tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post8357363852307193711..comments2024-03-23T02:14:07.785-04:00Comments on The Dream Teacher: Poverty or Bad Parenting?Cindi Rigsbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05421258393568987852noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-2974117608158355622008-07-06T00:09:00.000-04:002008-07-06T00:09:00.000-04:00This post touched my heart and I am teary-eyed. I ...This post touched my heart and I am teary-eyed. <BR/><BR/>I have read several of your passages to my daughter sitting beside me and she was shocked to hear that this happens in America.<BR/><BR/>Those things you mentioned are frequent happenings here in the Philippines. Coupled with the fact that even if education is free, children are not able to go to school because there is simply no money to pay for other things they need. If they do attend public school, here are up to 60 students in a class.<BR/><BR/>Seems like education here is a privilege for those with money in their pockets and feels that this is not a right for every child. <BR/><BR/>Have a great week :)<BR/><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://teacherjulie.com/" REL="nofollow">Julie</A>TeacherJuliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02821450962223540245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-43632890056924263242008-06-24T20:35:00.000-04:002008-06-24T20:35:00.000-04:00oh this makes me cry... as a child of middle-class...oh this makes me cry... as a child of middle-class privileges, it kills me that my son has to do without the luxuries that other kids at school often get. "he had these cool check mark shoes mom, i wish i could have those." my son will be in fifth grade this coming school year, and he's in the ED classes, because he's bi-polar. he's had free lunch since kindergarten and comes home angry because the other kids get ice cream, and slushes, etc. since he's disabled, i must stay at home with him, and if i work, we lose most of our benefits. including having to pay for childcare(!). i feel terribly that he has to be "the poor kid"... as i never did. it is good to see a teacher that actually cares. thank you for your blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-46781846939131832542008-06-21T22:15:00.000-04:002008-06-21T22:15:00.000-04:00You've put into words what so many of us feel. My...You've put into words what so many of us feel. My husband doesn't quite understand why I can't stop thinking about school...my students, their parents, what they go home to, what they leave to come to school, etc. Thank you for writing this!Teacher in the middlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15011224050706384223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-65367148494088034292008-06-17T10:25:00.000-04:002008-06-17T10:25:00.000-04:00From the perspective of an impoverished parent (I ...From the perspective of an impoverished parent (I made $10,000 three years ago), I can tell you that it isn't just food. Last year I accompanied my kids on a middle school band field trip to an amusement park. I'd sent my older son on this same trip with $10.00 in previous years. I learned from going on the trip that he really needed at least $50.00 because he had to purchase two meals and needed money for fun. This year, I gave my son $50.00. He didn't give me any back because a friend of his had his $20.00 stolen, so my son gave him money so the friend could eat. Then there are the horrendously expensive "food projects" frequently thought of by geography teachers. I complained about one of these to a teacher, and she said "Well, we have a scholarship fund to help defray the cost of the food for students who need it." She hadn't bothered to mention that in the letters home to parents, so I scraped together $30.00 to buy enough oranges to divide into orange sections so my daughter could participate. This is our last year of free school lunches, thank goodness, because I'm finally making more, but I'm grateful that those lunches were there to help us out for the four years we needed them, especially for field trips (although they persisted in giving my son pb&j sandwiches even though he's allergic to nuts--still, there were other things he could eat). It's a middle class world, and if you don't have the money, you're screwed.Judehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10860311213602424905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-73914370727031492682008-06-16T18:48:00.000-04:002008-06-16T18:48:00.000-04:00You make me cry, my friend. Then, of course, I la...You make me cry, my friend. Then, of course, I laugh through my tears. You make me remember what it was like to be back there, right next to you, right next to the Dees and the Scartishas and the Andreas (and so on) whom we loved and struggled with so much.<BR/><BR/>Email me asap. I've been trying to find you since the last number I had for you stopped working. I'm having to keep track of the whole family through what I can online, but I'd much rather talk to you, D, and the kids.mnmsalyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05484381652502995550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-42940481833200206942008-06-11T21:36:00.000-04:002008-06-11T21:36:00.000-04:00I like the "everybody buys lunch" idea. I should h...I like the "everybody buys lunch" idea. I should have mentioned another idea - I went on the 8th grade field trip (not my students) to help chaperone, and they had it catered. Every child had the same barbeque, hushpuppies, and slaw, and it evened the field. No one felt left out. In the future I'm going to do it that way every time, and like you mentioned, have parents donate extra for those who can't afford it. Thanks for reading, and you are not harrassing me! :)Cindi Rigsbeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421258393568987852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4656908554946621165.post-83410088586964673302008-06-11T21:06:00.000-04:002008-06-11T21:06:00.000-04:00First of all, I wanted you to know that I'm not ha...First of all, I wanted you to know that I'm not harassing you. We had to find three interesting blogs for my class at UFL and I loved your insight so I've continued to read yours. Second of all, this blog touched my heart. I had my own experience today with the exact same thing you're talking about. I'm teaching summer school and I had a kid shut down on me. I taught him earlier this year when his mom sent him to live with his dad that just got out of prison, and then his grandma sent him back to mom when he couldn't stay out of trouble at our school. I had him out in the hallway when the principal took him. The principal came back and told me that he got him to talk and he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning and he was really hungry. He didn't come to summer school yesterday so I guess he didn't get fed. Anyway...the principal got him some food and he came back to class and resumed his normal disruptive behavior. I have to admit though, I was sort of glad for the disruptive behavior because at least it meant he wasn't hungry. I want so bad to help him but I don't know what to do...<BR/>As for your situation, I do have a couple of suggestions that we use at my school. First of all, this past field trip we went on we MADE kids buy a school lunch. That annoyed some parents but we used the reasoning that there is always going to be a kid who forgets their lunch and this keeps that from happening. That way, no one knew who had free lunch and who didn't (on the form we sent home the parents just wrote in their lunch account number). Second, we always ask if parents want to sponsor a child for a field trip and we always get one or two that do and that really defrays the cost for those who can't. <BR/>Anyway...keep blogging, I enjoy your entries!Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08304720768054164989noreply@blogger.com