If you've been on social media in the past few days, you've no doubt seen the new social media trend that emerged in response to the confirmation of Betsy DeVos to the United States Secretary of Education involving the hashtag #ProductofPublicSchool. From my elementary schools days to my current experiences at Ball State University, I am through and through the product of public education (and proud of it). Following the nomination of DeVos to her position, in which she will have a say in both K-12 and higher education, I saw the most dissent coming from my former public school teachers. This breaks my heart, because other than the millions of students who will be affected by this change, the teachers are the next largest group that new policies would affect.
Throughout my entire educational career, my teachers have always had my best interest at heart. I can remember early days, when, as I was learning to read, my kindergarten teacher would walk me one classroom over during reading time so I could read with an advanced reading group. I think it's partly due to this that I now have such an affinity for reading and writing. This trend continued throughout my entire elementary school experience; every single teacher I had fostered my love for reading and not only gave my peers and me assignments that challenged us, but supported us in our efforts to go beyond the traditional expectations of elementary school children.
Middle school and high school allowed me to further explore my interests and interact with teachers passionate about their subject. My sixth grade science teacher kept me interested in science, even though it was not my favorite subject, because she made our experiments fun. My seventh grade social studies teacher got my entire class involved in the 2008 election, making sure we knew what issues were being debated. He also taught us the basis of several of the world's largest religions so that we knew there were many different systems of beliefs. I had the opportunity to study Spanish, in which I learned not only a language different from my own, but about another culture. And my high school English teachers helped me discover what I wanted to study in college by giving me the feedback I needed to succeed.
In perfect continuity, my experience in college so far has been exceptional. With the solid academic basis I had from the years leading up to the day I was accepted to Ball State, I have been given the chance through various professors to broaden my way of thinking, not only in areas directly related to my future career, but in ways of relating to those around me. I've been exposed to theories and ways of thinking that I have never before explored, and been a part of countless discussions led by teachers who strive to make a difference in their students' lives.
But by and large, I am the most grateful for the way my public education exposed me to all types of diversity. I've been in classes with people who do not look like me, think like me, speak the same first language as me, or have the same life experiences as me for as long as I can remember. There is nothing like growing up in a diverse environment to make you aware of the ways in which you're privileged, or cause you to think about the needs of other people. This environment helped to form a prominent part of my identity, and one of the parts of which I'm the most proud. I have the public schools system to thank for that.
So, I certainly hope that, contrary to how it seems, Betsy DeVos keeps the students of Americas' best interest in mind, as my teachers have for almost 16 years.
I am a #ProductofPublicSchool.
