I want to tell you about my 7 months as an adult behind the walls of what some call a high school and what others might call hell. When I came to work on my first day I was excited! I was going to be working among great teachers, smart students AND have the time to finish reading/writing a book or two. Afte
r my first week I realized that none of this was true. Well, there were a few great teachers but they weren’t very supportive when I needed help with holding troublesome students accountable for their poor behavior.
I was appalled at how voiceless I really was, shocked at how little it mattered that I even show up each day, distressed at the feelings I felt towards each person that was with me behind these walls. Some people equate the sad state of education with money. I disagree. The sad state of education is apathy. The apathy found in education stems from the apathy that students bring to the table. Where that apathy stems from, I have not a clue.
When I was in high school I may not have been the best student, the most put together, I might have dodge my share of assignments and skipped yours, mine and my neighbors fair share of classes but I still had respect for teachers and school employees. In high school I NEVER treated people the way that I have been treated the past 7 months at this school. I digress. The topic was the sad state of education.
Apathy reaches beyond the students. Staff members are stuck in between the monetary demands of keeping students in school even when they do everything to prove that this is not a place for them and teaching students that their behavior is inappropriate. Short of a school shooting, what else do you need to do to deem yourself ineligible for an education paid for by tax payers?
What can be done about the sad state of education in the US of A?
Image from Microsoft Word.