Politics and Education
There’s a Major Disconnection
I’m a retired teacher who spent decades teaching in low socio-economical schools on the Texas/Mexico border, and many of my students’ families were in the US illegally. Many of my students’ first language was Spanish, and they often struggled in school as they learned the English language.
It was challenging to meet the needs of my students for many reasons, including poverty, a language barrier, and in some cases, lack of funding and training, but most of all, due to a lack of experience on the part of the people who made decisions that affected education at the state and national levels.
Teaching is a challenging profession if you do it right. It’s a financial drain on teachers, not only because they’re not paid enough, but because so many are constantly spending their own money on materials that help their students, because otherwise they would be non-existent, or they invest on self-education, buying professional books, magazines, research journals, and training to help them become better at their jobs. Anyone who suggests that teachers spend most of their time sitting at their desks, babysitting a classroom full of kids has no idea what teaching looks like. Anyone who thinks that teachers have it easy, working 8:30–3:30, and having summers and holidays off, do not have the full picture or even close…
