A colleague, Sarai Leeb wrote an article about disparities in education for foster care that I want to share this month. She shares her personal experience, and I hope it makes all of us stop and think.
As a learning-disabled adult, I can personally attest to the frustrations I encountered in pursuit of higher education. I will never forget the embarrassment of being in a class where I was unable to read or write “like all the other kids,” or the panicked feeling I experienced , when called on to read aloud a task that at best I would clumsily stumble through, or even worse, remain frozen unable to speak or reply.
Writing, proved to be even more impossible, as the words in my mind, and letters on the page never seemed to match. Thinking back, I hated school! it was hard to escape torment of children laughing at me, calling me unspeakable names. Even my teachers referred to me as “lazy” and a student who “just did not care or was just not trying”.
Thank goodness, for my 12th -grade teacher, Mr. Lincoln, who saw my potential. I was lucky! I had one person in my corner willing to take the time to care, a person who believed in me, who understood that my academic issues were learning difficulties not laziness, stupidity, or lack of ambition. Mr. Lincoln taught me how to think differently and how to learn in my own unique way. As a result, I have gone to college, graduate school and learned how to turn challenges into strengths. Believing and seeing challenges as potential opportunities for growth. Sadly, Mr. Lincoln died many years ago yet his legacy lives on through me. I will never forget the doors he opened when told me “we are going to figure out how you can learn how to learn”, and he did!
Reflect on the children in your care. Do they face challenges in school that continue to remain unresolved? Ask yourself how many schools has your child been too? Are they in one school long enough to master the skills needed to move to the next level? Will they be able to live and sustain themselves when they are no longer in your care? Despite our best efforts to help children be independent and productive youth, many of our young adults exit care unprepared to succeed.
Why you ask?
Partly, it is due to a life plagued by instability. Unpredictability requires that survival take precedence over achieving goals. As children adjust to new parents, classmates, teachers, and different curriculums, they often become frustrated with their schoolwork and overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy. They fall behind in school until finally some just “give up”. Unfortunately, far too many of our youth never graduate from high school. Findings from a survey done in 2011 by the Casey Foundation on emancipated youth states that only 74% of its participants received high school diplomas or GEDs before leaving care. Of these, only 3 % of the high school graduates go on to earn additional degrees despite having programs that enable a virtually free education. Regrettably in today’s competitive job market, untrained individuals have limited options. Without opportunities, our youth are easy targets for criminal activity, life on the street, or become victims of human trafficking. This does not have to be a forgone conclusion as we all can help to change this alarming trend.
That then leads to the question; how can we help?
Get involved! The research suggests that parents who are involved, produce children who value their education and want to succeed.
Attend all meeting! Be active in your child’s education, help the school staff understand the child strengths and areas of concern. Explain how trauma can affect behaviors, and that when displayed in class can be easily misunderstood. Identify and discuss barriers to leaning. Take an interest in school projects and assignments. Set aside individual time, to work one- on -one with every child in your home. When homework becomes too difficult, recruit the efforts of others to help. After all, how many of us still remember Geometry? If knowledgeable friends and family are not available, look into to free tutorial services through local school and colleges.
Advocate! Make sure the school is doing the best job possible.
Legally, public schools must provide students with an education regardless of the services required! If you find it difficult to “connect” to a school, most states have organizations that provide free advocacy services. Remember you do not have to approach this alone.
The following website is a good resource about special education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities www.wrightslaw.com.
Be a catalyst to “conscious learning”!
Teaching your children to manage their time and energy are tools they can use lifelong. Here are some strategies for helping your children succeed in school:
- Set up pre-determined times for them to study. Arrange for rewards after they have completed their homework or project.
- Have your children set aside enough time to take short breaks
- Develop a study schedule, and be flexible if it needs to change
- Find a space they can dedicate to homework.
- Help your youth get organized.
Sometimes using assignment and wall calendars or technology such as iPods and computers can aid in this process.
- Help children plan how much time to set aside for long-term projects.
- Estimate how much time they think they will need to complete each step of a project.
- Reduce stress for both you and your child by clarifying the assignment directly with school staff. If you are not sure about the project's or homework requirement, have your child get clarification from the teacher.
This can give you and your child a better sense of the time, energy and materials required to finish their work.
- Help youth arrange their notebooks so assignment and course syllabi are easily located. You may want to keep a copy’s of assignments at home in the event that the original is misplaced or lost.
Investment in a children’s education will pay off. Stay positive and keep encouraging youth to explore, engage, and expand their learning.
Be patient with your youth as academic delays often stem from biological and environmental factors not in their control. Work with your child to help them understand “how to learn”. Do not be afraid the use methods that are outside the box. Identify and utilize their natural gifts, such as art or music, as we all of their strengths and talents.
Owner/Editor - Chris Chmielewski