13 Million American Children

I have recently been a part of several professional discussions among educators regarding children in poverty in our schools. Many teachers, individuals and families are unaware that the majority of children are going into school hungry, cold, and scared that they may not have a home when school is out because the rent didn’t get paid. When a child is hungry they can’t focus on learning. When a child is not properly clothed they are unable to focus on learning. When a child lives in fear of having a home from day to day they are unable to think about learning. I feel surprised that so many are unaware of the magnitude of poverty in our nation and the depth of influence on the life of a child. Not only for educational situations, but generally dealing with life from the perspective of a child’s mind. I suppose, due to the nature of my work in human services, it has become very vivid for me.

 However, before my work in the social services field, experiencing poverty and homelessness had quite an influence as well. I have seen posh home environments in Dubai and the Caribbean through my work in the corporate environment, I have seen also, in the same locations, people struggling to find a loaf of bread. It reminds me of the stark reality of extremes we place on our children as a society. We produce enough food just in the United States to feed our own hungry children many times over and share with the world’s hungry children. However, there is an inequality in our society, there is no balance. If you look at society or education to find a balance or equality, you won’t find it, you will find sharp contrast. You will see the colorful side of society with an abundance and extras in areas of wealth, contrasted with the stark and dreary side of grey and brown with many children in poverty, now the majority, in areas that have little money for colorful extras.

Maybe, we as teachers could create ripples of positive change that could bring our schools, neighborhoods, towns, cities, states and our nation closer to balance. We can influence change. We can be a catalyst within our sphere of influence. We, as educators create a dramatic and lasting impact on our students. The cycle of poverty may be vicious, as many have said, but it can be broken. It takes more than a discussion to push change. It takes people like you and me and all of us working together to act on what we discuss. We must not only talk or write, we must do. If children in poverty moves you to tears, then act. If the statistics of our schools shock you then act. If a child in hunger and poverty makes your heart hurt, then act. We together are a strong force for change, progression and transformation at the very root of our society where the change can be strong and lasting. We can’t give up in despair, we must push forward and step out of the things we have always done, they are not working. We, as educators, must step out of isolation and work together in our communities and neighborhoods with families and agencies to be rid of the violence of poverty.