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1845- Article 7 of the Texas Constitution

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1845- Article 7 of the Texas Constitution

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Constitutional Law- Article 7 of the Texas Constitution states the state must establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools (TX Const.art.7, §1.).

Article 7 of the Texas Constitution provided me with the opportunity to attend a public free school growing up. Public schooling provided my family with the ability to send me to school without paying tuition. As an educator, this is an opportunity for low socioeconomic families to obtain an education without worrying about paying for their child's education. Additionally, schools have various resources to assist families of low socioeconomic status with supplies and other items as needed.

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The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides free and reduced lunches to students from low-economic households. Low-income children are eligible to receive reduced-price or free meals at school, and children in homes with incomes below 130 percent of the poverty level or those receiving SNAP or TANF qualify for free meals. Those with family incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty line qualify for reduced-price meals (Feeding America, 2022).

Through the NSLP, my sons were provided with breakfast and lunch daily. As a single mom of three boys, my income as a first-year teacher wasn't the best, and paying the total price for all three would have been very difficult since the price from elementary to secondary was higher. As an educator, this program is a blessing for my students. For some students, breakfast and lunch provided by the school are the only food they may have for the day. Students need to be given proper nutrition to prepare for learning mentally.

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Brown et al. v. Board of Education was a historical case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools throughout the United States is unconstitutional (Brown et al. v. Board of Education, 1954).

This case paved the way for students of Mexican descent to attend school with children of different races. Before this case, my hometown of Del Rio had its case, Del Rio ISD v. Salvatierra. However, this case was ruled that the school's segregation of Mexican children was legal. Many parents felt the Mexican children were not given or provided with the same resources as the White children. In my educational journey, I have been exposed to different races with different life experiences, so I learned how to solve problems differently. In addition, the school provided the students with the same materials to learn.

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Statutory Law- Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—including pregnancy and parental status—in educational programs and activities.

All public and private schools, school districts, colleges, and universities receiving any Federal funds (“schools”) must comply with Title IX.

In my educational journey, Title IX played a vital role in my continuation of education.  I became a parent in high school and was required to be out after my son.  I was provided daily with a homeschool teacher provided to me by my school district to keep up with my classes.   Paying for outside homeschooling would not have been feasible.

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Student Financial Assistance Act of 1975

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Student Financial Assistance Act of 1975

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Statutory Law- Texas must establish financial assistance programs to enable qualified students to receive a post-secondary education (3 TEC § 56.001).

Financial aid played an essential part in my receiving post-secondary education. As a teen parent, attending college was only a thought due to finances. Still, with the financial aid program, I obtained my bachelor's degree in education, which enabled me to provide for my children.

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Covid-19 continues to be a global pandemic. Since the spring of 2020, Covid-19 has caused many fatalities, sickness, supply shortages, school closures, and loss of jobs. According to Chen et al. (2021), low-income families were more concerned about their students' education than higher-income families.

In my journey in education, the pandemic has affected all students. However, I was able to see firsthand how students from low-income families struggled more than those with higher-income families. My students from low-income families would often not have the supplies they needed at home to complete or participate in-class assignments. It was challenging for those students who were not provided with an electronic device when our school ran out, and they did not have the finances to buy a laptop or computer. Also, parents who lost their jobs were struggling to pay for rent, let alone wifi for their children to attend class virtually.

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Socioeconomic equity in education provides all children with the opportunity to learn and experience academic success. Texas has a variety of guidelines to ensure all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status with the means to a proper education. As a school counselor, I will provide my students with the resources available to meet their needs socially, mentally, personally, and academically. As we continue to navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the responsibility of school stakeholders to continuously research ways to provide students of any socioeconomic status the opportunity to be successful.