All kids need chance to succeed

There is a bill before the Legislature that intends to address what some have argued is the inequity in school funding formulas. I am hopeful that I may help to sensitize those from more advantaged school districts to the desperation we feel in Franklin county in terms of our woefully underfunded school system.

Originally from Pennsylvania, I have had the distinct pleasure of residing in Maine for the past 14 years. While overall my experiences in Maine have been most gratifying, one issue that has been consistently discouraging is the poor health of our school district (SAD 9). Personally, I was educated in suburban Philadelphia in a public school that routinely boasts better than 93 percent of their high school graduates going on to college. In contrast, SAD 9 reports a markedly smaller percentage pursuing advanced training, and most of this number move into trade schools rather than college.

While there is clearly nothing dishonorable about trade occupations, there is a problem in what young people in Franklin County can realistically aspire to regarding their occupational future. With only a limited economic base to support education, our kids learn early on to compromise their aspirations. Unlike school districts in southern Maine, ours has almost no money for extracurricular activities, and very little capital for even the essentials.

It is intriguing if not poignant to observe that people accustomed to going without, such as we have here, can actually develop a certain fear of education. Two years ago, in the midst of what has become an annual school budget crisis, an interesting letter appeared in our local newspaper. It was obviously from a gentleman afraid that passage of the school budget would mean increased property taxes. His letter concluded with the following question: “What’s more important? Education or putting food on the table?”

Sadder than the disjointed logic in this question is that the letter seemed to epitomize the thinking of a frighteningly large faction whose own school experiences left them ill-prepared for empty promises of a better future. Implied in this man’s letter is a sense of betrayal, making him ask why raise taxes for an institution that, in his view, has failed to prove itself.

My son, Chris, attends eighth grade at Mt. Blue Middle School in Farmington. He is bright and exceptionally motivated, as any teacher or coach will attest to. His goal, possibly premature, is to attend Dartmouth and to eventually become a neurologist. Despite the fact that our teachers struggle to do the best they can with their limited resources, my son’s experiences in reaching out for the caliber of education that will assist him in achieving his goals oftentimes leaves me feeling guilty as a parent for not providing him a better educational environment. It would be heart-wrenching to see him or any of his friends abandon goals because of complacency with the status quo.

For those unfamiliar with SAD 9, if you were to visit my son’s middle school, you would be greeted on any given day by foul odors, oftentimes a distinct urine smell. Unfortunately, the odors have been deemed by state inspectors to be far more toxic than simple bathroom smells. For several years, teachers and students alike have become sick due to dangerously poor air quality. An entire section of the school has even been closed to classes due to the health risks.

My son frequently comes home with little homework because, quite simply, in many classes there are no textbooks to actually take home. Those that exist need to be shared, and only during the school day. Can you imagine trying to learn without any textbooks? And because of limited school funding, our school has had serious difficulties recruiting certified teachers. This has meant that in spite of our teachers’ best efforts (and most of them seem to be quite dedicated), they are not always providing instruction in the fields for which they have been certified.

Sociologists argue that an individual’s mentality — their values, expectations, and even world view — is largely a reflection of the environment in which they function. In my undergraduate training, I had a professor who scheduled biweekly seminars at his house for upper division students. Students were expected to dress formally because my professor could cite research to indicate that when dressed like a professional, students are more inclined to think like one. The same holds true for a school setting. Bright, airy, stimulus-enriched classrooms with energetic teachers bring out creativity and excitement in the students. Conversely, dank, unhealthy, malodorous environments lead to a loss of morale in children and teachers alike.

In short, we have an unsafe school (as documented repeatedly in the newspapers), few if any textbooks, and sub-par quality of instruction. Many in our area have opted for private schools in the hope of a better academic environment. For most of us, though, not only can we ill-afford private schools, most of us want to be part of our children’s life and therefore do not wish to have them away in a boarding environment.

We know that not all communities in Maine suffer our hardships. We look enviably at schools that provide such things as new computers, ice hockey arenas and swimming pools. We covet their new buildings and diversified curricula. At this point, our goals are much more basic; we are simply looking for new books and a healthy school environment. Ours, unfortunately, is a system in which we feel relatively deprived, a system that prevents kids from dreaming about a better future.

By fostering limited expectations, our schools perpetuate a culture of poverty that is reflected not just by material disadvantage, but a collective consciousness that degrades the psyche and even the spirit of our young students. As a society, we will all pay one way or another, whether its now for education or later for concomitant social problems.

I challenge readers, especially those from more affluent areas who have benefitted from the present funding formula, to take the bold step of supporting a more equitable distribution that will benefit not just a few, but all of Maine’s children.

Jeffrey T. Leonards, Ph.D., of Wilton is a licensed psychologist for Evergreen Behavioral Services.