Poverty

When I tell people I teach in Olathe they automatically assume a high income area. This couldn't be any farther from the truth. I teach at a Title I school (low income), I've always taught in Title I schools even in Ottawa and I love it. But, it's hard, and only getting harder due to the economy. Each year our poor kids get poorer. Each year our middle class seems to shrink. Each year the behavior and academic skills our kids come to school with is frightening. Each year our kids deal with more and more things that kids should never know about. Each year it breaks my heart.

Many people don't think that Olathe or Johnson County has poverty or homeless, but we do. The school I am at has within our attendance boundaries the only homeless shelter in Olathe and one of the few in the Kansas City area. In the seven years I've taught in Olathe I've only ever had one student every couple of years that is from the shelter, or "the lodge" as we call it. But this year alone, I've had three!!! And to be honest, most of my kids look like they are homeless because of their family dynamics and situations. I've visited the homeless shelter several times. As a new educator to Olathe that was our first staff field trip and boy was it humbling. Then this year I suggested to our principal that maybe it was time for another field trip for our whole staff. What I didn't realize it that I would be touring one of my future student's home. Since then our staff has made an effort to donate items that they need at the lodge. The amazing director said she has to ration toilet paper, can you even imagine! I've dropped off toilet paper and diapers on multiple occasions and each time it is a gut renching experience. My heart goes out to these people. Some of them are working the system and aren't good people, but some of them have had unforeseeable events happen and are trying to do better.

On 60 Minutes this Sunday they ran a report on children living in poverty. It talked about how buses are now making stops at motels to pick up kids. They polled an audience of children about going to bed hungry, not having electricity, and living in their cars. I know of several families living this way. One of the statistics that stuck in my mind is that in the last 2 years the poverty rate for children has went from 14 million to 16 million and they are expecting it to reach 25% of all American children will be living in poverty soon. Holy Smokes!! That is one out of every fourth child!!! Then I learned yesterday that Olathe Public Schools reported 20% of children living in poverty last year and has increased to 24% this year. Shocking!!

What will happen to our nation and our people when 25% of all the children grow up in poverty and start becoming adults?