Underfunded, Unsupported
By: Olivia McHaney
Living through COVID both as a student and as an educational volunteer put a microscope on how drastic underfunding impacts the daily lived experiences of students in the public system, during a particularly dire time. In Spring of 2021, I volunteered as a classroom assistant virtually for a special education math class at Fremont High in Oakland. Over the course of five months, I worked with an overburdened teacher experiencing intense burnout in the midst of the pandemic, who in turn was unable to give students the support that they directly asked for. I sat in on calls where students asked the teacher how they could receive support for a myriad of challenges, and her response was “I don’t know what to tell you.” On top of the challenges of the pandemic, the teacher struggled to adapt to the learning challenges of a mixed-level class of students with special needs. I worked to support students in ways that I could by offering supplementary tutoring, but soon found myself experiencing burnout as well.
This period of my life was a strange struggle of experiencing the challenges of underfunding and resource depletion from both sides. I became burnt out as an educator and exhausted by the lack of what I could offer to students, but also frustrated as I asked my professors and administration for support and was greeted with emails left on read. Many of the issues that made it difficult to cope and succeed as both a student and educator at this time could be solved by increasing funding for school counselors, social workers, technology for students, and equitable pay for teachers. It is vital that we advocate for just and equitable experiences for students and educators everywhere.
Education is a hub for the health, wellness, and happiness for young people everywhere. It provides a space for young people to pursue their unique interests, develop social skills, and create a foundation of knowledge that has a direct bearing on the rest of their lives. Beyond knowledge and interpersonal growth, public education institutions are places that provide vital resources for students; school is where children receive physical education, nutritional food, and social support from experienced professionals. There is immense potential within the public school system for the government to effectively support students in many aspects of their lives; in order for that to happen, schools and educators need adequate funding for the work that they do.
Our government puts immense levels of funding into punitive systems that act to punish and control marginalized members of society. If we want to truly prioritize the needs of young people and educators everywhere, prioritization of fully-fully funding public education is vital. Students need to be able to come into an educational space knowing they will be intellectually, emotionally, physically, and materially supported. It is with adequate support that students are able to embrace their power and advocate for themselves and for others.