The Zoo

Yesterday, I visited a school, where the students were displaying dioramas that they constructed based on endangered species. At one display, I asked a girl if she had ever seen a polar bear. She said no. I asked her if she had seen one at the zoo. She responded that she had never been to the zoo. Before I could comment, the boy next to her, also stated that he had never been to the zoo. The girl had wanted to go, but the field trip cost 12 dollars and it was too much! 12 dollars!!

This broke my heart, to the point, that I had a dream last night that I rented a bus and took every single student that had never been to the zoo!

This made me reflect on a previous job where the principal did not believe that money should be wasted on field trips but instead be used for TAKS prep. Even when I located free field trips, I was told that the time could not be put aside for "such things" with testing and all.

Where has education gone? Since when has teaching moved from the enjoyment in a child's eyes due to a new experience to counting the "bubble kids" and calculating how much money they will bring to our pockets.

It sadden me. Very much so.