In the 12 years between the first grade and my high school graduation, I attended eight schools: seven public schools and one charter school. Each of these schools taught me a love for learning and a desire to pursue lifelong education. Public school has shaped the lives of myself and 91% of American students, and my only complaint is that our society does not do enough to return the favor. The appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education was not merely another political move this year I disagreed with; it was a heartbreaking decision that completely disregarded the one thing the children of the world deserve more than anything else: unhindered access to quality education.
I moved around the country quite a bit, as is the life of a military child, and saw the inner workings of many public schools. Even from a young perspective, I picked up on the discrepancies in education across state lines. My first elementary school in the state of Washington taught me that classes were supposed to be challenging, teachers engaging, and that third-graders were supposed to play the recorder. As an optimistic and ambitious eight-year-old, I assumed my next school in California would be exactly the same.
Unfortunately, not all areas have the same quality of education. That year I spent a copious amount of time reading library books under my desk after I finished assignments early. I tested into the Gifted program, but after my first year enrolled, it was disbanded due to budget cuts. The following year, I attended a local charter school and was shocked at the difference between schools just two miles apart. Classes were better structured, there were more available materials to make art projects, and teachers sought out challenging work for each individual student. I was sad to leave, but in a way it was good because the next several schools redeemed public education for me. I participated in sports teams, clubs, art programs, and many challenging classes.
At a public school, most community meetings, sports teams, clubs, and other activities are coordinated through the school, which brings the community closer beyond academics. I met people with many different backgrounds who taught me more than I could have learned from books, because just about the only thing we had in common was that we were thrown into class together. Public schools enroll children from all economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds without the burden of tuition costs. If they worked the way they are supposed to, every child would have equal opportunity through secondary school and beyond.
The problem, which Betsy DeVos’ plan will perpetuate, is that all schools do not receive the same benefits, and children do not have equal access to top-performing schools. The school system in Michigan allows charter schools to be for-profit, which prioritizes money-making districts over those that perform better, and also allows students to choose schools outside their zone. This creates an even greater inequality problem where affluent families flock to the best schools because they have the economic means to do so, while poor families remain stuck in schools that don’t receive enough funding—because the test scores aren’t up to par—because the school doesn’t provide students with a support system—because the school doesn’t receive enough funding—and so the vicious cycle continues.
We cannot give up on our public schools, or the 50.4 million children and teenagers who rely on them for a lifetime’s worth of opportunity. To the schools that made me who I am today—thank you, and I will do everything I can to fight for you.
