Public education was conceptualized as an institution that would fight inequality by offering all children an equal chance in life. Unfortunately, schools are currently failing to live up to this goal.

Due to change of financial status my junior year, I had to relocate to a public high school. During the stressful process of uprooting and relocating to a new city/county, I realized that there was a substantial difference between private and public education and that resource allocation in public institutions throughout California is not properly dispersed.

I have been fortunate enough to go to private school for both elementary and high school, however through coaching youth soccer teams in my hometown I have seen the effects lack of funding has had on the children. Many parents would tell me about the lack of programs at the local schools, and how several extracurricular activities were cut due to funding. Listening to their complaints seemed surreal to me, because simple programs that I had at my school were not being provided.

I was made aware of the inequalities in California’s education system from a young age, when I saw my friends commute hours in Los Angeles traffic to be able to access a decent public school. At disproportionate levels, schools are unable to provide basic needs to their students, let alone support programs that will allow students to excel and feel impassioned. 

As a teacher, trying to pull together educational resources and opportunities in a falling down school with a lack of administrative support and budget is exhausting.