memmingen does not have a university, many young people have to move away to pursue higher education. The ones that do not move are left in a city with limited nightlife options and fewer young people. While many of those who leave do come back and settle in Memmingen, many do not. Memmingen Mayor Jan Rothenbacher wants to keep young people and promote investment by making plans to bring a university to the city.

The German School System

The school system in Germany is the responsibility of the sixteen German states with the federal government playing a minor role. Primary school education begins at the age of six from grade one to grade four. At age ten and based on their academic performance and dependent on teacher recommendations, pupils are assigned to a three-tiered high school system. Academically strong children (math, reading, and writing) gain entry to the Gymnasium that provides a high-level education until year thirteen and qualifies them to enter university. Average-performing pupils are recommended to enter a Realschule where they receive a standard level of education and may transfer to the Gymnasium. The Gesamtschule is an integrated comprehensive school that goes from year five until year twelve; students can qualify for university entry. Pupils deemed unsuitable for a university education in grade four are allocated to Mittelschulen (middle schools, otherwise known as Hauptschulen). Here, students receive a less academically rigorous and more practically-oriented education until year nine. Pupils who finish year nine and ten of the Mittelschule and Realschule have the option to continue their education at a Berufschule (vocational school) if their grades are sufficient. Förder- and Sonderschulen (special schools) are separate schools for children and young adults with special needs. Only 6% of the German population attend privately-funded schools. (For further information on the German school system, see here. )

Although we did not speak to teachers about education in Memmingen, the three-tiered school system plays a major role in reproducing social inequality, issues of belonging, and polarization in society. Children of families with histories of migration, particularly from Turkey who came as guest workers in the post-World War II reconstruction era and subsequent asylum seekers most notably from Syria in 2015, are statistically overrepresented in the lowest school forms (Mittel- and Hauptschulen and even Sonderschulen) (see here and here ).

The institutional discrimination and reproduction of social inequality and exclusion is well-researched in the theoretical field of Migration Pedagogy (Mecheril 2009 and Heidrich, Karakaşoğlu, Mecheril, and Shure 2021 ) and reflected in statistics and the international PISA studies .

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of school dropouts without a leaving certificate from the Hauptschule (lowest level school), and thus no continuation into apprenticeships and job training, has become one major factor contributing to the current Fachkräftemangel (lack of skilled and unskilled labor).

Although there is flexibility to move upwards across school systems, those unable to make the substantial leap to the senior high school system can deal with a lasting stigma, internalized inferiority, and learned helplessness. This issue must gain more national visibility and political consideration in educational policymaking to build a more inclusive and cohesive society that values and represents its diverse population.