Last week, I had several conversations about the effect virtual schooling will have on poor kids. I know we’ve probably all heard that they are ensuring that every child receives meals, and, in a state with nearly half of our children relying on SNAP, the concern is justified.
There are concerns about the lack of internet access across our state, and there are concerns voiced about children not being around teachers who are typically the ones who report child abuse and neglect.
The conversations around me this week have been focused on the fact that people will, due to virtual learning, have a glimpse into the lives of children. More specifically, we have been talking about what it’s going to be like when teachers have a webcam view of homes and living spaces. A huge part of the on-site vs. remote learning debate is tied to socioeconomic status and norms, but it’s quite common to only hear about food, internet, and child abuse when we talk about poverty here in schools.
I have yet to have a conversation about the difference between poverty and neglect.
Poverty Training
I have said for years that the education system is doing a huge injustice to poor kids and families by not requiring in-depth training on poverty for education staff, right down to bus drivers, especially in Title I schools receiving additional funds because their poverty numbers are so high. Just like every other culture, there are social norms within socioeconomic classes, but I have only heard them mentioned once or twice in all the years my kids have been in school, and, if I’m being honest, it was always linked to Ruby Payne’s “Bridges Out of Poverty” training. And I know for a fact that once when Ruby Payne herself was here training education staff, some walked out, claiming that what was said wasn’t the truth and “doesn’t really happen.”
So, if we have educators out there who don’t believe real examples of how folks in poverty may live, then how do we expect those children to be taught in a way that serves them? And what’s that going to look like when the children are doing remote online learning?
It’s hard to raise a child in a marginalized class when they spend the majority of their time with people who typically aren’t living the same way. Imagine what it’s like on the other side of the teacher’s desk. Rarely do parents receive phone calls from school staff whose intent it is to point out something good, right? I mean, when’s the last time a teacher called to talk to you about your child’s fantastic writing or test score?
Living Conditions
So, you’re already a little nervous or anxious and defensive when the call or meeting comes around. Then, you walk into a building that is filled with middle-class people, dressed in middle-class clothes, speaking in middle-class language. I’ve been in meetings with education folks who were undoubtedly wearing rings that cost as much as the car I was currently driving, and I’m not joking. It’s a totally different world.
So, what’s going to happen when teachers have access to the living conditions of the children and judge according to those norms?
Poverty is not neglect, and we need to make sure that everyone understands that. What needs to be done to improve the us vs. them mentality when it comes to parents feeling comfortable enough with the education community to ask for the help they need? The first step is educating those working with children from low-income homes. I know a lot of fantastic parents who are poor and who can’t afford to get the leaky roof fixed … or they move around a lot because they are constantly looking for a safer and better place for their family to live … I know that last year, West Virginia had over 10,000 homeless students. So how is that going to affect those kiddos when the teachers are glimpsing into their lives via webcam?
Your Bias
COVID-19 isn’t necessarily the biggest risk for families in public education settings. Mistaking poverty for neglect is a huge threat to families who are not doing anything wrong other than being poor. Knowing the difference will allow educators to introduce families to those who can help connect them to the support they need and allow for everyone, on both sides of the issue, to ensure that the child can receive the education and learning that they deserve.
Families don’t deserve to have their children taken away solely because they don’t have the financial means to care for them, especially now, when businesses have shut down and our economy is experiencing the effects of the pandemic.
Don’t judge someone’s life by the standards of yours. Check your bias.
Onward,
Amy Jo
