Reflection on School Funding
http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/09/why-are-the-rich-so-interested-in-public-school-reform/
Why Are the Rich so Interested in Public-School Reform? By Judith Warner
I think this article brings up a valid point: those not in the education sector have tried to fix education for the past decade, but the answer lies in the people on the front lines. The idea of having inspiring, successful educators for students to model will work with some of the student population. I think that comes more from students connecting with those teachers and knowing that there is someone who cares about their success. But for a large portion of students, it will not matter if they have the greatest teachers who ever entered a classroom because their family life does not support being successful in school. The rich people trying to make a difference do not understand the home life that so many of the under-achieving kids deal with. The article quotes Massachusetts Secretary of Education S. Paul Reville: “It is now clear that unless and until we make a more active effort to mitigate the impediments to learning that are commonly associated with poverty, we will still be faced with large numbers of children who are either unable to come to school or so distracted as not to be able to be attentive and supply effort when they get there.” I believe that hits the issue right on the head. When young students are responsible for the upbringing of their younger siblings, they have no time to commit to school. There have been several instances at my campus of student absences because they had to stay home to take care of the younger sibling when Mom/Dad/whoever couldn't do so. An even bigger problem than that is students coming to school so tired that they don’t want to participate or can’t concentrate. Many times it is students themselves staying up too late, but in small houses it also comes from parents and siblings who are up later and prevent the others from sleeping (or sleeping well). There are some students who will overcome this adversity, but until we have a support network for those kids at the bottom of the pile its easier for them to take the easy way out and not care. That option just continues the cycle.
Why Are the Rich so Interested in Public-School Reform? By Judith Warner
I think this article brings up a valid point: those not in the education sector have tried to fix education for the past decade, but the answer lies in the people on the front lines. The idea of having inspiring, successful educators for students to model will work with some of the student population. I think that comes more from students connecting with those teachers and knowing that there is someone who cares about their success. But for a large portion of students, it will not matter if they have the greatest teachers who ever entered a classroom because their family life does not support being successful in school. The rich people trying to make a difference do not understand the home life that so many of the under-achieving kids deal with. The article quotes Massachusetts Secretary of Education S. Paul Reville: “It is now clear that unless and until we make a more active effort to mitigate the impediments to learning that are commonly associated with poverty, we will still be faced with large numbers of children who are either unable to come to school or so distracted as not to be able to be attentive and supply effort when they get there.” I believe that hits the issue right on the head. When young students are responsible for the upbringing of their younger siblings, they have no time to commit to school. There have been several instances at my campus of student absences because they had to stay home to take care of the younger sibling when Mom/Dad/whoever couldn't do so. An even bigger problem than that is students coming to school so tired that they don’t want to participate or can’t concentrate. Many times it is students themselves staying up too late, but in small houses it also comes from parents and siblings who are up later and prevent the others from sleeping (or sleeping well). There are some students who will overcome this adversity, but until we have a support network for those kids at the bottom of the pile its easier for them to take the easy way out and not care. That option just continues the cycle.