It's Summertime--Will the Living Be Easy?
Hi, everybody! Sorry I'm a day late, but I was very busy yesterday doing some much needed upgrades to my computer system. Every thing's fine now, and my computer is up and running as usual.
Wow! The last week of school before summer vacation! I know I'm looking forward to three whole months of loafing around the house (although my mom isn't), and I know that the teachers at my school are looking forward to this break as well, although I know that most of them will have summer jobs to fill in for the income they won't be getting teaching. I don't know what they're going to be doing this summer. In case you're not a native of California, let me be the first to tell you about the catastrophic economic woes in this state. As a result of the overwhelming defeat of Governor Schwarzenegger's propositions last month, which would have used taxes to supplement the state's income, many severe cuts have to be made here, and one of those cuts will be to this year's after school and summer school programs. Now, let me be the first to tell you, from the kid's perspective, none of us will miss summer school. But from the perspective of grown ups like my parents and teachers, these cuts will severely effect the young, and their futures, in this state. Let me explain it to you.
You see, many students, especially many high school juniors and seniors, were counting on these summer school classes to supplement and catch up to the classes that they missed out on, or probably didn't do so well in, the previous school year. This way, they have a chance to fulfill the obligations of their requirements for graduation and the subsequent entering into the college of their dreams. But now, with the summer school programs cut, this makes it all the more harder for them to meet the demands of the school board's completion codes. Also, some the after school programs for those kids who were doing well in school were job training programs that would have helped them tremendously enter the job market easier upon completion of high school. Now, for these kids, most of whom are the most vulnerable low-income kids, everything, including their ultimate fates, seems to be hanging in the balance.
So, what will some of these kids be doing this summer? Hanging out? Sitting at home watching cable? Going to work with their parents? Well, maybe the lucky ones, since many of their parents are looking for work themselves, because most of them already lost their jobs. And these grown ups will probably be competing for the same summer jobs that their kids will be applying for! And another thing: Hot summer weather, coupled with young people with nothing to do and nowhere to go, could be a very , um, unsettling, combination. Remember the old saying, "Idle minds are the devil's workshop?" That could be something not too many of us would care to think about for too long. Maybe it would be a good idea to reinstate those summer school programs.
Until next time, stay well, and keep well!
Sincerely,
Marley Sue
Wow! The last week of school before summer vacation! I know I'm looking forward to three whole months of loafing around the house (although my mom isn't), and I know that the teachers at my school are looking forward to this break as well, although I know that most of them will have summer jobs to fill in for the income they won't be getting teaching. I don't know what they're going to be doing this summer. In case you're not a native of California, let me be the first to tell you about the catastrophic economic woes in this state. As a result of the overwhelming defeat of Governor Schwarzenegger's propositions last month, which would have used taxes to supplement the state's income, many severe cuts have to be made here, and one of those cuts will be to this year's after school and summer school programs. Now, let me be the first to tell you, from the kid's perspective, none of us will miss summer school. But from the perspective of grown ups like my parents and teachers, these cuts will severely effect the young, and their futures, in this state. Let me explain it to you.
You see, many students, especially many high school juniors and seniors, were counting on these summer school classes to supplement and catch up to the classes that they missed out on, or probably didn't do so well in, the previous school year. This way, they have a chance to fulfill the obligations of their requirements for graduation and the subsequent entering into the college of their dreams. But now, with the summer school programs cut, this makes it all the more harder for them to meet the demands of the school board's completion codes. Also, some the after school programs for those kids who were doing well in school were job training programs that would have helped them tremendously enter the job market easier upon completion of high school. Now, for these kids, most of whom are the most vulnerable low-income kids, everything, including their ultimate fates, seems to be hanging in the balance.
So, what will some of these kids be doing this summer? Hanging out? Sitting at home watching cable? Going to work with their parents? Well, maybe the lucky ones, since many of their parents are looking for work themselves, because most of them already lost their jobs. And these grown ups will probably be competing for the same summer jobs that their kids will be applying for! And another thing: Hot summer weather, coupled with young people with nothing to do and nowhere to go, could be a very , um, unsettling, combination. Remember the old saying, "Idle minds are the devil's workshop?" That could be something not too many of us would care to think about for too long. Maybe it would be a good idea to reinstate those summer school programs.
Until next time, stay well, and keep well!
Sincerely,
Marley Sue
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