fish bowl

Today I participated in a meeting that involves leader of the school board and other adults that want to improve our public schools here in San Francisco. They showed statistics of attendances, if students feel safe at school and if they feel staff care about their future. It was not surprising for me to see the low percentage of students who feel safe and comfortable at school especially at the high school level. They had students from different high schools including myself go on stage and share their high school experience. We did answer the questions but I feel I wanted to say more. I think they wouldn’t know a teenager’s wants and needs by just six questions. I believe our pubic schools need improvement; I feel they should be more connected and caring for their students. In elementary we do have this relationship with the teacher because her main purpose is to teach but also to build a trust so that you won’t feel bad when your guardian leaves. It starts changing when you get to middle school. I believe middle school is where you start to see the dangers in the world. For example the drugs, physical violence against peers and feeling you have to be involved in a “click.” As you get to high school you bring this mind set was well as others. I think some high schools don’t really have the tools for teenagers. At this time a teen needs to be heard with their personal as well as educational problems. I believe college student should build programs where they work in high schools and share their struggles with the teens. A teen needs to know they can go beyond high school. That there is a world that they still need to explore.