Wednesday, May 30, 2018

We are failing.

We are failing our kids.
I'm writing this as a teacher, and a mom, and a person who loves kids.  We are failing them.
I proctored an eighth grade math EOG today.  I don't know any of these kids.  I laid eyes on them for the first time in my life today.  They came in to the classroom, some quiet, some eating, some loud, some skipping, some shuffling.  Ms. Jones, their teacher, was waiting on them.  They seemed to have a good rapport.  I liked her immediately.  When it was time to begin the test, she said "It's time to go silent." and every single kid got quiet.  For the next 186 minutes (three sixty minute work sessions, two three minute breaks) I slowly walked the classroom.  As soon as I realized I had kept the same pattern for a few times, I changed it up.  As you can imagine, there is a lot of time to think.  Between the occasional picking up a pencil, handing out more paper, or pointing to a child letting Ms. Jones know "I can't do that",  I started really looking at these kids.  They were a good-looking bunch of kids.  All had smiled at one point or another.  All worked diligently, making marks on their scratch paper, looking quizzically at their computer.  All came in seemingly wanting to put forth their best effort.  I fell in love with them, and they were no where close to mine.  But they were mine for those 186 minutes.  And I hope they know I believed in their ability to do their best.  I also know, we are failing them.
There were 32 kids total.  16 boys, 16 girls.  11 white, 11 black, the rest asian or hispanic or some other form of minority.  I felt that was a pretty good representation of this school.  Then I started thinking of them in more personal terms.  At some point one in five kids go hungry during the year.
(https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-hunger-us) That means there were probably five or six kids in that very class that weren't getting enough food.
Before 18, one in eight children experience neglect, emotional, or physical abuse. (Parenting 06/03/2014 03:34pm ET Updated June 03, 2014)  That means there were probably at least 4 children in that class that are currently being or were abused in some way.
According to census statistics, 23% of children are in single parent households.
(https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-192.htm) That means about six children 
in the class are living with one parent.  
This all hurts my heart.  And I'm sure there are more atrocities that I'm missing.  Ms. Jones and I were 
a team for 186 minutes.  I think we did a good job for the math EOG.  But even if we were together all 
year, the two of us alone wouldn't even be able to scratch the surface of what these kids need.   They need 
counselors.  They need smaller class sizes so teachers can really spend time with them.  They don't need 
more testing.  They need more resources.  They need less stress.  They need us.  They deserve us. 
And we are failing them.

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