Socio-Economic Status and Education

          Education is a right and every child should have access to it. Nowadays the problem of accesses to education is not such a big issue, but that doesn’t mean that there are no problems. The big problem now is that although almost every child is getting an education that doesn't complete assure that the access to education is being done the right way. That happens because every child is different and everyone has different issues that need to be taken into account when we are talking about education. Are the teachers able to understand and do they have the necessary means to help children that came from different backgrounds and with problem about poverty? Considering the things that I have been doing and the knowledge that have been provided to me, I can say that the big issues that America education faces are the fact that sometimes the school have difficulty to create equals opportunities to all of the students considering their special needs and different social status, but in opposite there are good things that some persons do to try to help and create a better environment and opportunity to the learning process.
          The first big issue that I want to talk about is the problem that sometimes some students face when it comes to try to make connection with their life in school in their house. This problem is very common when they come to America because they have the need to come (refugees) or because they want to come. When they arrived here sometimes, they don’t have any knowledge about the language and the culture of America. Because of this lack of knowledge from the students and from the parents it becomes a lot more difficult for the students to be successful in school. An example that I had the opportunity to experience was Global Neighborhood. Global Neighborhood is an organization that provides help to the refugees that after a few months in America lose the help they are receiving from the state. When they lose this help from the state the Global Neighborhood takes place and helps them to educate them and after that try to help them to find a job. Personally, this was one of the best experiences that I have in America, because I was really touch for the difficulties and the problems that some of these immigrants need to pass through. Also, I really enjoyed to talking with one of the refugees that came to America from Burma. Was really overwhelming seeing that, despite that this person came from a place with war and big problems that he was able to continue to try to have a better live.
          Considering the same topic is important to also talk about the Refugee Parents Panel that we went and have the opportunity to hear to different persons talk about their experiences from when they came to America. The first one was Brigitte she came from Togo with their two sons and she talked about the way that they integrate in the America school system. The second person was Olga Lucia that came from Colombia to study, and then she decided to stay here. Was really interesting to hear what they have to say because despite the fact that they are here from to different backgrounds they have some ideas and some equal opinions about America education.
          The second big issue that I consider important to talk about is, how much I being learning about “help the other”. In Portugal I’m not issued to see people care about their neighborhood or the others, and now I’m in America for almost three weeks and all I see are people caring about the others. Is really overwhelming (in a good way) to see how much they care about the others and how much of themselves they put into this kind of jobs. This happens in a neighborhood with persons that are from a low socio – economic status and is the way that they found to try to help to combat poverty and to help the kids have a good live and being successful in life. One of the examples that I have the opportunity to have contact was the Riverfront Farm, that is a place where they give jobs to the children from that neighborhood trying that way to combat and prevent that this children go to bad paths. Is really interesting to see how this community tries to help these kids to have a better life and I really excited to have more contact with these kids.     
           Talking a little bit about students that came from a low socio – economic status is important to give as a good example the Holmes school. Was magnificent see the effort and the passion that the principal from that school have and who committed and involved he is in trying to resolve the problems that the students live and deal in their day to day.
          After have contact is this kind of situations I am know sure that poverty affect students to be successful but, that doesn’t mean that the kids with the right help and attention cannot be successful. The teacher is the big “weapon” that enables the students with poverty background to be successful and be interested in school. As a future teacher and educator I’m going to support my students in every single ways that I can, trying to know more about their life in order to help them to be successful in school. In my opinion a good teacher always believe in the capacities and in the success of their students.