Kid's Thoughts
Inspired by the words of the incomparable Martin Luther King Jr, the kids of Poway are standing up for what is right-their education.
Here, in their own words, are their thoughts on the current education cuts:
Isn't education the future of our country? I would say, yes. Children are literally the future of California. If we don’t receive a good education, how will we compete and work with the other children of the world, or even our country?
-Apoorva
We are grateful for our education, but the new cuts have left our learning and future in jeopardy.
-Natalia
-Esther
To be honest, I wake up in the morning knowing this major problem is never going away. It’s not going to be a brighter future for everyone.
-Nicole
We are the future decision makers and solve major problems. If they cut lots of money from school districts, not many people will be able to make good decisions.
-Pedram
When we grow up, we want to be doctors, lawyers, and much more but taking away money from our school is taking learning away.
My guess is that people are way too greedy.
My only question is, “What will happen to our future?”
-Elizabeth
My fear is we are not just losing our teacher, we are losing our friend.
Why did this have to happen and what will happen in the future?
-Serenity
I am not the fastest learner so I need extra help from my teacher. If the teachers are getting cut, then we will have more people in our class; the teacher cannot help everybody. The teacher will not get to every kid and ask, “Do you need help?”
-Ting-Ting
I’m really mad that my favorite teacher got pink slipped. I don’t understand why teachers are getting cut. We all have many dreams and we need support to accomplish them. Our education means a lot to us.
-Angel
I just feel really sad and scared because I want an education that will prepare me for my future and whatever I want to do when I grow up.
In addition, I feel the state isn’t taking into consideration the teachers. The teachers love their jobs and they are being taken away from them. I think that is unfair and sad.
-Olivia
Does Schwarzenegger know these cuts are affecting thousands of people?
-Neli
Education is an important part of my life. How can anybody go anywhere without education?
-Alina
If the state cuts the money for education, some students’ brilliance will never be seen.
-Eddie
I can’t believe our governor is doing this because when I was little, I thought that our governor was a hero.
-Dakota
I think that without education, kids cannot be successful in the future. My education will affect me for the rest of my life. Each day, I hope to learn new ideas and do my best to grasp new concepts. If there are larger classes, things will be more difficult to understand. Students will not have the opportunity they deserve. Everyone is worthy of an education because everyone has the capability to learn.
-Kylie
Education will determine my future. I have a goal. My goal is to become the C.E.O. of Disney, but the only way that can happen is through a good education. A good education starts with the teachers; doubling class sizes will only make things worse.
Children are the future and if you mess with their education, you mess with the future. This is my education and I want to be able to get as much out of it as possible. This problem could be avoided in many ways. I am not ok with Schwarzenegger cutting the budget from schools. It doesn’t fly by me!!!
-Brittany
Education is the road to success.
-Karly
It is not right that the best teachers are being let go. What will we do without the teachers that care about us the most?
-Mikey
Education means so much to me because education is the one way I can be someone one day. How am I going to be able to get into college like this? How will I grow up?
Education is the ticket to the rest of my life.
-Shelby
I am really sad this is happening to us.
-Perla
I have been told to never take away time from the teacher and time away from other people’s learning. It seems that the government broke that school rule.
-Chamonie
I love education. Please don’t take it away from me.
-Delaney
Why are they doing this to the schools? Don’t they care about our learning? What will happen to the world and the teachers? Unfortunately, I think that more dropouts and more violence will occur in the world.
-Quincy
I have so many questions and concerns. Here are just a few:
What are we going to do when we don’t understand something and the teacher can’t stop and help us learn?
Will the teacher notice me when I ask a question when she is busy with 39 other kids?
Will the school be safe with so many staff removed from the school?
Will my teachers prepare me for a job I wish to take or will they lead me to a job that I don’t want to have?
How am I going to get a good enough education to be what I want to be when I get older?
Will I be able to keep up with the advancements in technology in such an unstable education system?
Will I learn, understand, and comprehend all of the subjects I can now?
Will the teacher be able to come to me individually in such a big classroom?
Will I have to enroll in other schools to get a better education?
-Dalton
I am worried about my future. If I don’t understand something the teacher is talking about, there will be too many kids in the class for the teacher to help me individually. Furthermore, the best teachers are getting fired. I wish the people of California would worry about our education and our future. I am worried about my education and future; are you?
-Paul
I am very upset, disappointed, nervous, scared, sad, and angry about all of this. Tons of wonderful teachers are losing their jobs. The budget cut is taking away what they love to do. Teachers help us get a really good education; now, it’s going to drop down to just an okay education.
-Brianna
I think the budget cuts are definitely going to affect our future. It is unfair that teachers are losing their jobs and we have to have bigger class sizes. I don’t see how all of a sudden everything else is more important than education.
Our education is really going to change dramatically. Kids are going to have less learning time. Also, kids will have less one-on-one time. For example, if they don’t understand something, the teacher won’t be able to explain it better to just them. Our education is really going to change, and I think it’s wrong!
-Sarah
Education is my future.
I am very concerned about the budget cuts because it is our education and future that is being held back.
I do not enjoy these budget cuts and I think we need to say something about it.
For example, adults got their chance to learn and we need our turn.
I am concerned about the consequences of the cuts. If there is a class with a lot of students, teachers will pay attention to the higher-level students which could lead to drop outs.
If Arnold was in our position, he’d want a good education because without education, you do not have a future.
-Desi
I’m not the fastest learner and I’m afraid that what I want be when I’m older will go down the drain; there will be so many kids in a class that the teacher will not be able to give attention to one kid at a time if help is needed.
I believe if we have 40 kids in our class, we will not be taught what we need to learn to get a good job or to achieve our dreams.
Another thing is teachers are getting pink slips because of the day they were hired and not by if they are a good teacher or bad teacher.
I believe if we have 35-40 kids in our class, we will not be taught what we need to learn to get a good job or to achieve our dreams.
If education is so important, why do you take money out of it?
-Hannah
To me, the worst part of the budget cuts is knowing that teachers are losing their jobs; a lot of teachers have children of their own and knowing that they have to explain to them that they don’t have a job anymore really hurts.
If the cuts go through, students will not learn and test scores will drop faster than a dead bird. Everyone will then sit and wonder, “What happened?”
-Kelly
I think the government is very wrong to do what they’re doing. I think (if they are going to cut teachers at all) it should be the bad teachers who get the pink slips. Did you know they are cutting really good teachers just because of when teachers were hired? If they are going to do this, they should go around to every class and evaluate the teachers.
I’m very worried about my education in the future. I think there are going to be very boring classes. I’ve heard things about having to sit in rows and possibly 40 kids to a classroom. I feel the classes are now going to be non-creative and they are going to by the book. I don’t think they are going to stop to help people who are struggling with a subject which is unfair because they will start falling further behind. I also think the students at the top are going to be very bored and not able to excel in what they need.
I feel the government made a poor choice.
-Samantha
To me the worst part about the budget cuts is that our future is at stake. The critical education we need will be hard to get. If the budget cuts get approved not only might art and music classes get cut, but we will all get put into very large classes with just one teacher. Not only will students suffer but teachers’ jobs will get cut and future teachers will not have the same job opportunities.
Students will not be able to get the same one-on-one time, and it will be hard for each person in the larger class to learn what they need to know.
Many citizens of California will be affected by this loss. After all, in my opinion, education is the most important thing.
-Julia
I’m really scared about the choice the governor is making. How could he pink slip 107,000 teachers? Having 40 kids in one room may increase passing diseases or just have kids taking advantage and start slacking off.
I am honestly worried that kids will not be noticed. This might results in an increase gang authority by recruiting kids that get dragged into the wrong crowd.
-Isaac
Education means a lot to us. Many students are concerned about it.
Education is really important. We all need education.
-Duc
I think if the people of California say we are the future they shouldn’t dump our education. Education should be the number one policy. It isn’t right that we aren’t treated the way the older adults were. They had their chance to understand their learning. Our present is being damaged. Right now, thousands of teachers are losing their jobs too. My teacher’s dream of teaching has currently been blown off.
-Erica
If teachers get fired, where are they supposed to go? They have only majored in teaching and have no other job. Teachers can go broke.
I’m very scared about learning and the education that kids will get. With 40 kids in one class, kids won’t be as educated because of the amount of attention teachers can give. Also, if there are more kids in a class, the bigger the chance is to get sick.
These cuts are ruining the futures of kids. For example, if a slower learner doesn’t get much attention from the teacher, he might drop out of school. If more kids drop out of school, think about the country’s future. We may have an Einstein in first grade but without the right amount of learning, he/she may never catch up to what would be if he/she had more attention.
-Troy
Education means expanding your knowledge and imagination through creative studies and projects. If this were taken away from me and my peers, we would all truly suffer. Without education we don’t have knowledge and without knowledge, we don’t have anything.
With no education, our creative angst is stripped from our minds and we are forced into a boring, rhythmic, plain agenda.
The budget cuts are draining students of their creativity and respect for learning out of their bodies.
-David
Being ranked 48th is not good for the kids of California. I want education to stay in the lives of the young. Please don’t let this change.
-Madison