I was once attending a seminar given by a YAL author (for extra credit) when I was in college and he made the statement: "No Child is Left Behind because nobody is going anywhere!"
This was humorous. I chuckled a bit, casually of course, because it just isn't that cool to laugh at those seminars; someone may think you are actually enjoying yourself! Either way, I remember it because it was true. [let this simmer]
This is my second week as a full-fledged teacher lady. My darling babies (yes, even the convicts...no joke) care for me already. They say things like, "Yo shawty, you pretty fly" and "Dang Ms. Cook, you ain't so bad." It is after I firmly inform them that I am not and will never be a "shawty" that I flash an approving smile and go about my lesson. I like them alright too and fear that I will be all too fond of them by the semester's end. As a new educator I have completely surprised myself by how much I really care about these people (mini-folks) that I teach. My care and concern for my students, new and old, is what prompted my brain funk at the day's end when realized just how many of my female students are being left behind.
Today I met a student for the first time, Hispanic, who missed the entire first week of school to take care of her baby. 16.
Last semester I had a senior who I suspected was pregnant. I ran into her in the mail room last week and noticed that her fashion hoodie wasn't doing as good of a job of hiding the lump of life in her belly. She is either 17 or 18. Young black female.
One of my hardest working inclusion (means she is in special ed) students wrote in her letter to me (first assignment of the year) that she wants to do very well in school and for some reason she has been getting very tired, and that it must be because "the baby is getting bigger inside of her." 16-year-old Hispanic girl.
I started thinking about these babies, these poor, unguided babies, and couldn't help but ask myself, what the hell are we doing? How in the wealthiest of nations, can we afford not to take time and teach students proper sex education? How are these girls falling through the cracks and getting left behind?
I become very red in the face when people say (regarding poor minorities) "well, if they'd quit having babies then maybe they could afford to move outta the projects!" Well, dear ignorant, silver spoon, daughter of a successful marriage - maybe if we would stop pretending like condoms are what is going to drive kids between the sheets and admit that if we give them out in school then at least maybe a kid would think about using it and not have a fatherless child at age 16 then some of these children whose parents aren't around could have a chance. Then maybe I would be willing to talk to someone about "equal opportunity," but as long as my students are coming into my class with only 3 hours of sleep and still trying to make it, my lips are sealed. I am not saying condoms are the answer, and I don't know what is, but I'll be damned if I don't feel the weight of failure upon my little teacher shoulders this evening.
Six days in and my first diatribe...not too bad, eh?
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