life lessons from a 15-year old
The power of the written word is astounding. They have the ability to entertain, inspire, educate, and heal. Words form tales that teach about religion, history, news, and personal stories. In a picture is worth…: the voice of today’s high school students, the written word turns the sharing of students’ stories into lessons in life, critical thinking, and academic accomplishment.
The setting is Reading, PA, a city that Philadelphians rarely think about, but shares similar struggles with its schools. In 2011, the New York Times gave the district the not-so-savory distinction of having highest poverty rate in the country. That means that Reading schools faced ailments that commonly plague urban institutions in high needs areas, including high dropout rates.
When terms like “”low performing” and “high needs” are used to describe schools, assumptions are made about the students who attend those schools. That they, in fact, are low performing, and that their limited access to the resources of wealthier districts somehow speaks to the students’ inherent abilities. Unfortunately, all too frequently test scores are allowed to be the sole voice that speaks to student performance. What is overlooked is the talent and intelligence these students already have that can be drawn out and expressed in so many ways other than through tests with the help of innovative and passionate educators.