Children In American Schools

Autumn Miller
12/3/13
Children in American Schools While watching the video “Children in American Schools”, there were a lot of things that I found very surprising. Since here at Elida High School we have such a nice, clean environment to learn in, I couldn’t imagine trying to learn in the conditions some of those students were. I couldn’t believe there were schools with holes in the walls, water all over the floor, roof leaks, and still run off of coal. It’s really dangerous to have kids in these conditions, as they usually aren’t very careful as it is and someone could get hurt. If I was in that position, I would feel as if they didn’t really care about my education if they don’t care to give me a safe or clean place to receive it. Also, I found it very surprising some of the school didn’t have any supplies for learning. Such as computers, crayons, paper, and books. It made me realize how fortunate we are to have all the materials we do here. On average, teachers spend $500-1500 dollars a year on their own classroom and materials, which I find crazy seeing as that shouldn’t be their responsibility. All students deserve to have equal learning opportunities as kids at any other school. It isn’t fair some kids have a computer in every classroom, when other students have never even touched one. There are a lot of things wrong with American schools all over the country. The buildings don’t meet buildings codes, students have forced to learn in dangerous conditions. The one thing I found the most disturbing about these schools was one school didn’t even have ovens in the cafeteria to feed the students. The students are sent out into the city to fast food restaurants, gas stations, or even bars to eat their lunch. They aren’t getting a healthy, fulfilling lunch the way they should when our schools make them for us. Also, it’s very dangerous for kids of a younger age to go out on their own for lunch. They could get lost, not come back on time, or get hurt. There’s a lot of trouble that can be found even in the smallest towns. Personally, I find it a huge deal to have students trying to learn in the conditions shown in the film. I think if there is any way to address and fix these problems, it should be done. Education is a very important thing and is the basis of our work force we have today. If we don’t care about students education now, what about in a few years when their generation is going to be the one leading our country? I believe there is a chance to address the problems in this film. We should spend less money on stadiums, malls, cars, and parks and focus more of that money on fixing America’s schools. That’s what’s really important, teaching future generations rather than giving them nice places to hang out in. Today it seems that when schools can’t pass a levy or receive money to fix their schools, they cut school programs. The first programs to go are extracurricular activities, some of the most important aspects of school to students. Students clubs, sports, plays, choirs, gym and art classes are a lot of the things students look forward to at school. A lot of these things are the motivation for a lot of kids to do good in school, or to even go to school. I don’t think they should cut these programs, the students shouldn’t have to suffer for something they can’t control. Money should be cut from other programs, or from other things in the community to help support our local schools. It is worth the time to watch this film to better understand social classes in America. It may not be true in all cases, but a lot of the time kids from higher social classes do better in school or go to a better school to receive a better education. Poverty has a huge effect on education, whether or not people believe it. Generally, kids that grow up in poverty are not prepared for primary schooling. They have a higher rate of absences, and an all-around lower GPA. A higher percent of high school drop outs come from families who live in poverty than those who don’t. The kids who live in poverty are more likely to drop out due to less support, needing to work or take care of family members. After watching this film, I still believe generational poverty exists in our society. Generational poverty may be a hard thing to escape, but it is possible. The social class you are born into is likely the class you will stay in, but you have the chance to go up or down on the social ladder. If you are born into poverty, I can only imagine how hard it probably Is to get out. Being is poverty is not about a lack of intelligence or ability, individuals stay in poverty usually because they do not know how to get proper resources or plan for the future. Schools are the only places where students can learn about the choices and rules and have access to people who can help them. Education is key in getting out and staying out of generational poverty, which is why it is important to have schools with a good learning environment for students. There is an impact that parents’ income has on their kids and their education. In my opinion, it doesn’t become an impact until the children are older. The parents income can deprive students of being prepared for school, or have the right tools and materials to go to school or excel in it. The way I think parents’ income effects a kids education when they are older is because in high school, the way you look/dress is very important to most kids. If a child lives in poverty and their parents’ can’t afford the newest and latest trends, the child is often made fun of or looked down upon. That can cause students to be less active in school, go to school less or even drop out. Overall, I was very surprised at a lot of the conditions kids had to learn in. Most adults would never go to work and do their job in a rundown building, so how can we make kids do the same thing? This film does a very good job at showing the importance of education in America and the way poverty or their parent’s income can effect a student and their education.