- free breakfast for all students, regardless of whether or not they qualify for free or reduced lunch
- free coats for students who request them
- free groceries that can be sent home for the families of students who need them
- free daycare during days when school is not in session (winter break, summer, etc.)
Throwing money at the problem isn't going to fix education. There is a well known connection between poverty and poor performance in education, but after spending 5 years as a teacher, I think I know why:
Whether it is nature or nurture, affluent parents generally have smart, well educated children. The reason for this is simple: parents who are successful tend to be smart and well educated themselves, and pass this trait on to their children.
Parents who are poor do not.
The funny thing is that students who need public funds to buy food all seem to have smart phones with data plans. Several of my students have taken cruises this year, even though they are on food stamps.
We as a society are wasting gobs of money for little return. No one believes this money will fix anything. This is just another scheme for redistributing wealth.
Not disagreeing. Do you have an alternative? Realistic expectations of educational attainment based on early assessment and tailor level of education to that. Why waste time and $ teaching more than reading, writing and basic arithmetic to the bottom 50%. Rather teach them life skills....managing their money, cooking basic healthy food etc.
ReplyDeleteSpend the money on the top 50% where you will get more ROI, and only send top 20% to college. Vocational schools for the rest.