This young man raised many great points about how are education system fails some very vulnerable students. Unfortunately, the problems are much deeper. No title 1 school has the resources or will needed to combat the generational poverty, trauma, pathology, addiction and illiteracy that are the source of student failure and lack of motivation and opportunities. This young man has more grit and drive than many of his peers who failed out of school and got incarcerated. He probably had adequate parental support which is the ultimate determining factor in a child's success. I doubt his classmate in the same boat would have the gumption to seek a wi-fi connection if they didn't have it. I've taught at an at-risk title 1 school in a rough neighborhood for many years and the problems going on in these kids life are simply insurmountable. If a student born into poverty is functionally illiterate by the time they 15-16 years old, their fate is pretty much written in stone. Incarceration or minimum wage slavery further perpetuating these negative cycles of poverty, illiteracy and criminal behavior. The sad reality is that children born into generational poverty and dysfunction rarely beat the grim odds that are stacked against them. This is precisely how the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. This is precislely why these kids have limited options.

@sheriscofield4335

Жыл бұрын

our* education system

@paperbagproductions103

9 ай бұрын

and this is why it is important for schools to provide some of those opportunities. I know teachers and administration do not want to take any responsibility for the illiteracy and funding issues of our schools but they are partially to blame. Kids coming from poverty have to go back to that same poverty after the bell rings. Their parents are limited in how much knowledge they can give the kids if the education they received was just as poor or even worse. There is no reason for a child to be pushed through school if they are functionally illiterate. Schools have a responsibility to the community. When they say it takes a village they absolutely meant the school system as a part of said village. This is not the time to push blame, we know the system is dysfunctional, however that would also mean all the players in it need to step up and help change it. It is irresponsible not to accept your role in the miseducation and systematic downfall of the public education system as it relates to poor children. Especially if you are a teacher in that system and have watched children make it to 15-16 functionally illiterate.

I’m so proud of my man! I went to school with him during 3rd grade. NCA!!

God bless you gentleman really I appreciate you are telling the world your story

Great job Brandon! Loved your speech.

This made me think of the children's book Thank you Mr. Falker is about a girl (she's white) whose undiagnosed dyslexia causes her to fall behind in school until after moving from Michigan to California she meets Mr. Falker, her teacher who does not give up in making her literate. She was in fifth grade when she was able to read on her own for the first time.

@KaryFeick

Жыл бұрын

I love that story! There's also an episode of "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" like this (which is Saved by the Bell Season 1, pre-Saved by the Bell). Miss Bliss realizes her student can't read when she asks him to choose a president off a list of presidents for a report. None of the ones he chooses are on the list that she gave him. She saw right through his tough-bully-like exterior, and figured out he simply couldn't read. (Not that learning to read is simple.) - A Reading Specialist

Great job Brandon!!

Brandon, thank you for putting social action into play and for bringing awareness to the present conditions in our failing school systems! Blessing to you. 😊.

Thanks for sharing your story. Many Blessings for the Future.

Should be mandatory viewing for all students, not just students of color.

amazing speech. Truly inspired

A bit late to the party, but I want to add a bit of my perspective. Yes the schools need to take actions to support literacy and student support. However the biggest struggle from this is based on the economic support schools pull from, that being mostly local property taxes. This inherently provides the schools in a wealthier community a significantly larger pool of resources and funding than a more rural or poorer community. This is just the funding too, the means of survival are significantly different and create an environment where adults find themselves struggling to find their own next meal, let alone a child's. The most important thing we can work on is a change in our governing and community collaboration. It is a fancy way of saying 'get along with each other and support each other', but this isn't the onus for the poorer community. The wealthier communities need to recognize their advantages and grow empathy for those who were not born into opportunity. I am sure if anyone responds to this it will be a quick "socialism bad" rant, but I just hope that we recognize that there are no absolutes when engaging between economic ideologies. Some capitalism and some socialism should be the basis for society. We want to spur creativity while supporting those who need it. Went on a bit of a tangent, but the overall point being, yes the schools can make changes to improve literacy, but Mr. Briggs himself said "I couldn't have cared less..." (about FSA test) because of all the harrowing experiences around him. He found a way to push himself, received and gained support for his education, and had to fight to get to where he was today. I couldn't say the same. I didn't come from money, but I didn't grow up in a difficult environment either. I know my struggles and how much easier it was to get through when comparing it to fear of shootings, cops, peers, and so much more. I lived in such a harrowing environment after high school for a time, and let me be clear, no matter how easily I learned to sleep through gunshots in the night, did it make it any less stressful when I had to pull my car out of the heavy gate that hid my apartment building? No, and at least I had that gate too, unlike the neighboring apartments. I know that if I was trying to learn in such and environment I would be too worried about the trip too and back from school rather than anything the teachers were trying to provide, let alone about the potential danger in the schools themselves considering our current struggles in that regard. This all boils down to one simple premise, if we don't address the causes of the stress that makes kids focus on survival rather than learning we won't be able to make any meaningful changes in school policy that can make real change.

Brandon Griggs is clueless. He just wrote an opinion piece for CNN saying that Journey is popular “largely due to one song.” He thinks Don’t Stop Believing is their one hit. Gimme a break, they have dozens of massive hits.

Fraud fraud