Abstract:
Lack of funding for schools is a major issue in our educational system. Teachers are losing their jobs and class sizes are growing. These factors can quite possibly have a detrimental effect on the education that students are receiving in the classroom. On top of this, many schools have to find other ways to cut costs. Technology in a school is almost considered a luxury to some teachers. Our children deserve better than this. Now throw into the mix the fact that many of our nation's students are coming to school from a family that lives in poverty. According to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 12.8 million children live in families with incomes below the official poverty level. This also adds to the problems they face in the classroom. School may be the one place they can go where they feel safe or loved or even receive their only meal. To determine how much each of the factors really affects the learning environment in a classroom I constructed a set of interview questions that I distributed to approximately forty teachers and administrators from different schools in Indiana. By reviewing all of the answers I received, I formed my own conclusion about the effects of poverty on the education of our students.
