Poverty

Poverty is, unfortunately, all too common in America. My mom grew up in it because her parents were alcoholics. My dad grew up in a large working class family. His parents were educated but had to abandon their goals of higher education to take care of the family's immediate needs. Both of my parents defied the odds and saw education as a way out. They went to college on full scholarships. My dad became an engineer. My mom was a teacher, then a stay at home mom. I was raised in a very financially stable home. It was hard for me as a young adult to adjust to a lower standard of living than I was raised with. I have never been hungry, but I have had a lot of financial insecurity as we raised kids and figured out jobs in our early years of marriage. I am just now feeling financially secure again (and that includes climbing out of debt). I am thankful for the experiences I have had because it helps me know more about what my students are dealing with. I know how it feels to ask for help. It feels terrible. My school is Title 1, so all the kids get free breakfast and lunch. At the beginning of the year, there was so much going on that I did not look for ways to connect students with more help. I realized that sometimes kids are chronically late. Those kids may not have had breakfast. Others need clothes or school supplies. It has been great to find out all the services available for needy students. There are local organizations, such as School Bell, which provide students with clothes and school supplies. I have referred students for this service. The poorest students often have the greatest struggles academically. Often, they do not have help at home with homework or reading. I have referred those students for STAT to make sure they get as much help as possible. I am proud of how our school and district address poverty. We are making a difference.