Believe it or not, there are other political discussions to be had this week other than the Republican National Convention. Please welcome this week’s Mother of Intention, Daisy of Compost Happens!
Politics energize me.
Let me rephrase that. Political activism energizes me. Talking with people who share my passion for teaching energizes me. Putting the two together makes me feel like yes, we can make a difference.
Social issues. Economic conditions. Budgets.
The cycle continues.
Social issues: Students without role models, without support, living in homes where normal is what most would call dysfunctional.
Economic conditions: Children without crayons, children without lunch, children without homes.
Budgets: Inflation pushes costs higher and higher, operating budgets stay the same, and teachers are left to do more and more with less and less.
Social: Child misses school frequently due to head lice.
Economic: Family can’t afford to buy the chemicals and wash the bedding and clothes.
Budgets: School secretary has to continually check the child’s head because there is only a nurse in the building once a week for half a day.
Social Issues: Children determined to succeed.
Economic conditions: Children in poverty, unable to buy materials.
Budget: Class sizes get larger and larger because the districts can’t afford to pay enough teachers
And so on, and so on, et cetera, et cetera.
The saddest part of the cycle is the potential result, the results we keep fighting and fighting one day at a time, one child at a time. When we look at today’s second graders, we see the graduates of ten years in the future. We teachers know that when these little kiddos grow up, they’ll need to know how to read, write, handle basic math, interact with others, and much, much more.
We know, we teachers do, that no one can look today’s second graders in the eye ten years from now and say, “Gee, we’re sorry we didn’t teach you all you need to know, but y’know, the economy was bad, we did our best.”
Education can’t go into an economic slump; today’s second graders need more skills, not fewer skills, to succeed in a world where the future is just not certain. Budgets are tight, and we’ll keep pinching pennies, but before my thumbs start to imprint Abraham Lincoln, please realize: this cycle affects everybody. That’s why, my dear readers, I’ll continue to be politically active.
It energizes me because I know those in office hold a lot of power.
I’ll keep putting my energy toward electing those who will make the right decisions on social issues, economic conditions, and budgets, because all of those directly affect education.
And education can’t slump, or the cycle will continue.
Thanks Daisy so much for this great Mothers of Intention Post. Next week, my guest will be Florinda from The Three R’s: Reading, ‘Riting & Randomness!
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:32 am
Great post. We live in a very rural, very oil rich part of the nation, so our schools are all funded nicely. It absolutely pisses me off when one of my neighbors tell me that the education budget crisis in other communities isn’t our problem.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 am
We are a nation of lip service when it comes to the welfare of our children. They are the only natural resource we can truly effect and we squander our opportunities shamelessly.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:31 am
Love the way you connected the dots between social, economic, budgets. It’s so evident in my poor rural area. Great post.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:59 am
Thanks for a great post, Daisy! It’s hackneyed but true – the children are our future, and yet they’re inadequately prepared for that future.
Like WMV, I like you connected social issues, the economy, and school budgets. Education is one of those issues that I think illustrates well that “all politics is local,” but it needs to be steered from higher levels, and that’s part of the problem.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Thanks so much for the opportunity and for the links! School just started here, and I’m facing the frustration of having windows that won’t open/close, classes that are too big, and no supply budget. Still, I have some great students and wonderful parents. Together, our “village” will educate these children as well as we can.