Problem Proposal Assignment 2
The incident took place in a middle school situated in Lafayette, Louisiana, within the
Lafayette Parish school district. At that time, I was working as an eighth-grade math teacher and
track coach. It was during the spring season when track practice after school brought a striking
realization to light.
The day after track practice, I noticed one of my students, John Doe, waiting for his ride
home. As time passed and his ride didn't arrive, I made the decision to stay with him until he
could get home safely. Eventually, after realizing that his ride wasn't coming, I took it upon
myself to drop him off at his makeshift residence. It was during this act of kindness that I noticed
it wasn't the same place he usually stayed, and that's when the truth dawned on me - John's
family didn't have a stable place to call home. This prompted me to report the situation to the
Dean, Ms. Williams, and the Principal, Ms. Dom. I informed both of them that when I dropped
John home, it wasn't the familiar location. That's when I learned that due to his mom moving far
away, he was staying with relatives who weren't necessarily providing a positive influence.
This incident served as a wake-up call, prompting me to consider the broader issue of
homelessness among our scholars. Upon investigating, I discovered that a significant number of
our students were facing similar challenges. Many of them hailed from unstable homes and low-
income families and were grappling with adversities such as homelessness and exposure to
drugs.
After discussions with the Dean of students and the principal, I spearheaded a fundraiser
with the objective of supporting our community's homeless students. Through successful
fundraising efforts, our school was able to hire an additional social worker dedicated to our
middle school scholars. We also appointed a homelessness liaison to offer comprehensive
Problem Proposal Assignment 3
support to both staff members and the students and their families. Collaborating with our social
worker and homelessness liaison, as well as engaging the community, we were able to provide
supplies for our students and their families. Additionally, our liaison facilitated housing
assistance and social services, ensuring that our scholars had access to essential items like school
supplies, hygiene products, clothing, and food. Some students even received vouchers for
temporary stays at hotels.
Furthermore, as a Title I school, we secured additional funding to provide our students
with free breakfast and lunch. During study hall periods, everyone was given a bag of snacks to
supplement their nutrition. To address educational stability, a colleague from another parish
rendered transportation assistance for our scholars. This involved bus drivers learning new routes
to aid in our school's dismissal and transportation, offering added support for students who had to
make their way across the nearby interstate.
The entire experience not only shed light on the prevalence of homelessness among our
scholars but also reaffirmed the importance of providing support for their basic needs and
educational stability. Without taking that extra step for John, I might not have realized the extent
of the issue of homelessness among our students.
