Published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on September 19, 2021
Read original letter on stltoday.com.
Regarding Tony Messenger’s column “Teach for America changes its focus amid difficult times for public schools” (Sept. 14): It’s no wonder so many teachers are leaving this much-needed profession because they have to deal with more problems than ever before. Too many of our students have had rough childhoods, and schools don’t have the staff skilled enough to deal with that.
A very real issue is what is not happening before our children start school. Too many enter school a year or two behind because of inadequate reading, talking, playing and singing in their homes from birth. Many don’t know their colors, letters or shapes, or how to write their names. And there is just no way to catch up. This is where the school-to-prison pipeline begins.
Two big reasons for this are that their parents work two and three jobs just to survive, and many are not aware of the importance of reading, talking and playing because they did not experience them when they were growing up. Poverty plays an enormous part.
Research shows that those who come to school already behind rarely catch up. University-level schools of education turn out teachers who have few to no classes on the crucial relationships between parents and teachers, school and home.
We need every one of these children to enter school ready to learn, stay on or above grade level, graduate from high school and go on to college, or some other post-secondary institution and enter our workforce. Not the workhouse.
Karen Kalish • St. Louis