COM Outlook Winter 2021

22 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE BY KRISTINA FRITZ-TRIBBLE a less separate , but still unequal , education system Y ou never realize how grateful you are for what you had until you no longer have it. And those who never had it may not know it doesn’t have to be this way. In eighth grade, my mother lost her corporate job, and my sister and I had to relocate schools. We moved 13 miles away, but it felt like we moved to a different world. We had to dress in uniforms. We were only allowed a see-through backpack so possessions could be seen and weapons could be identified. No textbooks were provided for students to take home. Lockers used in the past had been made off-limits, except in the gym. Lunch seating was assigned, and silent lunches were often enforced. Field trips were extremely rare. Dismissal was staggered to limit student interaction. Reading proficiency was so low, and funds so limited, that we listened to audiobooks instead of reading during class. I went from being a regular student at my old school to one of the highest-achieving students in the class. Oddly, the largest change I felt was the mood. Many teachers were so unhappy that they did not put the effort into teaching and seemed to have given up on their students and the system. Students were pushed to the next grade level so they were no longer the teacher’s problem—instead of ensuring they had the preparation to do well in the grade beyond— and to save the school from losing money. The students were also unhappy. They did not want to participate or answer You never realize how grateful you are for what you had until you no longer have it. And those who never had it may not know it doesn’t have to be this way.