When your week gets you thinking.... and you leave school, unhappy.

This week was full of IEP reports, multiple students in ISSR, and absents in abundance. So, I got to talking with my mentor teacher, I walked out of the classroom and all I could think about is "How is it that the ADULTS that run this state are taking so MUCH away from the kids, who have no choice but to be in this state? How do we expect them to be successful in the world, without any help?"

 My drive home was full of unanswered questions and so much fear for this generation that already has its own problems. As educators, we are already dealing with electronics in the classroom, 2nd grade reading levels from high school students, absenteeism and a lack of motivation from students. And at the end of last year, this district was forced to close multiple smaller schools that were a benefit to students. Now teachers are dealing with students with IEP’s that state they should be in a small, quiet classroom and then they have 32 students in one class and 10 of these IEP’s. How are we supposed to have a "QUIET" classroom with 32 students in it? How is 32 students considered a "SMALL" classroom?

Why are adults, who had everything they need when they were in school, taking money away from schools and students? Why is it actors and actresses are making MILLIONS of dollars for one television show and the education system does not have enough money to get these students what they need to be successful in school? Why are athletes making millions a year to throw a ball? Even though some of them cannot read.

This athlete read at a middle school level and he had to figure out how to read at his college level... WHEN HE WAS IN COLLEGE. What would have happened to him if he could not play football and he didn't get into college? He would have been just like millions of other students who don't graduate and are living off the government. OR worse, spending a majority of their lives in the prison system. But because he could throw a ball, he was given an opportunity most are not given.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-2017-malcolm-mitchell-patriots-wide-receivers-proudest-achievement-isnt-making-the-super-bowl/

All we are doing is making it to where more students cannot graduate, making it harder for them to get jobs and be successful in the world outside of school. How is this helpful? How is creating well rounded adults who are going to help our economy? It’s not. People are taking money away from student who need it. They need teachers who are learning how to teach them. They need teachers who can give them some time to help them learn. But how are teachers supposed to help them learn when they cannot get students to attend classes, regularly? How are teachers supposed to create a positive work environment when their students are hungry because their family does not have enough food? Or when their families cannot afford to buy them school supplies?  Teachers are having to use their own money to buy supply to make sure their students are successful in their class. Teachers are having to figure out how to motivate students who are not motivated for school with a limited number of books that students would find interesting and no money to buy more books or any supply to get students engaged.

Now if you ask any teacher, none of them got into education for the money. But to me, there is nothing more frustrating than having nothing to help my students be successful. We don't have special schools to have them, we don't have supplies, we don't money... What do with have? The amount of heart that each teacher has is nothing without supply to help or with the proper number of school open to be successful.

How am I, a future educator, supposed to help show these students their true potential and help them change the world without help? Today has been a day that has pulled me down and frustrated me more than anything.

http://ksn.com/2016/06/03/kansas-schools-preparing-for-shutdown-as-funding-crisis-looms/

This is just one link that talks about the closing of very important schools in Kansas. There are multiple districts going through this and multiple schools closing because of lack of funding.

Why are we stealing from the future of this world? Why are we bailing out company instead of helping our schools? What is more importance than our kids?

Then when it is all said and done, the Kansas Supreme Court throws out this article: http://www.kscourts.org/Cases-and-Opinions/opinions/SupCt/2017/20170302/113267.pdf
So this entire time, we have been cheating our student out of the RIGHTS  that they should have as an American! Why are we taking away BASIC rights for students? Why are we having to closer smaller schools that benefit students? Why are we taking away the rights of these students?
Instead, we are going to spend millions of dollars building a new prison to help with the MASS amounts of inmates, who are given the chance to get their GED, learn new jobs, get fed three meals a day and even get to buy things like televisions and extra food to eat. How are we allowing students to go hungry because the only food they get is when they are in school because their parents cannot afford food or worse, when they are raising themselves because their parents are not around? How are we not allowing students to get their GED and forcing them into a classroom and watching them fail? But we are going to finally help them after they have thrown a good chunk of their lives away in jail/prison?

Someone PLEASE explain to me why we are not SUPPORTING the future of this world? Why are we STEALING basic rights away from helpless students?!

Ms. Perret