How Do We Use Policy?
Through this first unit and final course of the year we care closing this school year by taking our class called, Policy. In unit of Policy, we have been discussing legislation and what it looks like. We dove deeper into what legislation looks like in the past around WWII and what it looks like now the 21st century, especially, with COVID-19 being a very large and global matter. As a field experience this unit we were able to and lucky enough to speak to Connie Jordan for the second time this year. Connie Jordan is a very insightful public defender for the state of Illinois. We were able to learn more about legislation through her eyes, and her perspective of what it's like being a public defender. For this action project we had the chance to choose a bill that has not been passed yet that we may advocate for and write a letter to whom it may concern about our opinion and idea of the bill. Throughout this we have to continue using rhetoric, policy, and a great argument!
SR
GCE Lab School
1535 N Dayton St.
Chicago, IL 60642
May 06, 2020
Omar Aquino
4353 W. Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
Dear Omar Aquino,
Students across the state should have the right to an accessible trip to school, extracurriculars, and other locations of academic involvement. Passionate and persistent students should not need to pay to get to school or any other outside programs. The Downstate Public Transportation Act, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, the Local Mass Transit District Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act provides free fare for veterans with disabilities, veterans, and high school students. As a high school student myself, I would like to support this legislation to be passed.
SR
GCE Lab School
1535 N Dayton St.
Chicago, IL 60642
May 06, 2020
Omar Aquino
4353 W. Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
Dear Omar Aquino,
Students across the state should have the right to an accessible trip to school, extracurriculars, and other locations of academic involvement. Passionate and persistent students should not need to pay to get to school or any other outside programs. The Downstate Public Transportation Act, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, the Local Mass Transit District Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act provides free fare for veterans with disabilities, veterans, and high school students. As a high school student myself, I would like to support this legislation to be passed.
Even though this bill is not just appointed to high school students, this bill can make a great impact on high school students across the state of Illinois. Reasons being onto why this bill should be passed is that students should not need to pay for public transportation every day when education itself is supposed to be free. Schools should be a free and accessible resource for all students. If a student needs transportation to an outside obligation/program, they should also be able to do so. Some students are not fortunate enough to be able to conduct or become involved in extracurriculars due to having to pay for public transportation. The money that is being used to go to school can be used for necessities and school materials.
As a student myself, I have had to use public transportation to get home from school and I know other individuals who do not have any other option other than taking public transportation. It is difficult having to take public transportation to other outside extracurriculars, especially, when not all students live close to their school either. Specifically, in the city of Chicago, a lot of students have different distances and locations that they need to be or take. This requires taking multiple buses or trains that take them around an hour or so to get home. Since each student has longer distances and different places to go, that means that more money is coming out of their pockets. According to the Chicago Tribune they state, “But for the full school year of 178 attendance days, it comes to just under $588. This is too much to ask of the Chicago families who often straddle the poverty line and even of those above it. This is a fee that families in many suburbs do not have to pay because student transportation is often rolled into residents’ taxes.” This means that eventually, the costs of taking the bus or the train every day to school and back accumulates to a much higher cost than what is assumed. Instead of using this money to get books, school materials, lunches, and everyday necessities that a student needs; this also goes for low-income students. Each average student spends about $500 going to school and back home each year (not including any outside extracurriculars). As a reminder, many low-income students are not able to afford this type of effort when trying to save up for college or purchasing school supplies.
There’s a lot of students who are not able to attend or continue any extracurriculars due to the requirement of paying a fee to access public transportation. This limits students to excel within their education, receive credits, civic engagement hours, and references for college applications. This limits the student’s potential to grow and learn into the person they want to become after high school. To add, students are limited to what school they go to based on distance. In some cases, students are not able to go to schools that will better their education to reach their highest potential due to the distance of a school. The longer the distance the more money it will cost to get there and back. For example, “But this is not a story of dollars and cents, it’s about children to whom we owe the promise of a great education. Students like Rita and Shauna (not their real names). Rita is an 11th-grader who lives in central Los Angeles with parents who both work full time. With no one to drive her, she rides the 207 bus and then catches the 105 or 705 bus to complete her half-hour trip to school. She does the trip in reverse to get home.” stated LA DailyNews.
As you can tell, this issue isn’t just affecting students in Illinois, but students across the country. According to Forbes, “It’s not uncommon for rural and urban children to spend more than two hours a day on the bus while their counterparts who can walk or be chauffeured to school attend a dance class or SAT prep. This ‘hidden curriculum’ has been associated with the achievement gap between low-income students and their peers, and it also includes clubs, internships, and relationship-building with teachers and administrators.”
Students, unfortunately, do not have the luxury or privilege to drive themselves to school or be driven to school with a working parent(s)/guardian. Students depend on public transportation to receive an education for themselves, which many students do not have the option to opt-out. In most cases, their parent(s)/guardians are the ones having to pay for their transportation, but in other cases, students are forced to eventually pay for their transportation. Instead of using that money for college and higher education, they are opting to spend that money on a basic need.
Some individuals may disagree and believe that not just high school students need to pay for public transportation, but also veterans as well because of the number of taxes that the city may benefit from. What I have to say to this, is that this bill states that this law would only be used when high school students are scheduled to have school. This means that does not continue throughout the weekends, or for those specific students who do not have school during the months of summer. Education is so-called a “free” and “accessible” system for students to achieve higher education, but with this, in the way, it has become a discouragement for students. The taxes that the cities of Illinois may benefit from the money coming out of student’s and veteran's pockets can be and should be excused. There are thousands of citizens who use public transportation who are not students nor veterans, which will continue to pay for public transportation.
In conclusion, the Downstate Public Transportation Act, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, the Local Mass Transit District Act, and the Regional Transportation Authority Act should be passed into law. Not only would veterans benefit from this bill being passed, but thousands of high school students would be able to get to school, get to any extracurriculars, get to any other outside academic programs, and get home without having to pay for it at all. Students would be able to comfortably excel within their education, and use the money they spend each year for necessities, and to use that money to grow as a student seeking higher education.
Sincerely,
SR
As a student myself, I have had to use public transportation to get home from school and I know other individuals who do not have any other option other than taking public transportation. It is difficult having to take public transportation to other outside extracurriculars, especially, when not all students live close to their school either. Specifically, in the city of Chicago, a lot of students have different distances and locations that they need to be or take. This requires taking multiple buses or trains that take them around an hour or so to get home. Since each student has longer distances and different places to go, that means that more money is coming out of their pockets. According to the Chicago Tribune they state, “But for the full school year of 178 attendance days, it comes to just under $588. This is too much to ask of the Chicago families who often straddle the poverty line and even of those above it. This is a fee that families in many suburbs do not have to pay because student transportation is often rolled into residents’ taxes.” This means that eventually, the costs of taking the bus or the train every day to school and back accumulates to a much higher cost than what is assumed. Instead of using this money to get books, school materials, lunches, and everyday necessities that a student needs; this also goes for low-income students. Each average student spends about $500 going to school and back home each year (not including any outside extracurriculars). As a reminder, many low-income students are not able to afford this type of effort when trying to save up for college or purchasing school supplies.
There’s a lot of students who are not able to attend or continue any extracurriculars due to the requirement of paying a fee to access public transportation. This limits students to excel within their education, receive credits, civic engagement hours, and references for college applications. This limits the student’s potential to grow and learn into the person they want to become after high school. To add, students are limited to what school they go to based on distance. In some cases, students are not able to go to schools that will better their education to reach their highest potential due to the distance of a school. The longer the distance the more money it will cost to get there and back. For example, “But this is not a story of dollars and cents, it’s about children to whom we owe the promise of a great education. Students like Rita and Shauna (not their real names). Rita is an 11th-grader who lives in central Los Angeles with parents who both work full time. With no one to drive her, she rides the 207 bus and then catches the 105 or 705 bus to complete her half-hour trip to school. She does the trip in reverse to get home.” stated LA DailyNews.
As you can tell, this issue isn’t just affecting students in Illinois, but students across the country. According to Forbes, “It’s not uncommon for rural and urban children to spend more than two hours a day on the bus while their counterparts who can walk or be chauffeured to school attend a dance class or SAT prep. This ‘hidden curriculum’ has been associated with the achievement gap between low-income students and their peers, and it also includes clubs, internships, and relationship-building with teachers and administrators.”
Students, unfortunately, do not have the luxury or privilege to drive themselves to school or be driven to school with a working parent(s)/guardian. Students depend on public transportation to receive an education for themselves, which many students do not have the option to opt-out. In most cases, their parent(s)/guardians are the ones having to pay for their transportation, but in other cases, students are forced to eventually pay for their transportation. Instead of using that money for college and higher education, they are opting to spend that money on a basic need.
Some individuals may disagree and believe that not just high school students need to pay for public transportation, but also veterans as well because of the number of taxes that the city may benefit from. What I have to say to this, is that this bill states that this law would only be used when high school students are scheduled to have school. This means that does not continue throughout the weekends, or for those specific students who do not have school during the months of summer. Education is so-called a “free” and “accessible” system for students to achieve higher education, but with this, in the way, it has become a discouragement for students. The taxes that the cities of Illinois may benefit from the money coming out of student’s and veteran's pockets can be and should be excused. There are thousands of citizens who use public transportation who are not students nor veterans, which will continue to pay for public transportation.
In conclusion, the Downstate Public Transportation Act, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, the Local Mass Transit District Act, and the Regional Transportation Authority Act should be passed into law. Not only would veterans benefit from this bill being passed, but thousands of high school students would be able to get to school, get to any extracurriculars, get to any other outside academic programs, and get home without having to pay for it at all. Students would be able to comfortably excel within their education, and use the money they spend each year for necessities, and to use that money to grow as a student seeking higher education.
Sincerely,
SR
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