Our Schools Must Support ALL Students

By Daisy Oram

It is no secret that the public school system applauds itself for the successes of some but ignores the struggles of others. While I breezed through school without needing extra support, my sibling has had a vastly different experience. They began their public school journey in a dual-immersion program that sought to allow them to become fluent in English and Spanish simultaneously. This track set them off course in many areas but most notably in spelling and writing. Arriving in middle school, they struggled with their speech and experienced difficulty spelling words over four letters. Elementary school had significantly unprepared them and did not provide them with the resources to catch up to their peers. 

Middle school comes with a new set of challenges that include discovering who you are. During their transition to middle school, my sibling has experienced bullying that has negatively impacted their mental health. Their school has provided minimal support for any of their struggles, whether that be the bullying or the constant struggle to catch up with their classmates. 

While it may be easy to blame the school for the lack of support, we must look at the broader picture. School’s are lacking the resources to support their students in the ways they need to! We must provide mental health services. We must provide support for students who are falling behind! How can we do this? Give our school’s the resources they require. Fully fund our schools!