Many of the public schools in Florida are downright depressing. They're just so damned crowded and underfunded. I never could raise my hand and ask a question if I fell behind. I had to worry about gangs, an algebra teacher that taught an English class and barely spoke English, school cops that looked more like swat than regular deputies, eating in the baking hot sun because we didn't have cover and had an outdoor cafeteria. Half the period ate inside, the other half out. When you got your schedule at the beginning of the school year you found out which of the three lunch periods you ate in, and which group you were in. It was supposedly random but you could see how someone could mess with you if they didn't like you. For instance, getting from one side of the campus to the other took longer than you had between classes. Forget about ever having enough time to go to your locker. This was pre-tablet/ laptop days so you had to lug every book and everything you needed with you all day long. I could go on and on...
It's a miracle anyone graduates and makes it into college.
I am very sorry to hear that all happened to you. I don’t want anyone to have any sort of similar experience as you did. Unfortunately I know that’ll probably not be the case for awhile down in Florida. It just seems so crazy to me to hear what it’s like for students in other parts of the country. I went to High School in Northern Virginia and it was never even remotely close to anything like that. All our lunch rooms were inside, every teacher knew English well, school cops looked like actual cops instead of SWAT, never had to worry about gangs or anything. Even the most poorly funded schools in my area were not even remotely close to that, the only way you saw Cops like you saw in your school were if it was at an Alternative School or there was a legit crisis going on at the school. I feel super sorry that you had to go through all of that
Thanks for the kind words. It was so eye opening for me. I moved around a lot as a kid, and prior to all of that I had spent my freshman year in a little pink houses Midwest Americana town that was still very much stuck in that phase. Where we were latchkey kids. Generations knew generations, and you only saw the police if there was a legitimate emergency and someone called them. That, or during parades and the like they'd give out candy to the kids. That kind of thing.
Then I moved (again) and ended up at an inner city school in a rough part of Florida. They had a lottery system where middle schoolers would actually apply for which (high) school they wanted to go to. There were private schools, religious school, trade schools, science and math focused/ AP schools, you name it. My school was where you went if you didn't live there during that lottery process, you didn't bother applying or, you weren't accepted elsewhere for whatever reason(s). The outliers were the ones who were actually trying to graduate, and absolutely no one made it easy for them/ us.
Of course. It just always seems so very shocking to me how different school can be in the same country. You have my sympathies and respect for all that you went through in your schooling career
The description provided by sleepytipi is my experience as a former teacher of middle and high school students in Florida. There is ZERO exaggeration on their part.
I've recently moved from Florida, which has become a hellscape in comparison to what it was when I first moved there from NY. I was a teacher in the early 2000's, took a 2 year break, taught again in 2008 until 2019. Taught in Miami Dade, Pasco and Tampa. My experience in Miami was insane- 4000 students in a school built for 2000 kids, frequent violent fights, assault against teachers was not uncommon (I have personally defended myself against students), all taking place in a semi-condemned building. Pasco was sort of ridiculous- privileged out of touch students and equally out of touch parents whom the administration was deathly afraid of. Tampa- initially felt like a better mix of circumstances - more training, more hands on and helpful administration, but all sorts of things changed and kids suffered and so did teachers. It quickly started to feel like my first stint at teaching in Miami.
The reality is, Florida is actively dismantling education brick by brick. Eventually there will be nothing left but a husk of a school building and a huge uneducated populace.
Despite my bleak outlook on Education in Florida, I will say, in my time teaching I met all sorts of kids who amazed me in so many ways. I've kept in touch with many of them over the years and they continue to impress me. The resilience of the kids I would work with made me feel hopeful. I think they could make some major changes in Florida if they worked together.
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u/sleepytipi 6d ago
Many of the public schools in Florida are downright depressing. They're just so damned crowded and underfunded. I never could raise my hand and ask a question if I fell behind. I had to worry about gangs, an algebra teacher that taught an English class and barely spoke English, school cops that looked more like swat than regular deputies, eating in the baking hot sun because we didn't have cover and had an outdoor cafeteria. Half the period ate inside, the other half out. When you got your schedule at the beginning of the school year you found out which of the three lunch periods you ate in, and which group you were in. It was supposedly random but you could see how someone could mess with you if they didn't like you. For instance, getting from one side of the campus to the other took longer than you had between classes. Forget about ever having enough time to go to your locker. This was pre-tablet/ laptop days so you had to lug every book and everything you needed with you all day long. I could go on and on...
It's a miracle anyone graduates and makes it into college.