ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author outlines his educational experiences, deals with social issues that he encountered along the way. The experiences shared are examined using a mature lens and an understanding of systemic practices within our society that reinforce social stratification. The poem speaks to one’s innate ability and internal fortitude to overcome social, mental, and physical challenges in order to control and create the desired lived experiences in spite of any circumstance. The relationship between educators and the community has become an ongoing focus of school reform in an effort to close the achievement gap. The middle school was quite large and students from several elementary schools merged to attend Burns Middle School. K. L. Payne and B. J. Biddle concluded that school funding in the United States varies from wealthy to impoverished neighborhoods, unlike in other countries that practice equal funding of schools despite location and tax allocations.
