Social Justice Event

Event: Gen Silent documentary
Date: 4/27/16
Location: Gender Studies Suite Adams Library

To be honest I was annoyed at the fact we had to go to a social justice event because I don't have any free time during my week outside class, work and service learning but I'm really glad I chose to go see the Gen Silent movie. The movie was overall about the elderly LGBT community. It told stories of a lesbian couple, two gay couples and a transgender women. I was happy to see the lesbian couple was together for as long as they were and made me smile when they rode a bus through a gay pride parade. It really goes to show how they paved the way for people marching through the parades to be where they are today, as they confidently acknowledged as well. It was crazy hearing them talk about how when they were young, being gay was considered a mental disorder and people were actually sent to asylums. 

What really got to me was the stories of one of the gay couples and the transgender women. One of the men had been in and out of nursing homes and never got treated the way his partner wanted him to. His relationship was not recognized, they didn't even feel comfortable holding hands inside of the room. The man said he retired at a young age to take care of his lover which made me upset because nobody should have to do that. Every person is entitled to a comfortable and loving environment regardless of who they love.

Another story told which was extremely eye opening was "KrysAnne." She had spent about 40 years of her life as a man, a life of agony and almost lead to suicide twice. After making her transition she lost her entire family, the video even showed photos of mail she had attempted to send out that had horrid replies on it from family members. I'm not one to judge other peoples circumstances but I know if anyone in my family whom I loved was not happy with themselves I would encourage them to pursue what they wanted. What really opened my eyes as well was when a care worker discussed how when asking LGBT elderly people their emergency contacts, they did not have any. That was heartbreaking.

I was able to relate this movie to several texts we have read in class. Obviously Safe Spaces. These people are old, most are sick, some are dying. It's time for their families to put their shit aside and love them for who they are. Everyone deserves to feel 100% safe especially when having to adjust to new living situations. Another text I linked this to is Christensen. One of her main points is that not everyone is the same. Everyone looks, feels, acts differently. If we're so quick to point out Disney princesses aren't that perfect, why are we just as quick to make the same claim against people just wanting to be respected for who they love, in a comfortable setting? Kristof is another author as well. He says "talent is universal, opportunity is not." This is true and sad. LGBT community members deserve the same opportunities straight elderly people do.

I relate to the LGBT community because my sister is a lesbian. It comforts me knowing she will never have these issues but saddens me for all the people that do. The fact I was so in the shadows about the elderly LGBT community goes to show how many other people are as well. I hope that the community can strengthen by more people reaching out to comfort and care for those who need it and have fought their whole lives to earn their freedom. The video informed me of Cafe Emmanuel, a place for seniors to get together and enjoy events. The film is definitely worth the watch.

My Pecha Kucha

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nFqfGZY8ONlXczSqs4lnWVfZSKELD7hlrH-REr2z2Eo/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=20000

my life is sick joke

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nFqfGZY8ONlXczSqs4lnWVfZSKELD7hlrH-REr2z2Eo/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=20000

Empowering Education in Service Learning

Argument & Connections

I interpreted Shor's argument to be that education is primarily controlled through politics, societal standards and lack of curiosity within the classroom. I agree with the fact that some schools and teachers have one way of teaching and this lacks many values that increase students knowledge and questioning. While reading Shor's piece I collected a page of notes like I do for every reading. About half way through I found that I was mostly writing down questions asked throughout the essay, answering myself and hoping to further answer in the future. Because this reading is about education's positive and negative effects, how it is crafted and how it can be changed, I related it completely to my service learning site: Mount Pleasant High School and the school I attended: Westerly High. While analyzing points throughout the reading I was also able to make connections to many other authors and how their opinions would respond to these methods of teaching.

1. Can education develop students as critical thinkers, skilled workers and active citizens?
My thoughts: While schools teach students the basic categories of information; English, Math, Science and History, how are they teaching students how to be actual citizens? I used to always ask myself, why doesn't school teach me how to do things I need to do further in life? Why am I learning to find slopes over learning how to do my taxes, balance a checkbook or how to manage a home mortgage? Do all students have to depend on themselves or their parents to learn these necessities, and what about the kids who don't have the reliance of their parents, or need the extra help to understand?
WHS/MPHS: In my high school and another one close by, their was a cosmetology program, a shop program and a mechanic program. These are the only programs that could give students their first step as skilled workers. Why don't more schools have these programs, or have more programs to offer? Not every student is going to go onto college after high school. Some will be working. Why are we putting their plans last? Just the other day in my service learning site, a student said to me "I'm not going to college. I'm going to be a mechanic, I wish their was a class I could take in that now."

2. Apple states that schools play the role of acting agents of economical/cultural re-production of classes. How does your classroom discuss different classes of economy and cultures? How were you presented this growing up?
My thoughts: While students take classes on different subjects, there is a silent but empowering background effect that can go unnoticed; the categorization of classes. How do less privileged classrooms discuss people of higher power and more economical advantage? On the other hand, how to "high-class" classroom environments discuss those "below them?" I wonder how this creates an automatic discrimination of classes. 
WHS/MPHS: Westerly is not necessarily a rich town or a poor town. But let me tell you, many people I have talked to about going to school and teaching here have expressed concern and had that look on their faces. Westerly students think nothing of having a book for each of us, laptop carts everywhere and a surplus of calculators. While I never noticed an overwhelming appreciation of these utilities, I have not seen it at Mount Pleasant either, because they barely use them. Is this because they don't realize they should appreciate having them? Or they were never taught that some schools with less advantages do not receive these?
Connection: These taken or missed advantages screams SCWAAMP by Leslie Grinner. "Leslie Grinner argues that there are some categories/identities that are most valued (dominant) in our culture and they are privileged, or given more access and opportunity than other categories/identities that are not valued." Here's the question: do the higher class students not appreciate come privileges because they're so unaware of not having them? Or do the lower class students not appreciate them for the same reason, or because they don't see them as a higher form of technology/learning because they don't have access to said utilities at home? I look around at RIC and even in westerly and everyone has laptops on their desks. At my service learning site I asked a student why he was not using a laptop for a project, he responded he had never used one and did not want to have the hassle of learning because he did not see a point.

3. How much open discussion is there in class? How much one way teacher-talk? Is there a mutual dialog between teacher and student or one-way transfers of information from teacher to student? (Bottom of 14)
My thoughts: I believe the most effective form of communication within a classroom is a mutual dialog between teacher and student.
WHS/MPHS: I guess that the communications depends on the teacher and the students. Westerly is considered a middle class school while there are mixed higher class and lower class people. I've had teachers before that delivered the one-way information transfers before, and that's not because the class was not engaged, the teacher just did not care as much. I can honestly say that the majority of my teachers did involve in the mutual dialog while teaching, making us question and increasing our knowledge. I am grateful for that. My appreciation does not blind me to other relationships between teachers and students out there. In my Mount Pleasant classroom the relationship is completely different. There is one-way communication happening, because the students are not engaged. The teacher tries and fights for a better relationship but does not get the results he needs. He encourages the students to ask, to wonder and to involve themselves in an open discussion, and they all give off the vibe that they're "too cool" to care about their academics. I don't mean to use slang but it is true, and sad to watch.
Connection: This scenario reminds me of August's piece. August states that in order for an effective and positive learning experience, the student must feel safe. While she is focusing more on students of the LGBT community, it still applies to all students. I recognize I will never be able to tell what another is feeling/thinking, but from what I experience in my SL class, the teacher does not give the students any reason to feel "erased, absent or invisible" just as August says teachers should do.

Citizenship In School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

Quotes

Douglas Binken
"Society itself is hurt when schools act as cultural sorting machines-locations that "justify a competitive ethic that marginalizes certain students or groups of students" (73)

I found this quote thought provoking in the sense that what Binken is saying relates to Kozol. Binken is saying that society is damaged when students are being categorized and sorted through matters of ability, race, gender and ethnicity. He states that while this separation process meets "bureaucratic organizational needs" it takes away tremendously from a community's intellectual, spiritual, emotional and economic needs (Kozol) While reading this I could not help but making a Harry Potter connection. I imagined each student entering their school and being sorted into sections depending on their abilities and race as the Sorting Hat does while putting each student into their house. I agree that this is not beneficial at all, separating students who have different learning skills and abilities from being exposed to such learning techniques and opportunities that students considered to be "higher up" have. 

John Dewey 
"Dewey believed schools must serve as the sites in which children develop both a sense of commitment to one another and a sense of self-direction leading to the deepest and best guarantee of a larger society which is worth, lovely and harmonious" (74)

Throughout my service learning something I have noticed is that some of the students feel more comfortable asking one another for questions over the teacher. I believe maybe this is because they feel more comfortable with a fellow student/friend than asking an adult professional. Maybe they even feel embarrassed to ask the teacher. I then imagined a classroom setting where students with disabilities like down-syndrome were emerged with students without said disabilities. This is when teacher Shayne Robbin's story connected with the quote and gave me a sense of release that some teachers can see how the interactions are extremely beneficial on both ends. When Shayne tells the story of how enthusiastic and interactive student  Isaac got with the book Where the Wild Things Are and how she then had the class put together an acting assignment of the book I related this to SCWAAMP. Leslie Grinner discusses how some categories of people are higher valued in our culture thus receiving higher opportunity. She stresses the "tap the glass" technique to expose and explore categories society may seem as "lower" and become informed about them. This is what Shayne did as a teacher. She viewed that Isaac was able to interpret something in a unique way that came not only easy but enjoyable to him. Having the rest of her classroom take part in a similar activity not only exposed her other students to a different way of learning but I'm sure made Isaac feel great having his own idea spread throughout the classroom. Shayne established a representation for Isaac's learning techniques and used it as an educational opportunity. This was inspiring.

"The townspeople assumed John's humanness, which left to community connections that further established his thoughtfulness, individuality and community value" (89)

Another example of this representation lies in the story of John Mcgough. Mcgough was labeled "mentally retarded" throughout his life and lacked the ability of communicating thoughts beyond a rudimentary level (I had to look that word up) John had strong feelings of disconnection and isolation, feelings nobody should have to go through. After his move, he was entered into a community in which recognized and valued his abilities. This just goes to show how some communities and school districts have more friendly views and creating this atmosphere in every school can help those who may need it not only in school but mentally and socially. 

Points to Share:

In my elementary school, all students with special needs were in their own classroom named the "Star" classroom. In middle and high school these students were now taking classes with me and I did not feel like it negatively affected my learning at all. If anything it made me feel grateful for the opportunities I have and hopeful that they were receiving the same. I hope someday as a future educator I have the opportunity to work with students who have special needs. 

My Map

My Map

Literacy with an Attitude, Patrick J. Finn

Quotes

"Working class children with varying degrees of opposition identity resist school through means reminiscent of the factory shop floor-slowdowns, strikes, sabotage and occasionally open confrontation. The result is the "pretend-school model" Teachers ask little of students in return for enough cooperation to maintain the appearance of conducting school"

I couldn't help but compare this quote to the classroom I am completing my service learning in. To me this meant that Finn was comparing the resistance within classrooms to those in factories performed in strikes and in person battles. I interpreted that the pretend school model is when a classroom is set up to look like ideals classrooms with ideal informative and helpful teachers and behaved, engaged students. In order for the classrooms to look like this, the teachers lower their expectations to keep the students at a "happy" or maintained level. They do this by lowering their standards as teachers and expectations from their students just so they don't get out of hand. In the classroom I assist, I see this happening every week. Often, a teacher will try to promote the work to a student with intensives at hand, persuading them to cooperate just so the environment will appear stable. I agree with Finn completely when saying this is not the path we need to take as educators. I believe a teacher should praise the student when the student truly deserves said praise, after providing them with the same educational opportunities and assignments that a "higher-class" student would receive. 

"The status quo is the status quo because people who have the power to make changes are comfortable with the way things are. It takes energy to make changes, and the energy must come from the people who will benefit from the change."


This quote made me think about the education school here at RIC and our FNED class in particular. According to RIC, our Schooling in a Democratic Society classroom is described as "An interdisciplinary approach is used to examine the social and cultural forces that affect schools. Attention is given to diversity and equity." Although I am early in my journey through the education courses thus far, I have already learned an overwhelming amount of teaching approaches and considerations in this course. With this at hand, I imagined what our curriculum would look like taking away the exposure to these cultural and multi-privileged classrooms and further more how much this context will improve the next generation of teachers pushed out into the world. I questioned if every college education curriculum included courses such as FNED and Educational Psychology. On my first day of my service learning, the teacher asked me if I saw myself wanting to teach in a classroom with the same background information as the one I was in. I related this experience to this quote, questioning if those with power would refuse to participate in a service learning act such as this if given the opportunity to. I wondered if having the power to make changes would truly take "too much energy" from them. I finally asked myself, if the powerful were exposed to some of the things us in FNED 346 were, would they then feel the push to make the change? Is it that they're too comfortable, or too uninformed? 

Defined Words:
Have Nots: an individual or group that is without wealth, social position, or other material benefits

This American Life & The Problem We All Live With

The Problem We Live In: Episodes 562 & 563

Reflection:
Although this reading assignment was definitely a time-consuming one, it was extremely beneficial towards my current knowledge of how certain school systems are working and how we can seek to improve them in the future. I found episode 562 to be the more informative and intriguing of the two because it was coming directly from somebody negatively involved which made it more personal and eye opening. After listening to both episodes and reading Herbert's text, I found many similarities between his points and those stated in episode 562 as well. A point Herbert stressed just as Nikole and the student Maria did was that the environment plays a huge role in the students and schools lives. I found the fact that Nikole Hannah-Jones opened with stating that Michael Brown attended the Normandy School District. This was a way for listeners to familiarize themselves with the location and story-line. Something I found up for interpretation was her statement of the evaluation of "good vs. bad" schools. The views on what make schools good or bad change from person to person, usually depending on the type of schools they themselves attended. 

A fact that I found very interesting was how when in a school environment with a higher amount of races, standardized test scores improved among students who tested low previously. I found it humorous when Jones said "it's not like a switch turns on" when white students are testing with students of color, but those in the middle and higher classes are provided with superior facilities. Students not surrounded by poverty have a higher amount of available courses, preferred, certified teachers and less transportation issues. When following a student throughout the day in her school, Jones found that what was considered to be an "AP" English class was held in a science lab because of a scent in the original classroom and the only time the teacher was in the class was when they were handing out an elementary styled worksheet. The exposure of the lack of teachers in these schools opened my eyes as a future educator, wondering what credentials these people actually need to be hired and how I would be viewed upon if ever applying to a school like this.

Comments/Points to Share:
Listening to Maria's story made me question if anything like this happened within the Westerly Public Schools district that I attended, how our community would react as well. While completing all all of the readings this week, I couldn't help but relate each section to the idea of "White Privilege." An in-class connection that stood out to me in the real world occurred while watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy aka the show of life. Check it out here :)

In The Service of What?

In The Service of What? By: Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer 

Extended Comments

This week I have chosen to do a blog post using Katie's blog for extended comments. An idea Katie stated which stood out to me as well is when Dewey discusses his support of the service learning system and encourages students to take part in said services. Dewey shares he not only stressed the importance of these practices to enforce a student's personal abilities to contribute to a democratic education but to implement change throughout schools as well.  The idea of this being distributed through the assignment of a senior project is dominant in many schools now. In Katie's blog's points so share, she shares her personal enjoyment with completing her services in ways that relate to her personal life and career choice. She has worked in several different school communities with elementary and special education students. This is a prime example of how somebody's desire for their own life plan can be incorporated with helping others besides herself and provide many new opportunities to come.  

Comments/Questions/Points to Share

Just like many others discussed in their blogs, Westerly High School required 30 community service hours and the completion of a senior project as well. I was able to receive credit for the hours through marching in parades for the town, wrapping Christmas presents for families during the holidays and other acts among those lines. The senior project required students to help the community but looking back I realized that sole rule was not enforced as much as it could have been. For example I instructed dance classes for our school's football team and my version of helping the community was to benefit our local football team. While this was true, who was it really helping? Was the assistance that beneficial? What else could I have done to further benefit a wider group of people? Many other students did projects like this as well. When I was younger, my parents made me go to our town's local food and clothing shelter and volunteer every week. I was young and I didn't want to go. When I stopped going back I felt like I did miss it and looking back I realize it was a great thing to do at such a young age. I am also very interested in involving myself in more community service in areas that I feel personally connected to, such as volunteering at Westerly's local animal shelter or Mystic's Aquarium because humans aren't the only people who need a little extra love :)

Safe Spaces

Reflection 

 1. What messages did you receive about LGBT community when you were in school? Which messages were explicit, which were implied?

- To be honest, I had no idea what it meant to be gay until probably middle school. In grades K-5, we were completely uneducated about the LGBT community. We were read the traditional stories, and the idea of the typical mother, father and children family was implanted into our minds. Personally, I was first exposed to the topic when my nine or ten year old self made the mistake of calling another kid "gay" at a playground camp. Listen, I was like 9. I had no idea what I was talking about. After getting punished for doing so, I remember my mom telling me at dinner that my sister had a girlfriend. After learning this, I felt terrible for using the word as a negative comment towards somebody else, loved my sister just as much as I did before, and learned to appreciate, respect and treat people in the LGBT community as equal as anybody else :) Looking back, I do wish that I had been informed at an earlier age about the community. I think it would highly benefit children, encouraging them to be open minded and never run into a situation where the word "gay" could be used as slander.

2. Did you ever question these messages If so, what empowered you to do so? If not, what would have helped you to question them?

- After learning about about same-sex relationships, I never questioned this messages. I honestly think it was having somebody so close to me involved in the LGBT community that always made me feel love for those involved. While about 99.9% of my family approved of my sister, there still was the 1% that did not. Seeing their negativity towards them only made me upset, wondering why such hatred was involved with two people simply loving one another. If I were to ever have questioned them, it probably would have been if nobody personally close to me was gay, I think I would have been a little less exposed at that early point in my life.

3. What do you know about the gay civil rights movement?

- I know that the date of June 26, 2015 was a very important day for my family and I because same-sex marriage was now legal nationwide. 

4. Do you talk to the youth in your life about what they are learning about the LGBT community in their curriculum?
I have two little sisters, one turning four and one 10 months old. They are not in an education system yet and have yet to question the LGBT community. I hope that when they are exposed to it they will feel comfortable to talk and ask questions, giving me the opportunity to help them understand.

Points to Share:
Overall, I 100% agreed with everything these authors stated. Most importantly, I found it shocking to read all of the stories in which the LGBT community was looked negatively upon in schools to young children. The story of the young boy getting an ISS for simply discussing that he had two mothers to another student was truly heartbreaking. I can only hope that someday our country can look back on these horrific incidents and shake our heads. I have faith for the students that are facing this negativity and hope that our education systems can only inflict happiness, creating a comfortable environment for ALL students. 

Also, a friend of mine proposed to his boyfriend and now the video is over 5 million views and shares. Check it out :) 

 

Christensen Response

Quotes

Quote 1

"...Cindy Ellie's main goal in life is not working of the homeless or teaching kids to read. Her goal, like Cinderella's, is to get her man. Both young women are transformed and made beautiful through new clothes, new jewels, new hairstyles. Both have chauffeurs who deliver them to their men."

- This quote stood out to me because I find it very important to teach children at a young age that material items are not what sets their beauty. Not even just their appearance, but I see more and more nowadays how a child's social status and happiness is being defined by the items they have (cell phones, video games, etc.)  

Quote 2

 "Sabrina said: "I realized these problems weren't just in cartoons. They were in everything - every magazine I picked up, every television show I watched, every billboard I passed by on the street."

- While reading this article and thinking about all of the negative images society implants in youth's minds, I could not help but consider how some new societal changes could impact the next generation. For example, Barbie has just put out a new collection of dolls entitled "The Evolution of Barbie". In this collection, customers can purchase dolls categorized by curvy, tall, petite and original. It makes me happy knowing that children are now able to become more knowledgeable of different body styles and races. Another example is companies like Sports Illustrated and Aerie have recently advertised for "Untouched" photos of their models. 

Comments:

This previous Christmas one of my three year old sister's favorite presents was her gift set of about ten Disney Princess Barbie dolls. While playing with her, I could not help but notice their bodies: hourglass figures with perfect hair and makeup. Being a Disney lover myself I never really thought about how their apparel could potentially affect young girls and their implanted images of how beauty should look. While some critics look with further speculations, Disney overall has introduced Princesses from different races and cultures.

Richard Rodriguez response

While reading Rodriguez's article, I couldn't help but be completely unable to relate to it. Growing up in a town and a school setting where white students were the majority and anyone who spoke Spanish could fluently speak English as well, the only exposure I got to different languages was in separate classes. The classes offered were Spanish, Italian or French from grades 7-12. We were told that the younger we learn a second language the easier it is to retain. Rodriguez agrees in the first paragraph that his first grade classmates could have become bilingual, or in his words know another "public language." When Rodriguez discusses the loss of using old Spanish words by stating that they would be "too painful reminders of how much had changed in my life" (Rodriguez 39), this reminds me that of the idea of Lisa Delpit's "culture of power". Rodriguez had his power within the classroom decreased, comparing his relationship with teachers to be less frightening and more comforting. 

Points to Share: When Rodriguez told how the Nuns came into his home and instructed their parents to encourage the speaking of English at home, I was shocked. I hope now in our education systems that hiring teachers who speak multiple languages and can assist the students that need so will become one of the highest priorities. I will be assistant teaching in an ESL classroom for my Inspiring Minds placement and all of the students speak one to two other languages, and are either fluent in English as well or just familiar with it. Either way, I feel having a classroom for all these students to learn and grow together will do wonders for them from not only an educational standpoint, but will increase social skills as well. Making students comfortable in a classroom and letting them know their languages and cultures are equally important to one another is a big deal.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace
By: Jonathan Kozol

Connections: 

While reading I was able to relate Kozol's piece to several other author's read thus far in class, including Kristof's: U.S.A., Land of Limitations? and Delpit's Other People's Children. 

While it seems vague, a quote from Delpit's article that I related to Kozol's was when she stated "When you're talking to white people they still want it to be their way" and then further "They won't listen, white folks are going to do what they wan't to do anyway." Jonathan Kozol is a white man, and I did not get the vibe from this article that he wasn't giving this young boy and his mother a chance to describe and show him their livelihood. It almost made Delpit's quote look like more of an assumption than a fact.

Amazing Grace is also relatable to the Land of Limitations article. Kristof references something he once heard "I grew up poor, but I worked hard and I made it. If other people tried, they could, too. Sure, there are extraordinary people who have overcome mind-boggling hurdles." A section in Amazing Grace that reminded me of this was when the mother's friend's son had a college scholarship, and he ended up dying as a drug addict. When Kristof says "talent is universal, but opportunity is not." This incident in particular completely contradicts the quote because the boy had talent, but his lifestyle ended up taking over. 

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
What I enjoyed most about this text was how it provided factual information about the everyday struggles that underprivileged people go through, it told the readers a story about an older women and a younger boy. I feel more effected by a text when I'm hearing it directly from the somebody has been personally involved in a situation rather than just from statistics and news articles. 

USA Land of Limitations? Nicholas Kristof

In this article, human right writer Nicholas Kristof discusses what he thinks the Presidential candidates this running should be concerned with, and informing about. This ongoing issue is the fact everybody is born into different financial situations and this highly affect the opportunities they are able to receive and the way their life will play out economically and socially. Throughout the article, he tells the story of a hometown friend Rick Goff and how unfortunate circumstances took control of his life, disregarding his talent of knowledge and kindness of heart.

Quotes

"Yet I fear that by 2015 we’ve become the socially rigid society our forebears fled, replicating the barriers and class gaps that drove them away"

Reading this at the beginning of the article places an idea/image in the readers head. Kristof earlier states how his father and Senator Rubio's fathers came to this country wishing to get away from "barriers and class gaps", to find that by the year 2015, the USA has only replicated so. This made me wonder, if our country continues not to face these issues, will people leave? Where will they go? And will this cycle repeat itself again? By saying this, Kristof places a certain fear in the readers mind, hoping to provoke agreement.

“talent is universal, but opportunity is not.”

Kristof references a piece in which he had written previously about Goff. Kristof informed readers of how Goff was brought up, the difficulties he faced in educational settings and what he had to do to provide for his family. He stated that Goff was indeed smart, talented and hard working, but he did not get the biggest chance to show this because of what he was born into. I once heard the question, "What if the cure for cancer is in a person's brain who can't afford college?" and Goff's story reminded me of it. At the end of the day, you could win the lottery or lose all of your savings. Either way, your brains and your talents stay with you.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
Something that I thought about while reading this article was the accessibility of education. Never facing this situation, I am unaware of the difficulties of attending school but I am not naive to the fact that there are some issues. I wonder for children who face the same issues that Goff did such as having to take care of siblings and work, how do they make getting an education happen? Better and more beneficial, what can our country do to help these children get what they deserve even though they face poverty? Similar but a whole different realm, is the cost of college. If a student does not have the means to go to school, is that their own financial state holding a diploma out of reach, or the USA for not finding a sufficient solution to end this crisis?