To all those who are worried about underprivileged kids not being able to attend physical school in LA..

And those who are talking about the digital divide and the failures of online learning with  that group of students due to the disparities in income.

Those disparities have always existed, are many times systematic, and are best abated by direct aid.

In all my years as a teacher the one program that has most helped the lives of my students has been ACA which gave families healthcare.    The difference within days to a year was amazing.

Food stamps also help.   EDD benefits help.  MORE OF THE $6 trillion stimulus would help families.

In all of those years I’ve yet to see a  group of students families lives made better because our government gave a tax break to Walmart, Or Starbucks or Amazon or any group of billionaire investors..

It doesn’t trickle down!  It’s been 40 years since Reagan -  how’s that working out for us?   For our “poor” students and their families.  40 years.. that’s 2 generations.. almost three for some of our students families..

But, if people have money in their hands.. to spend on indispensable necessities and a few creature comforts.. that money does work it’s way back up... into our economic system.

Somebody commented that this may be the time to fix this for our students… And they are right this is a historic time… This horrible pandemic lays bear the inequities of our system…

And shows that even those of us who are better off how we need a stronger social net for everybody because it keeps us safer..

Now even the richest 30 to 40% of us cannot be guaranteed that if  they go to the hospital that they will be given the therapeutic drugs needed to help ease the pain of a terrible cover infection…

Because our system does not have them prepared or available…

Because our system is based on scarcity to increase profit.

Not prevention to keep everybody healthy.   

Now,we can change that..

So some ask?  How do I support poor kids?  While keeping teachers and kids safe?  And support teachers in doing so.

How do I do that?

Start sending this petition to your congressman and Senators, start others..  petitioning for funds and resources for our deprived students families like the  ones described in the LA Times.

L.A. Latino, Black students suffered deep disparities in online learning, records show https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-16/latino-and-black-students-hard-hit-with-disparities-in-their-struggle-with-online-learning

Please read, Sign and share.