Green Schools, Teachers’ cost of living, Children of Katrina, and Migrant child work

Across America many schools have already began their transition to “green schools” and my school seems to be the caboose of the train. The school is an old building and we haven’t really had many changes to eco-friendlier things except for auto air conditioning. A lot may have to do with the fact that many researchers haven’t found much savings in green schools compared to schools that haven’t changed much of their school. Recent studies show there are no significant amounts of savings when a school is built or turned into a more green-friendly school.
Another topic that is in relation to money and schools has to do with teachers’ cost of living and the importance to it. In different areas of the U.S. have a high paying rate for teachers and other areas have low paying rate. But the cost of living needs to be taken into account when you consider if a teacher’s pay rate is actually high or low compared to what their cost of living is in a particular area. A teacher can be in one of the highest paying districts but can also be in one of the highly cost of living areas. So does that teacher actually make more than the national average? What about the teacher getting paid below the national average in an area where the cost of living is below the national average? Therefore, cost of living is definitely a key factor in how a teacher can survive based on their pay. This is true for many including myself.
This leads me into the topic of government funding and the students that are affected. Government funds were given to schools for every pupil that the schools brought in after Katrina dislocated many of them. Many schools were trying to buy in parents so they would place their child in their school. Some of the same things still continue and can be seen in other schools districts in the U.S. My school is a Title I school which consists of 85% or more students that are from low income households, and qualify for free or reduced lunch. Federal funding is then poured into the school to ensure the school has enough resources that the students may need. It also allows for teachers to receive additional professional growth and experience. Other students that could fall under the same category are children of migrant workers. These students often come from low-income families and face many of the same struggles of other non-migrant working children. Many students that are migrant workers are working so much that school is put second after work. Many of the students in my school are not working on fields but they are taking on roles of adults at an early age. Students are taking care of their younger siblings, cooking, and sometimes even caring for themselves for many reasons. This too is an issue that should be taken into great examination by educators, politicians, and communities. The reason is because students are not focusing on school because of their responsibilities at such a young age.
So I close my blog by saying that even though not all situations are going on my school, I certainly feel more prepared to encounter them in case they ever arise.