BIG PROBLEM Faced By Public Education

What is the biggest roadblock in Public Education? Is it the need for “better teachers” in the system? Some would be quick to agree. Being personally acquainted with teachers in schools in a variety of “neighborhoods” makes me think otherwise. What then is the “big problem” holding back many in our nation’s public school systems? Let’s look at some information from the 2010 Census:

      

• 22 percent of our nation’s children live at poverty level

• 39 percent of black children live at poverty level

• 35 percent of Hispanic children live at poverty level

• 2010 poverty level for a family of four is $22,314

• 2010 poverty level for a single person is $11,139

• Over 15 percent of Americans are said to be living at or below poverty level 

Schools in the poorest areas are rated “the worst.” Many are quick to blame this on “bad teachers” and while all companies have their struggles with employee performance to wrestle with, don’t be so quick to assume “better” teachers would eliminate the gap that exists between schools in the affluent neighborhoods versus those at the poverty level.

Have you heard of “backpack buddies” programs? Did you know that many children literally go hungry outside of school breakfast and lunch programs? This is true. Schools are aware of this. They are assisted by church and other civic groups who assemble bags of non-perishable foods and drinks which are discretely provided to students the school discovers to be in need. Many are shocked by this, wondering how it can be that they have no food at home. It is not something that only exists in places far from you and me. This problem exists close to home, and poverty has a dramatic affect on a child’s performance in school. Teachers are so often charged with the full responsibility of a child’s performance in school, but the academic progress of a child is strongly influenced by factors that a teacher can do little about, including:•

• A child not getting enough to eat
• A child not getting enough sleep
• A child getting inadequate medical attention
• The dropout rate among students living in poverty is much higher

While it is true that the quality of a teacher’s efforts in the classroom does factor into the education the children receive, that is not the entire answer when it comes to children who live in poverty. Raising taxes to hire stronger teachers, purchase new curriculum and place computers and other updated technology in the classroom will never resolve the problem for a child who lacks food and proper medical care. Much has been written about the affect of poverty on a child’s academic achievement, psychological, and general health, and more. Whether a teacher has weaker skills or the strongest, the effects of poverty are many and the teaching staff cannot change this. The performance of students in the poor section of our nation’s cities and towns will improve when their standard of living problems are addressed. The tired cliché that in America “any child can grow up to be president” isn’t quite true for a child who has little hope of finding even a simple meal on the table as dinner time approaches. It is time to set aside false expectations and wrongful “blame game” antics and to “feed the children.”

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