Every quarter, I watch something quietly powerful happen in my classrooms.
Students show up. Some are juggling multiple jobs, others are raising kids on their own, a few have health issues or disabilities, and many are just trying to keep it all together.
And you know what helps keep them moving forward? Government assistance.
Yep. That thing people love to yell about on talk radio and the media.
Food benefits, housing support, childcare subsidies, grants, and even access to healthcare, without that scaffolding, many of these students wouldn’t make it through the first week, let alone finish a degree, land a job, or change the trajectory of their lives.
Is there waste in the system? Sure, there’s waste in every system. But I see the human side of it. I see students using that support not to coast but to climb.
We must stop pretending that “getting help” is the same as “not trying.” Because I’ve got a front-row seat to the trying. And it’s gritty, exhausting, and often heroic.
If we’re serious about opportunity, we must ensure the ladder stays in place. Otherwise, we’ll blame people for falling while we kick the rungs out.
Bruce Elgort 