Pearblossom Education

"In July of 2023, Washington D.C. passed a bill to cut nearly $64 billion from educational funding." With lower attendance projections and not enough money, “the bill reduces U.S. Department of Education funding to its lowest levels since 2006. These cuts affect both K-12 education and higher education funding, making cuts to federally funded education programs across the board, and certain programs would be totally eliminated as a result” (TexasAft). And here we are, nearly a year later- reaping the consequences. As our school year comes to an end, as do many people’s jobs as districts prepare for enormous budget cuts. Dave Miller from Think Out Loud states that “difficulties mainly stem from inadequate state funding for K-12 public school districts, especially considering inflation and state requirements. Other factors include fewer enrolled students due, in part, to lower birth rates, pensions that need to be paid without allocated funds, higher student needs, and the end ...

"We teach because we care." As things get "back to normal," relatively speaking, as does the perspectives that our youth have had during this past school year. This year I was lucky to work at an elementary school in a Kindergarten classroom. Most of my students were not able to attend preschool due to protocols- as many of the preschools had stopped taking incoming students. I could see the positive impact that either preschool or the attentive parent serves for children 3-5 years old. They have seemed to have grasped the concept of writing and numbers much more easily if they had worked with it prior. Though there are always obstacles to overcome in learning, overcoming challenges are actually an integral piece to education. While there were positives about staying home with our families and learning for the past couple of years, there were also downsides. I was lucky to speak to a few students about the impact this has had on their lives, and what they are doing ...

According to a recent article from CeoWorld, there are a few factors contributing to the demise of the education sector currently.  Remote learning and digital classes have come into play quickly, and many teachers and students do not possess the skills necessary to navigate this platform.  The stress and change has caused many teachers to quit, and students are dropping out of public school, turning to homeschool or online learning academies.  A good chunk of our public students have already "dropped out" of school.  I know parents that have relished in the fact that they get to homeschool their girls. They get to travel all over the country while successfully checking in for classes online. Everybody is happy, they get to enjoy family time, and the kids get to experience the real-world. It's like field trips, but all of the time. "Not all classrooms have four walls." Remote learning and digital classes, while convenient for adults, are not so convenient for ch...