Opportunities: Why School Funding is Important

By: Saron Abraham-DSST Montview High School Student

School equity to me means understanding everyone’s circumstances and giving them opportunities to succeed.

My parents are immigrants and part of the working class. But we have always lived a pretty manageable and comfortable life. Growing up my parents would always tell my siblings and I that we needed to succeed for them and ourselves and live a good life that they never lived. As a result of this I was sent to private and predominantly white schools up until high school. It was very expensive but my parents figured it was worth our success and started working extra hours at their job and applying for financial aid. Going to school there was a very different environment. Many of my friends had already had their lives set for them. Usually their parents were business owners, doctors or lawyers and when they were old enough they would learn about their parents’ jobs and intern there. Everyone at my school was able to excel with the push and opportunities from teachers and parents.

When I moved to public high school it was a different experience. Many kids were low income and first generation students. Many kids did not have much opportunity or outside help. I understand that I’m very lucky to be going to the school I’m going to today and taking advantage of the opportunities they provide there. But one thing I know is that most public schools in Colorado aren’t like this and don’t give much attention to their first generation and low income students.Especially the ones who get in trouble in school and do badly in school . And a big contribution to this problem is lack of school funding.

Students who fit the category of low income or first generation are usually students of color. Which connects to the school to prison pipeline. According to the National Benevolent Association 40% of students who are expelled from US schools are Black, 70% of student arrests are Black or Latino and Black and Latino students are twice as likely to not graduate from high school than their white classmates.

Overall if money wasn’t a problem in schools I would like to see teachers give more opportunities like tutoring and extra help to students who need it. Something I would also want to see in more public schools (which they have in mine) is more teachers reaching out and giving students opportunities to get involved in the community and programs that are dedicated to helping students of color or low income students.