Reflective Blog 1

After working several weeks with the BSU HEP program, I am still at kind of cross roads. I look at the work HEP is doing and I'm very happy to see a group of individuals who are dedicated to helping students, even nontraditional students reach higher levels of education that they may not have had access to their first time around. Then another part of my is asking why are these students here in the first place? We live in the 21^st century, one that is filled with technology and opportunity at every corner, and these students has definitely been given many opportunities to succeed. However are the “same” opportunities enough for students who are coming from a very different background? In public schools, teachers are hit with every category of student inside their classrooms. Are teachers to blame when it comes to students who don't find success in education, or is there an even greater factor that is holding certain demographics back. As I work through my research I am looking further and further into these questions and how they can, and should be addressed in public schools.

The HEP program falls under the classification of special education in the public school system. This aspect is one that has fascinated me very much. The idea that there is such a need within the migrant working community for there to be a specific program to educate these students is some what a concern to me. The demographic of the students I have worked with are not those impeded by a migrant system but one that is more impeded by prejudices and inadequate resources.