Disparity in Schools, Disparity in Life

I have much more to say about this topic (believe it or not) than I will post here, but I wanted to say something about last night before my mind floats away to some other anger/sadness-inducing topic.

Of all places to go on a Friday night, I went to a high school football playoff game in Jefferson, Georgia. Though I have never been one for school spirit during any of my tenures, whether it be my own high school days, college, or teaching days, I could not help but envy the atmosphere of the Buford vs. Jefferson 2nd round playoff game. There I was, standing amongst all these high schoolers and parents, wondering why the kids here get the privilege of such a fine spirited event. Sure, it's only football, but it felt more telling of the communities as whole. It's no secret that the school I work at is outmatched in nearly every athletic contest, but more upsetting is the lack of pride that exists in every facet of school life. Are athletics the only thing that boost student morale? Surely not.

Maybe I have a skewed view on all this. Coming from an over-privileged area, I may not have realistic expectations for what a public school should provide its students. On the other hand, I may know exactly what students all over this state deserve. They are entitled to a school atmosphere that brings them a feeling of self-worth, a curriculum that can offer a variety of options for their future, teachers that actually care about their well-being, and a facility that doesn't reek of sewage each morning when walking down the main hall to the first class of the day. Unfortunately, money is the only thing that can solve a majority of these problems.

I was fortunate that my parents made sacrifices to buy a house in a school district that could offer all these things. Sure they paid more in taxes (blah, blah, blah), but what did I do to deserve any of it? I lucked out. But must it always be luck that decides each person's future? A kid can't help it if his/her parents have nothing and can only afford a broken down trailer in rural Georgia. A kid can't help it if he/she lives with a parent who abuses them. The lives they "luck" into are sad enough. If anything, they deserve more encouragement than these pampered suburban brats who drink up all their milkshakes.

We see this all over the world. I realize it's even worse in other countries. I blog about this because I see it on a daily basis, but it's in all the issues; war, slavery, education, healthcare, world hunger, etc...

Bottom line - we are all human and we are no better than one another. I wish we, myself included, would remember this simple fact more often and treat each other accordingly.