When I was in elementary school, school was a well organized, tight ship run by amazing teachers and wonderful administration. Every kid in my school had what they needed, every teacher had what they needed, and nothing was ever wrong. There were two perfect classes per grade and each class always learned the exact same thing and no kids were ever behind come the next school year.
Hello - that's a fantasy!
It's almost a guarantee that NO public school is perfect (most private schools aren't perfect for that matter). Not every kid has every single thing they need - its more than likely that there will be several kids who barely have anything they need - whether it be crayons, shoes, or a winter coat. Most schools have way more than just two classes per grade, and not every child will be able to read and do math at the same level as their peers.
How I concocted this fantasy, I am not sure. Maybe it's because I sort of fit this fantasy; I did the summer booklets that were sent home to avoid falling behind in the summer, I always had every school supply on the list, and when the school implemented a uniform policy, I had enough polos, skorts, jumpers, and cardigans to get me through each week. While this may seem bragging or pretentious to some, know that my parents were by no means rich: they just always made sure my siblings and I had what we needed, even if it meant sacrificing other things, like vacations or new clothes for themselves.
Since my own elementary days ended back in 2007, I have learned A LOT about how school really is, and I'm here to share them with you.
1. No administration is perfect.
That amazing administration my school had? Not so much - my principal made racist comments towards my mom when my mom questioned why a girl who had hit me had not been punished.
2. Schools are BIG.
It's true that my elementary school only had two classes per grade (K-6th, 14 classes total), but I have not seen this as the case in any school since then - the elementary school of the district I moved to for grades 6-12 (shortly thereafter aforementioned assault and racist response) has more kindergarten classes than that alone, which is still a lot given there were about nine elementary schools in my old district, but only one in my new one.
3. A good portion of students don't have what they need.
I am currently doing field work in an elementary school not far from my university. The area is considered "rural" but not necessarily low-income; even so, many of the kids come to school with ripped, torn, and stained clothing, shoes, and backpacks. Even more of them do not have enough school supplies. Often their homework is to have something signed and they are in trouble if they do not get it done, which saddens me because I wonder how many of them had a capable, responsible adult at home with them the night before. The students are mainly missing small and cheap yet essential items like glue, crayons, and pencils.
I recently brought the teacher I am working with a bag filled with glue and glue sticks, pencils, crayons, markers, erasers, and notebooks to help cover what a lot of the students are missing. I only wish I could do more.
If you are interested in helping a local school in need, clip Box Tops from your grocery items and deliver them to a local school. If you are from the SEMO/St. Louis area, check out The Little Bit Foundation!
