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exbex It’s the third day of school, and in comes a grumpy student who was working her crap minimum wage lunchmeat slinging job until 2 AM. I wonder aloud if this is legal. Other students indicate that it is, for anyone who is sixteen or older (my research indicates that this is true, not surprising considering that I live in one of the more ridiculous of the fifty embarassments). I then begin a mini-rant about how this country seems to have forgotten the efforts of the last 100 years (twas mild, of course, considering the stupidity of approximately fifty percent of the registered voters in this country). Then one of my students interjects, and before I get to her spot-on comment, let me first say that this was a student who came into the alternative school where I work lacking in confidence about her academic abilities a year ago. But anyway, she’s all “It’s not that people have forgotten, Ms. _______, it’s that employers don’t care about people,” and I’m all Merry Christmas in August.
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Date: 2017-08-25 06:15 am (UTC)The girl's spot-on comment is, unfortunately, an evergreen in the service industry. Does the school teach worker's rights? Knowing what is and isn't legal, unfortunately, won't keep abuse from happening, but it does give them a little foundation to stand up for themselves.
I hope your alt school has the resources and support to let these kids rise above their fears/pasts/blockages and succeed in life.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-26 03:23 am (UTC)Well, they have me. I'm doing my best, and my best is pretty damn good. They also have the small schools funding laws, which ensures that the school is capped at 40 students. The small teacher to student ratio makes pretty much all the difference.
It'd make a great research project, and kill a couple of birds with one stone.