Normally it doesn’t bother me when my students ask a question to which I do not know the answer. It’s not unusual to hear me say, “I don’t know. Let’s look it up!” It’s an instant teachable moment; just add Google.
But last week a student asked me a question that neither I nor Google could answer. The question: Why is there going to be another vote for new schools in our district?
The school where I teach is packed to the gills. In fact, just about every school in my district is full or over capacity. This is not too surprising, considering that the city’s population has grown 73% over the past decade. In order to build more schools, voters need to pass a referendum that will increase property taxes. The city has voted against the referendum twice already, and chance number three is coming up for a vote in May. As both a teacher and a parent, I am praying it passes.
As a teacher, I find this very frustrating. Education is a NEED; it’s not some fancy indulgence. When the city needs a new road or additional police officers or fire fighters, there is no public vote — it just happens. But when schools need additional resources, everyone has to agree.
As a parent, I am concerned that my son might be in a very large class when he starts kindergarten. Will he need to be bussed to a far-away school, where there’s room? Will the district need to redraw school boundaries to finagle kids around?
Some people argue that the school board is asking for too much, that the schools are going overboard. I can assure you, I don’t have a jewel-encrusted throne at my desk, and there is no concierge that delivers lobster tails to the staff for lunch. In fact, teachers at my school struggle to get computer access for their classes, students have been bussed to other buildings for gym class because there simply isn’t enough space, and one hallway is actually used to hold classes. That’s right, we ran out of actual classrooms.
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