Issues in our Boyd Community

It is perhaps in luck, that I am writing this post late and I am now able to form a more profound and updated conclusion on what sort of issues are going on in our community at Boyd. I would first like to say that our community partners have been excellent, the change from last semester is very noticeable and we could not be happier with Andrew. The response from Boyd has also been satisfactory, the school has openly shown support to us helping with the kids and have facilitated the rooms we need and all of our "demands".

However there is a large and at the same time invisible problem that I see in the public education system. And it is just that! The fact that is public make both the kids and the teachers have attitudes that are perhaps not beneficial to either. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but I do see how the teachers on an overwhelming level did not seem to care about the development of the kids and often make comments in front of them that in my opinion were hurtful. For example, one of the teachers once said in a very loud and carrying voice: "Oh they are the ones working with Kyandre and Carlos, they should get paid for doing that!" right in front of the kids! Needless to say Carlos and Kyandre were troubled kids, but at the same time they are 6 years old so they can hardly be blamed for their behavior. Everything they know they learned from their teachers or parents at home. Schools should be about making the kids live in a happy and productive environment and if a teacher doesn't have the patience to deal with 6 years old then maybe they chose the wrong career. I also remember a rather rude lunch lady that talked to the kids as if they had no intelligence and did not recognize their presence unless addressed to directly. I am no psychologist, but if a child is ignored then he will develop troubling behavior. The kids seemed to dream about when they would get to hang out with us because we engaged them in conversation and actually listened to what they had to say, unlike any other adult around them.

Since day one are group has repeated that we are in no way trying to change America's Public Education System, but without a doubt this was a very interesting experience because we got to see the root of many issues we see in teenagers today.