It isn’t a shock that in America some schools are still failing. What is a shock though is that some schools are in such horrific conditions that is makes one question the safety of the children. Call it privilege, but I had no idea it was this bad. Well of course not you might say, you homeschool! Well, yes, but I try to keep up with local community and federal issues in education. It is all connected and my family doesn’t live in a bubble. So perhaps I shouldn’t have been as shocked when these photos fell across the news feed of a military support group I am a part of, but I was shocked. Are you?
Photos used with permission from Dayana Bergman
These are just a few of the horrible photos showing the condition of this public school in Lansdowne, MD. You can see more and meet the amazing Mother determined to be the squeeky wheel to get things fixed on facebook.
This isn’t a school hit by a hurricane! It is decades of decay and neglect with mold and asbestos and undrinkable brown water and no control over the temperature. Repairs have gotten bumped back over and over the excuses are a mile long. Repairs “should” be done by 2019 but again, it keeps getting pushed. Now there are 2 new schools ahead of repairs for this one, schools that will not help these kids stuck in this school! Until then, this is what students live with and no one in a leadership position seems to be taking up the responsibility for fixing this by all accounts from Dayana. She says those that work at the school do a great job but they can only do so much. This is in her opinion risking their health and safety too! The only hope this Mom, and all those kids have, is that this is an election year she says. There is no rally cry though from anyone running that they will fix this. Maybe with enough voices someone will hear the plight of those students and this Mom. This horrible school situation shouldn’t be a secret!
While other privileged moms tell her things like “We made our kids a priority and we moved out of that area.” This mom stays, and fights for all the kids because not everyone can move, specially not as you imagine, in that area of Baltimore. So share her post? Perhaps if she can get news coverage something will actually be done. You know me, I normally just toss things like this on my list of 500 Reasons we Homeschool. This though…. this isn’t just a mom complaining. She knows the details and she is fighting. I am impressed, she inspires, and her and kids deserve all the help they can get. My post here can’t do the situation justice, you should really go read what she has to say.
Her post and the rabbit hole: Political discrimination in public school construction funding turns active high school into urban cancer
This is really appalling and sad. We have to do better for our schools! These children are our future!
This is really awful. I have heard good and bad things about Baltimore, they probably have had money/revenue problems a long time. I wouldn’t want to send a child here.