There are no Children Here

1. There are no Children Here Lindsey Morley

2. Overview • This novel follows two young boys, Pharoah and Lafeyette, who live in a Chicago housing project. These boys witness crime on a daily basis, and have to fight the temptation of becoming involved in this trap of a lifestyle. • Pharoah and Lafeyette also deal with the limited opportunities presented in a failing public school system.

3. The Problem: • Like many schools situated in a low-income housing area, funding is limited and the expectations placed on students are rather low. • Even though these students are not pushed toward success like students in wealthy public schools are, school is still a place for these children to escape from the perils of their every day lives. • “Pharoah talked and moved freely at school because he felt protected there. With a sense of security comes comfort, and Pharoah, who in the streets often seemed withdrawn and flighty, livened up at school” (Kotlowitz 68).

4. These students should not be put on the back burner. • All children have a longing to learn and become successful. Funding should not impact their futures. • The vicious cycle of poverty in the school systems could end easily with help from others. • Can wealthy public schools survive with less funding by sharing with low-income schools? • Can more funding for schools be provided by the government?

5. Does this seem fair? Success can be determined by zip code in the United States. For being a nation where all can succeed, it hardly seems fair that some students should have to be educated in buildings that should have been condemned, while others enjoy the lap of luxury.

6. What we can do: • As educators, we can facilitate a positive learning environment, and give these students the best possible education. • Be approachable • By being a trustworthy adult, students will feel comfortable around you and experience having a positive role model. • Provide engaging lessons • Hands-on activities • Real-world application • Have the lessons relate to the students’ lives

7. Remember that… • These students have many obstacles to overcome, and do not typically have the means to do an overabundance of homework. • “Lafeyette suggested that he quit school and find work to feed and clothe the family” (Kotlowitz 99). • “A nine-year-old friend of the boys was shot in the back of the head… he was hit by a bullet meant for someone else” (Kotlowitz 105). • Education is not typically emphasized at home. • All students can learn. It sometimes takes an outstanding teacher to show them they are capable, and to draw out those abilities.

8. “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone, and greater strength for our nation.” – John F. Kennedy