Makyla Orman

Sept. 27, 2019

SED 322
Advocacy Project

Environment Analysis

Teachers are charged with both academic and non-academic responsibilities. Along with

providing students with the skills to be successful in the twenty-first century, they also make

connections and maintain relationships with students, parents, colleagues, and the community.

These responsibilities are compounded when they work in low socioeconomic areas like those

around Yuma High School. My signature assignment is how to best meet the educational needs

of these students who live in poverty. In this paper, I will cover both the internal strengths and

deficiencies as well as the external opportunities and challenges facing students and teachers.

An important resource that the high school district provides is a Think Pad which each

student can check out and use during the year. This allows the teacher to use a wide variety

resources that are available on the internet. Students use Canvas, a digital learning platform to

get information from the school, to post assignments, and so on. Classrooms also have smart

boards such as Promethean Boards, lady bugs and other devises to promote learning. The major

strength in the classroom is the instructor. Teacher programs today do a much better job of

preparing teachers to work with low income students. School Districts also provide training

throughout the year to help teachers meet the challenges they face. They also provide specialist

and teacher mentors to assist teachers who may need additional support. Many of these students

are also in programs such as ELL, migrant, and/or special education. Each school has experts

who provide extra support for students in these programs. The high school district also offers a

strong CTE (Career and Technical Education 2019) program. Students can take classes in
automobile technologies, construction technologies, welding, agribusiness, certified nursing

assistance program, and cosmetology as well as others. These classes often offer dual high

school and college credit and in several programs, students graduate with professional

certificates (Yuma Union High School 2019).

While there are many strengths, there are also deficiencies in resources and capabilities in

the schools. Because of the teacher shortage in Arizona, schools have to hire teachers who are

not highly qualified and even some who do not have a degree. Often these long-term substitutes

are not prepared for demands of students and the curriculum. The facilities are outdated

especially in the science labs. Classrooms are often crowded, desks are mismatched and walls

look dirty. Teachers want their rooms to look inviting and open, but are hindered by the facility

itself. Many subject areas do not have text books. Books become quickly outdated so teachers

have to rely on online resources. Students come to school without necessary supplies like

scientific calculators; the school has to provide these and the number is limited.

The Yuma community supports education generally. Bonds issues pass and parents and

neighbors buy candy and candles which students sell as fund raisers. Concerts and football

games are attended not just by parents and students, but by community members. But there are

fewer resources in the community than what might be found in a larger city. In the area near

Yuma High School, the Martin Luther King Center provides a safe place for students to hang out

with recreational facilities as well as access to the internet in a quiet study area. For youth 16 to

21, they provide employment and vocational training (Martin Luther King Teen Center). The

libraries provide a teen area and free activities weekly for teens, including movies and clubs.

They also provide classes on an intermittent basis on computer literacy skills, languages, and

other various other topics (Yuma County Library 2019). The Littlewood Art Center and
Community Coop offers free classes to anyone under 18 and since it has moved downtown is

easier to locate (Littlewood 2019). Some of these resources can be provided on site. For

example, Lia Littlewood will go to classrooms and provide an art lesson. The libraries welcome

classes to their facilities. Other community resources that teachers can tap into are the Yuma

Historical Society, Somerton History Society, Veteran’s Way, the Yuma Territorial Prison, the

conservation garden, 4-H, garden clubs, and the University of AZ extension.

Another great resource in our community is Arizona Western College. High school

students can take college classes at a reduced tuition rate and receive both high school and

college credit. The college provides many vocational programs for students who want to learn a

skill and go to work quickly. In September of this year, Dr. Corr announced a new program

which offered the class of 2020, the opportunity to go to college with 100% of their out-of–

pocket tuition paid as long as they were enrolled full time and completed their degree within 5

semesters (“Arizona Western” Sept. 16, 2019). A final resource that the community offers is

YCAT which provides bus service every day from 5:25 a.m. to 8:30 throughout the Yuma area

even including Arizona Western College (Yuma County Intergovernmental Public

Transportation Authority 2018).

There are factors in the community which have a strong negative effect on the school. In

Yuma, there are many different gangs especially in the Yuma High School and Kofa High

School areas. On September 12 of this year, the Yuma Police Department reported that 80% of

the almost 300 crimes reported in the last twelve days were tied to the dozen active gangs in

some way. Students living in poverty are especially susceptible to gang membership. Drug use

especially fentanyl is on the rise. With the proximity to the border, drugs are easily accesses

(Encinas, Clara Sept. 2019). Many of the students who live in poverty live in single parent
homes or with other family members. Their parent/guardian may work long hours and unable to

provide guidance and help with school work. Many do not speak English. For girls especially,

higher education is not considered a priority (Rumberger, Russell, PhD 2013).

These students are much more likely to drop out of high school. Factors such as “high

mobility and homelessness, hunger and food insecurity; parents who are in jail or absent;

domestic violence; drug abuse and other problems – known as toxic stressors” are factors that

schools and teachers have little control over (Rumberger, Russell 2013). It is our job as teachers,

our calling really, to mitigate these factors while students are in school.
 References

“Arizona Western College Promises High School Grads Zero Expenses to Complete College.”

(September 16, 2019). Retrieved from https://www.azwestern.ed/about/news/arizona-western-

college-promises-high-school-grads-zero-expenses-complete-degree

Encinas, Clara (Sept 12, 2019). “80 Percent of Crime in Yuma Tied to Gangs.” Retrieved from

https://www.kyma.com/new/80-percent-of-crime-in-yuma-tied-to-gangs/1120254421

Littlewood Art Center and Community Coop (2019). Retrieved from

https://www.littlewoodcoop.com

Martin Luther King Teen Center. Retrieved from https://www.yumaaz.gov/parks-and-recreation/

martin-luther-king-teen-center.html

Rumberger, Russell W. PhD (May 2013). “Poverty and High School Dropouts: The Impact of

Family and Community Poverty on High School Drops.” American Psychology Association.

Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/resouces/indicator/2013/o5/poverty-dropouts

Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Services. (2018). Retrieved from https:

www.ycipta.org/routes-and-service.html.

Yuma County Library. (2019). Retrieved from http://yumalibrary.org/teens

Yuma County Parks and Recreation (2019). Retrieved from https://www.yumaaz.gov/documents

/parks-and-recreation/administration/2019-2020.

Yuma Union High School District Career and Technical Education. (2019) Retrieved from

https://www.yumaunion.org/Page/55.