Funding Over Students: The DOE Truth
🎓 Held Back for Funding: The Truth About the Education System 🎓
I’m speaking up because the system is failing Black children, and it’s time we call it out. 🗣️ The Department of Education often holds us back instead of helping us soar.
My own story is proof: I earned my certificate in June 2023, but I didn't receive it until November 2025. Two years of waiting for a piece of paper I already worked for. Why? Because the system cared more about the funding they got for keeping me enrolled than they did about my future. 💸
While other students were on the diploma track, I was pushed onto a certificate track just because I needed a little extra help. Labeling me didn't mean I couldn't do the work—I could do the math, I understood the concepts—but instead of a real education, they gave me coloring and scribbling assignments. 🖍️ How does coloring help a student graduate? It doesn’t. It just keeps the classroom full.
They even tried to come for my personal life, questioning my transportation and my choice not to put my newborn in daycare, all while I spent eight years in high school. 🛑
California’s education system needs to do better. We deserve modifications, not labels. We deserve opportunities, not "busy work." I deserved a real chance, and so do the kids coming up after me. ✊🏽✨
#EducationReform #BlackStudentsMatter #SystemicFailure #CaliforniaSchools #KnowYourWorth
From my own experience navigating the education system, it's clear that the focus on funding can often overshadow the real needs of students. The Department of Education’s approach sometimes prioritizes enrollment numbers over genuine progress, leading to prolonged wait times for certification and diplomas. This system disproportionately impacts Black students and others who need additional support but are instead sidelined with ineffective assignments like coloring and busy work that don’t contribute to skill-building or academic growth. The practice of labeling students who need extra help and pushing them onto certificate tracks instead of diploma tracks often denies them access to equal educational opportunities. This can be discouraging, especially when you know you have the capability to succeed in more advanced coursework. When personal circumstances such as transportation or childcare decisions become points of scrutiny rather than understanding, it creates additional barriers that can hinder a student's motivation and progress. These systemic failures suggest a need for comprehensive education reform that replaces labels with modifications tailored to individual student needs and replaces busy work with meaningful learning experiences. Advocating for changes like smaller class sizes, increased support staff, and culturally responsive teaching can create a more equitable environment. Moreover, transparent communication about certification timelines and respect for students' personal challenges must be normalized. In my view, students deserve to be seen and supported as individuals with potential rather than just numbers tied to funding. True educational success happens when schools invest in real opportunities for all learners, adapt to their unique needs, and foster environments where every student can thrive. By sharing stories and raising awareness about these issues, we can push for policies that truly prioritize student achievement over institutional funding.
Yes definitely they need to do better something has to change