BLOG #4

            Poverty is a social problem and will continue until everyone is helped, which I believe would never happen in this society. When it comes to poverty, sometimes education suffers. It could be that the child does not have to resources to receive an education or how the teacher perceives the students. I have student taught in poverty area schools and non-poverty area schools. I have seen many differences. I have noticed that students who are in poverty seem to not have an interest in school and act out. The people who are usually in poverty areas are the non-Caucasians. “Data from the US Census Bureau (see Children’s Defense Fund, 2012), reveal that approximately 38% of Black children and 34% of Latino students live in poverty.” Sadly the statement of this data does not shock me in this society. Most people are in poverty because of low education and therefore they have low paying jobs because they did not receive the education to do something more.

I worked in three different Providence schools in poverty areas and two schools in non-poverty areas, one in Warwick and one in Cranston. Getting to know the kids I have worked with, I learned that the children suffering poverty have told me about their home lives. Most of these students’ parents did not have the chance to make it past high school and I believe that is why education does not seem to be a priority with some kids. With these students not having education as a priority, I have seen teachers not really caring to go that extra mile in helping these students. When I was there for my short 15 weeks at each school I would work one on one with these students because I believe they just need an extra push. I believe with the right help, these students will succeed and overachieve. Students who are in poverty tend to be stereotyped as “not smart”, when in reality they just do not have the support at home and some teachers are non-supports as well. I believe that after school programs and summer programs that are free could help these students catch up, instead of going home to someone who is unable to understand some of their homework or readings given. “The primary causes of poverty lie not in individual behavior at all, but in specific social and historical structures, in forces outside of any single person’s control . . .” I completely agree with this statement that was in the article because this would be considered ”blaming the victim”. People do not choose to be in poverty, I believe that it just happens and some people cannot get out of it.

Reference to the article:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/itl09h72xjw1q18/Urban%20Education-2014-Ullucci-0042085914543117%20(1).pdf?dl=0