“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and the best hope for the future”
-President John F. Kennedy
I will not deny nor will I hide from the fact that I grew up with privileges. I attended one of the best public school systems in the state of New Jersey, and was raised in one of the most beautiful towns in one of the wealthiest counties in America. This impacted my life in every way imaginable, and is the main reason why I want to be a teacher in an underprivileged area. I want my life and my job to make people feel like they are loved and valued, and maybe even inspire them to do the same thing.
I also will not deny nor hide from the fact that the reason, the only reasons, why I live the amazing life that I do is because of the adults in my life that shaped it. My parents work so hard; my dad commutes two hours back and forth into Manhattan every day, and my mom works 50 hours a week at a job she has not once taken a sick day for. My public school provided me with amazing teachers, one in particular being my first grade teacher. She is the kind of teacher I aspire to be; incredibly passionate and creative in the way she taught while also being the kind of person who went out of her way to get to know her students on a personal level. I loved her and I knew she cared about me, and that made learning and coming to school fun.
I did not recognize the privilege that I was given while I was experiencing it. How could I? My town, my teachers, my public school district; that was all I knew. I assumed that people’s lives were like mine, or at least similar.
I learned in college, that is clearly not the case. Going to school 20 minutes away from Camden, a short bus ride from Philly, and a county over from some of the state’s poorest communities has made my calling in life totally obvious, and that is why I am dedicating my life to help young children have a chance at their best life through teaching.
Teachers in elementary schools are so much more than just educators: they are friends, confidants, advocates, and people for their students to look up to.
I mentioned before that I attended public school all my life, and I am so happy that I did. I got to meet and make friends with people who both agreed with and challenged my beliefs. I was introduced to different cultures, different ways of living, and I thrived in the fact that I could think and speak freely about what I believed.
Last fall, I had a field experience in a poor community about 30 minutes away from where I go to college, and it changed my whole perspective on what I want out of a career. Children are the future. Yes, it’s cliche, yes I cringed when I typed it, and yes, it is 100% true. Not only is it important for children to enjoy learning; they also need to feel loved, and valued, and like they matter. Parents are supposed to provide this, but what about the children who come from broken homes? What about the children who may be placed in a foster care system because their parents cannot take care of them? They deserve love just as much as any other child, but circumstances beyond their control may prevent that happening.
As a twenty-year old left-leaning “snowflake” (what’s up Tomi Lahren, still don’t understand your logic), Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos is my worst nightmare. As the older sister of two siblings with dyslexia and ADD, her lack of understanding and hesitance to support the Individuals with Disabilities Equality Act, something I learned as a junior in high school, worries me. Betsy Devos never once attended a public school, had her children attend public schools, or had to pay off student loans; which is a reality for not only me, but the vast majority of America (someone Donald Trump claims he understands and wants to be a voice for).
I cannot imagine a woman who wreaked absolute havoc in Michigan attempting to create a successful charter school system also being a person who is capable truly caring about these children mentioned above. I cannot picture her being able to change the education system in a way that will favor my students of both past and future. She is a woman who cares about money, not about education, not about children.
What I love most about being an education major is that it doesn’t involve being a genius. Your ability to do a good job is more often than not measured in your passion and the success of your students. It is clear to me that Betsy DeVos’ true passion lies in how much money she can make through the education system, and if the children don’t succeed? She'll still get a paycheck. I am a child that JFK mentioned in the quote at the beginning of the article, and I was brought up in an environment that affirmed I could do anything. What about the children that don't have that? How will they be successful, especially with a woman like Betsy DeVos leading the way?
