A Message Of Hope
A student who I built trust with gave me a letter that detailed the horrific experience he had a few years prior of torment by his family members. I checked with the school admin, who claimed that he was no longer in that environment. Though they didn’t know all the details, they confirmed that it was true that he had experienced those things.
I think he just wanted someone else to know about his pain, and it’s something that I’ll never forget. This child is unfortunately one of many students who have shared similar traumas and experiences with me over the years. My students have been mistreated, harmed, molested, sold, beaten, neglected, sold for substances, and more.
Some of the stuff I’ve heard about would utterly shock you. I choose to work in high need, low-income schools because those kids need us the most. And they need your vote. When you vote, please look at the education views of each candidate. Our children are suffering in this country, and our educational system is very poor. Leaking ceilings, rats, chairs that break when you sit in them, and standardized testing is the worst.
Schools that do well get funds. Schools that don’t get closed down. But when schools are trying to teach children with that type of trauma and coming from homes that are hurting, there’s no way to catch up. It’s a fight that really matters, but it’s one that we can’t win. These kids who suffer so much deserve so much more. And I am one of many teachers who are there for them.
We listen. We take on the weight of their pain. We truly love them. We are the teachers you wish you would have had, but most of us leave the profession before you’d get that chance. So please, vote with your heart and with good knowledge on each candidate. There’s many votes you’ll be casting, and a straight ticket might eliminate a really good candidate for your local schools.
And if you can, consider volunteering at your local school. Kids need people who care. They need adults who can show them that the world isn’t as dark as it looks to them. Or donate some supplies at any time during the year. They’re sorely needed. It’s true about us paying out of pocket. And it’s true that we don’t make nearly enough money to justify doing that.
The world is kinda dark, but the kids I’ve had the honor of teaching over the years are the light. They truly are better than all of us. I truly believe that anything that you can do to help them makes all the difference in the world.