How America's public schools keep kids in poverty | Kandice Sumner

翻译人员: Conway Ye 校对人员: Junyi Sha

I want to talk to you about my kids.

我想和你们谈谈我的孩子们，

Now, I know everyone thinks that their kid is the most fantastic,

我知道每个人会都觉得 自己的孩子是最棒的，

the most beautiful kid that ever lived.

是世界上最漂亮的。

但是我的孩子们， 他们真的是这样。

But mine really are.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I have 696 kids,

我有696个孩子，

and they are the most intelligent, inventive, innovative,

他们是你见过的最聪明， 最具创造力，

brilliant and powerful kids that you'll ever meet.

最有才华，最有能力的孩子。

Any student I've had the honor of teaching in my classroom is my kid.

任何我有幸教导过的 学生，都是我的孩子。

However, because their "real" parents aren't rich

但是，因为他们的 亲生父母并不富裕，

and, I argue, because they are mostly of color,

而且他们大多数都是有色人种，

they will seldom get to see in themselves

所以他们很少看到我眼中的

the awesomeness that I see in them.

他们的闪光点。

Because what I see in them is myself --

因为我在他们的身上 看见了自己的影子，

or what would have been myself.

或是说本可能是我现在的情况。

I am the daughter of two hardworking,

我是两个勤奋的，有大学学历的

college-educated, African-American parents

非裔美籍父母的女儿，

who chose careers as public servants:

他们选择成为了人民的公仆，

my father, a minister; my mother, an educator.

我的父亲是牧师， 我的母亲是教育工作者。

Wealth was never the primary ambition in our house.

财富从来都不是 我们家庭的第一目标。

Because of this lack of wealth,

因为不算富裕，

we lived in a neighborhood that lacked wealth,

我们住在一个贫穷的社区，

and henceforth a school system that lacked wealth.

因此附近的学校条件也不算很好。

Luckily, however, we struck the educational jackpot

幸运的是，当时我们中了教育的大奖，

in a voluntary desegregation program

他们启动了一个 无偿废除种族歧视的项目，

that buses inner-city kids -- black and brown --

把城市内黑皮肤和棕皮肤的孩子，

out to suburban schools -- rich and white.

接送到到城郊富裕的白人学校读书。

At five years old, I had to take an hour-long bus ride

五岁时，我要乘一个小时的巴士，

to a faraway place

到很远的地方，

to get a better education.

接受更好的教育。

At five years old, I thought everyone had a life just like mine.

五岁的时候， 我以为每个人的生活都跟我一样。

I thought everyone went to school

我以为每个人都会去学校上学，

and were the only ones using the brown crayons

但是就只有我一个人用棕色蜡笔

to color in their family portraits,

给家庭画像上色，

while everyone else was using the peach-colored ones.

而其他人都是用浅色蜡笔的。

At five years old, I thought everyone was just like me.

五岁的时候， 我以为每个人都跟我一样。

But as I got older, I started noticing things, like:

但当我长大了， 我开始意识到一些事情，比如：

How come my neighborhood friend don't have to wake up

为什么邻居家的小伙伴不用

at five o'clock in the morning,

在早上五点起床，

and go to a school that's an hour away?

去一小时车程外的学校？

How come I'm learning to play the violin

为什么我能学习演奏小提琴，

while my neighborhood friends don't even have a music class?

而邻居家的小伙伴连音乐课都没有？

为什么邻居家小伙伴的 学习和阅读材料

Why were my neighborhood friends learning and reading material

that I had done two to three years prior?

我在两三年前就学过了？

See, as I got older,

随着年龄的增长，

I started to have this unlawful feeling in my belly,

我开始产生一些负罪感，

like I was doing something that I wasn't supposed to be doing;

像是我在做一些我不该做的事情，

taking something that wasn't mine;

拿走一些不属于我的东西；

receiving a gift,

收到一份

but with someone else's name on it.

写着别人名字的礼物。

All these amazing things that I was being exposed to

我能接触到的所有这些美好的事情，

and experiencing,

我都觉得

I felt I wasn't really supposed to have.

超越了我应有的权利。

我不应该有权进入图书馆、 使用装配齐全的健身器械，

I wasn't supposed to have a library, fully equipped athletic facilities,

or safe fields to play in.

甚至在安全场地 玩耍的权利都没有。

I wasn't supposed to have theatre departments

我们不应该有

with seasonal plays and concerts --

拥有定期戏剧，演唱会,

digital, visual, performing arts.

数字化视觉表演艺术的戏剧学院。

I wasn't supposed to have fully resourced biology or chemistry labs,

我本应无权进入有着 齐全设备的生物和化学实验室，

school buses that brought me door-to-door,

无权上挨家挨户载学生的校车，

freshly prepared school lunches

不应享用新鲜的学校午餐，

or even air conditioning.

甚至是空调。

这些都是我的孩子们没有的。

These are things my kids don't get.

You see, as I got older,

长大后，

while I was grateful for this amazing opportunity

虽然我对这些难得的机会

that I was being given,

感到感激，

there was this ever-present pang of:

但依旧有一些无法消散的痛楚：

But what about everyone else?

其他人怎么办呢？

有上千个和我一样的孩子，

There are thousands of other kids just like me,

who deserve this, too.

他们也应该得到这样的机会。

Why doesn't everyone get this?

为什么不是所有人都有这个机会呢？

Why is a high-quality education only exclusive to the rich?

为什么高质量教育仅限于富人？

It was like I had some sort of survivor's remorse.

我好像心存一些幸存者的怜悯，

All of my neighborhood friends were experiencing

我所有邻居家的小伙伴都在经历

an educational train wreck

一场教育界的脱轨，

that I was saved from through a bus ride.

而我却乘坐着巴士，幸存了下来。

我就像是教育界的摩西 （圣经中犹太人的古代领袖），大声呼喊，

I was like an educational Moses screaming,

"Let my people go ...

“让我的人民

to high-quality schools!"

走向高质量教育！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I'd seen firsthand how the other half was being treated and educated.

我亲眼见证过其他人是 如何被对待，被教育的。

I'd seen the educational promised land,

我见过有高质量教育保证的环境，

and I could not for the life of me justify the disparity.

我要纠正这种不公，不是为了我自己。

I now teach in the very same school system from which I sought refuge.

现在，我在一所和当年自己接受教育 庇护前的学校类似的学校执教，

I know firsthand the tools that were given to me as a student,

我亲身知晓那些 在学生时代教给我的东西，

and now as a teacher, I don't have access to those same tools

现在，作为一名老师， 我却没有能力把相同的东西

to give my students.

教给我的学生。

There have been countless nights when I've cried in frustration,

无数个夜晚，我在沮丧，

anger

愤怒，

and sorrow,

和悲伤中哭泣，

because I can't teach my kids the way that I was taught,

因为我无法用我被教育的 那种方式来教育我的孩子们，

because I don't have access to the same resources or tools

因为我接触不到那些 曾经在我接受教育时用到的

that were used to teach me.

资源和工具。

My kids deserve so much better.

我的孩子们本应得到更好的教育。

We sit and we keep banging our heads against this term:

我们不断为这个概念而苦恼：

"Achievement gap, achievement gap!"

“成绩差距，成绩差距！”

Is it really that hard to understand

理解一下为什么有些孩子表现良好，

why these kids perform well and these kids don't?

而有些表现不好，真的很难吗？

I mean, really.

真是这样吗？

I think we've got it all wrong.

我觉得我们都搞错了。

I think we,

我认为我们，

as Gloria Ladson-Billings says,

正如格洛丽亚・兰德森・比林斯说的一样，

should flip our paradigm and our language and call it what it really is.

应该颠覆我们的思维和表述方式， 做到名如其实。

It's not an achievement gap;

这不是成绩差距，

it's an education debt,

这是教育负债，

for all of the foregone schooling resources that were never invested

那些我们之前放弃在黑皮肤和

in the education of the black and brown child over time.

棕皮肤的孩子身上 投资教育资源的负债。

A little-known secret in American history

美国历史上一个鲜为人知的秘密，

is that the only American institution created specifically for people of color

唯一一个为 有色人种创造的美国机构，

is the American slave trade --

就是美国奴隶交易市场——

and some would argue the prison system,

有些人可能会说，还有监狱系统，

but that's another topic for another TED Talk.

但那就是另外 一个TED演讲的主题了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The public school system of this country was built, bought and paid for

这个国家的公立学校系统是使用

using commerce generated from the slave trade and slave labor.

奴隶交易和奴隶劳动的 资源建立起来的。

While African-Americans were enslaved and prohibited from schooling,

当非裔美国人被奴役并被禁止上学，

their labor established the very institution

用他们的劳动建立起来的机构

from which they were excluded.

却把他们排除在外。

从那时起，每个法案、教育政策和改革

Ever since then, every court case, educational policy, reform,

has been an attempt to retrofit the design,

都尝试改变这个设计，

rather than just stopping and acknowledging:

而不是停下并思考：

we've had it all wrong from the beginning.

我们从一开始就是错的。

一个过于简化的美国教育史。

An oversimplification of American educational history.

All right, just bear with me.

好的，听仔细了。

Blacks were kept out -- you know, the whole slavery thing.

黑人被排除在外，很显然， 因为奴隶制的原因。

With the help of philanthropic white people,

通过白人慈善的帮助，

they built their own schools.

他们建造了自己的学校。

Separate but equal was OK.

分开的，平等的体系，还不赖。

But while we all know things were indeed separate,

但是我们知道，真实情况是， 的确是分开的，

they were in no ways equal.

但却是不平等的体系。

Enter Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954;

1954年发生了棕色人种和 堪萨斯州托皮卡教育协会的斗争；

legal separation of the races is now illegal.

种族区分变得不再合法了。

But very few people pay attention to all of the court cases since then,

但很少有人注意到后来所有

that have undone the educational promised land for every child

并未实现那场斗争意图实现的

that Brown v. Board intended.

理想中的高等教育的法庭案件。

Some argue that today our schools are now more segregated

有些人会说， 我们今天的学校种族隔离

than they ever were before we tried to desegregate them in the first place.

要比我们尝试废除种族隔离 之前更严重。

Teaching my kids about desegregation, the Little Rock Nine,

教导我的孩子们废除种族隔离， 小石城事件（1954法案导火索），

the Civil Rights Movement,

民权运动，

is a real awkward moment in my classroom,

是我的课堂里最尴尬的时刻，

when I have to hear the voice of a child ask,

因为我会听到一个孩子问：

"If schools were desegregated in 1954,

“如果学校在1954年 就废除了种族隔离，

how come there are no white kids here?"

为什么这里没有白人孩子呢？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

These kids aren't dumb.

这些孩子不傻。

They know exactly what's happening,

他们知道什么发生了，

and what's not.

而什么没发生。

They know that when it comes to schooling,

他们知道谈到教育，

black lives don't matter

黑人的情况不重要，

and they never have.

而且他们从来都不重要。

For years, I tried desperately to cultivate in my kids a love of reading.

几年来，我竭尽全力 教导我的孩子爱上阅读。

I'd amassed a modest classroom library

我用那些从二手书店，捐赠品商店

of books I'd accumulated from secondhand shops,

和阁楼收集到的书

thrift stores, attics -- you know.

建造了一个简易的教室图书馆。

But whenever I said those dreadful words,

但是当我说出这些可怕的文字

"Take out a book and read,"

“拿出一本书去读”的时候，

you'd think I'd just declared war.

你会觉得我好像宣布了战争。

It was torture.

这是折磨。

One day,

一天，

after I'd heard about this website called DonorsChoose,

我听说一个网站， 叫做捐赠者的选择，

where classroom teachers create wish lists

老师能够创建一个愿望单

of items they need for their classroom

列出他们需要放在教室里的东西，

and anonymous donors fulfill them,

然后匿名捐赠者就会满足他们的愿望，

I figured I'd go out on a limb and just make a wish list

我觉得我应该尝试一下， 于是就列了一个

of the teenager's dream library.

少年梦想图书馆的愿望单。

Over 200 brand-new books were sent to my room piece by piece.

超过200本新书一本本被送到了我的教室。

Every day there were new deliveries and my kids would exclaim with glee,

每天都会有新包裹送来， 我的孩子们就会高兴地欢呼：

"This feels like Christmas!"

“这就像过圣诞节！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Then they'd say,

然后他们会说，

"Ms. Sumner, where did these books come from?"

“萨姆纳老师， 这些书是哪里来的？”

And then I'd reply,

然后我回答：

"Strangers from all over the country wanted you to have these."

“来自全国的陌生人， 他们想让你们拥有这些书。”

And then they'd say, almost suspiciously,

然后他们会很怀疑的说，

"But they're brand-new."

“但是它们是崭新的。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

To which I'd reply,

对此，我会回答，

"You deserve brand-new books."

“你们应该得到崭新的书籍。”

The whole experience hit home for me when one of my girls,

当我的一个姑娘这么说时， 我深受触动，

as she peeled open a crisp paperback said,

当她打开书本的包装时说，

"Ms. Sumner -- you know, I figured you bought these books,

“萨姆纳老师， 我知道是你买了这些书，

'cause you teachers are always buying us stuff.

因为你们老师总是给我们买东西。

But to know that a stranger, someone I don't even know,

但是得知是一个 我不认识的陌生人

cares this much about me

这么关心我，

is pretty cool."

其实挺酷的。”

Knowing that strangers will take care of you

知道会等到陌生人的照顾，

is a privilege my kids aren't afforded.

是我的孩子们承受不起的特权。

自从那次捐赠以后，

Ever since the donation,

there has been a steady stream of kids signing out books to take home,

孩子们陆续登记把书带回家，

and then returning them with the exclamation,

并激动的归还它们，

"This one was good!"

“这本真棒！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

现在当我说， “拿本书去看”的时候，

Now when I say, "Take out a book and read,"

kids rush to my library.

孩子们会迫不及待冲到我的图书馆。

It wasn't that they didn't want to read,

并不是他们不想读书，

but instead, they'd gladly read if the resources were there.

相反，如果有资源，他们会很享受阅读。

官方点说，

Institutionally speaking,

our public school system has never done right by the black and brown child.

我们的公立学校系统未曾满足过 黑皮肤和棕皮肤孩子们的需求。

We keep focusing on the end results

我们持续关注结果，

or test results,

或者考试成绩，

然后被打击。

and getting frustrated.

We get to a catastrophe and we wonder,

我们陷入灾难，然后思考，

"How did it get so bad? How did we get here?"

“为何会变得这么糟的， 我们是如何走到这一步的？”

Really?

这真的有用吗？

If you neglect a child long enough,

如果你忽视一个孩子太久，

you no longer have the right to be surprised

你就没有权利为糟糕的结果

when things don't turn out well.

感到惊讶。

Stop being perplexed

不要再疑惑，

or confused

迷茫，

or befuddled

困惑，

by the achievement gap,

因为成绩差距，

the income gap,

收入差距，

the incarceration rates,

犯罪几率，

or whatever socioeconomic disparity is the new "it" term for the moment.

或者任何社会经济学中 表达不平等的术语。

The problems we have as a country

我们国家的问题，

are the problems we created as a country.

正是我们自身创造的问题。

The quality of your education is directly proportionate

教育的质量是和

to your access to college,

你的大学，

your access to jobs,

你的工作，

your access to the future.

还有你的未来直接挂钩的。

Until we live in a world where every kid can get a high-quality education

在我们能让每个孩子， 无论他们住在哪里，

no matter where they live,

无论肤色，

or the color of their skin,

都能够得到高质量教育之前，

there are things we can do on a macro level.

放眼整个社会， 我们还有很多任务要完成。

School funding should not be decided by property taxes

学校的资金不应该由资产税，

or some funky economic equation

或一些时髦的经济公式决定，

where rich kids continue to benefit from state aid,

让富人孩子持续受益于 州政府经济扶持，

while poor kids are continuously having food and resources

而穷人孩子的食物和资源

taken from their mouths.

却被持续的夺走。

Governors, senators, mayors, city council members --

州长，参议员，市长，市议员——

if we're going to call public education public education,

如果我们把公立教育 叫做公立教育，

then it should be just that.

那它应该就是这样。

Otherwise, we should call it what it really is:

要不然，它就该名如其实的被称作：

poverty insurance.

贫困保险。

"Public education:

“公立教育的定义：

keeping poor kids poor since 1954."

从1954年，让穷孩子持续贫困。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

If we really, as a country, believe that education is the "great equalizer,"

如果，作为一个国家，我们 真的相信教育是“伟大的平衡器”，

then it should be just that: equal and equitable.

那教育就应该是公正平等的。

Until then, there's no democracy in our democratic education.

直到今天， 我们的民主教育还并不民主。

On a mezzo level:

客观来说，

historically speaking, the education of the black and brown child

从历史角度上，黑皮肤 和棕皮肤孩子的教育

has always depended on the philanthropy of others.

一直都建立在他人的慈善之上。

And unfortunately, today it still does.

不幸的是，至今都没改变。

If your son or daughter or niece or nephew or neighbor

如果你们的儿子，女儿， 侄子，侄女或者邻居，

or little Timmy down the street

或者街尾的小蒂米

goes to an affluent school,

去了一个富裕的学校，

challenge your school committee to adopt an impoverished school

挑战他们学校的委员会， 让他们接收一个贫困的学校，

or an impoverished classroom.

或者一个简陋的教室。

Close the divide by engaging in communication

利用这些意义重大的沟通和关系

and relationships that matter.

来结束分离。

当资源被共享，

When resources are shared,

他们就不再被隔离，

they're not divided;

they're multiplied.

就等同资源的倍增。

And on a micro level:

具体点来说：

if you're a human being,

如果你是一个人类，

donate.

去捐赠吧。

Time, money, resources, opportunities --

时间，金钱，资源，机会——

whatever is in your heart.

在你心中的，无论是什么东西。

There are websites like DonorsChoose

有像“捐赠者的选择”这样的网站，

that recognize the disparity

它们意识到了不平等，

and actually want to do something about it.

并且真的想要为之做些什么。

What is a carpenter with no tools?

木匠没有工具还是木匠吗？

What is an actress with no stage?

演员没有舞台还是演员吗？

What is a scientist with no laboratory?

科学家没有实验室还算科学家吗？

What is a doctor with no equipment?

医生没有设备能成为医生吗？

I'll tell you:

让我告诉你们：

they're my kids.

他们是我的孩子。

Shouldn't they be your kids, too?

但他们不也是你们的孩子吗？

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）