Homeless Students In Seminole County, Fla. Struggle For An Education

As more Americans fall from the middle class into poverty, the rate of homeless families is on the rise, going up nearly 9 percent in 2010. For the children of those families, the transition can be devastating.

CBS's "60 Minutes" dedicated a recent segment to the nearly 1,000 homeless youths living in Seminole County, Fla. There, local schools have provided a variety of programs to help kids through rough times, from bus routes that make stops at the motels where they live to specialized programs that emphasize social and emotional learning.

Beth Davalos, who runs the homeless student programs in Seminole, told CBS correspondent Scott Pelley that five to 15 new homeless students enroll every day. She said that they're struggling, not just because of their living conditions but because of how long the insecurity lasts.

"When I first started this program eight years ago, homelessness lasted maybe two, three months. But now with it lasting three, six months, a year or two years, this is when children are developing who they are and their foundation is broken."

Pelley spoke a variety of Seminole students about how their homelessness affects their schooling. They said that hunger and poor access to utilities were were aggravating and often interfered with their education and their self-esteem. One student explained how she tried to find food, saying:

"It's kind of embarrassing because the next day, you go to school asking kids if they want this, or if they want that. If they have cereal and they haven't opened it yet, you go ask them if they want their cereal."

The problem doesn't stop in Florida. "60 Minutes" reported that, according to an analysis of national data, the portion of children in the nation now living in poverty is approaching 25 percent.

"Those children will be the largest american generation to be raised in hard times since the Great Depression."

WATCH:

Comments

[Georgious Bushus]

12:19 PM on 04/12/2011

Satan created this crisis, he will be happy only when he create atheist communism in USA

[Mondieu]

12:56 PM on 04/13/2011

Oh, eat your bible.

[glossy go]

09:00 PM on 03/19/2011

here's the story: the family we were trying to help: zero income they got 367 in food stamps.

unemployment kicked in and they got 1188.

dept human services took away the food stamps: down to 64.00.

now: they COULD pay rent with 1188 and get on a bus to get to a job interview and keep a phone to respond to job interviews and wash their clothes for job interviews.

or

they can pay rent and not eat

or

they can not pay rent and use part of the rent not paid to eat.

eat or rent?

the food stamps at 367 allowed them to eat.

[Georgious Bushus]

12:50 PM on 04/12/2011

very nice of U

[robert horwitz]

08:09 AM on 03/13/2011

OK its not exactly a productive idea but it makes the point. Tee shirts for kids sporting the phrase. "We Don't Do Homework Without Homes".

[gwilder]

09:29 PM on 03/12/2011

I see this sort of thing everyday at my job, and it's heartbreaking. More than half the people who walk into our offices are denied help because of deep budgets cuts. It's cruel.

[KenKo]

03:32 PM on 03/11/2011

More tax cuts, please. THat will show them... I really don't understand American priorities.

[Christopher Bowen]

02:35 PM on 03/09/2011

When a country as wealthy as the United States has twenty-five percent of its children living in poverty, we no longer have much of a moral compass. These are the kids whose backs are used to balance budgets these days. Also, when the United States is compared to other countries in terms of test scores, usually those countries do not have twenty-five percent of the test-takers living in poverty. Those countries, the ones with the higher test scores, tend to take better care of the kids in those rooms. Want higher scores? Start here.

Chris Bowen
http://teacher2teacher.lacoe.edu/a-fresh-dreamer.aspx

[Mondieu]

06:05 PM on 03/09/2011

It's an absolute travesty when we are spending over a Trillion dollars per year in defense budget and keep cutting down assistance for the poor. I cannot understand how any can rationalize that this is the correct and moral thing to do! Until the people in charge can feel hunger on a personal level; they will never ever change their ways.

[garystartswithg]

01:17 AM on 03/11/2011

Seminole County is part of my old stomping grounds, and I left for a reason. The people in Central FL will live out of storage units before voting to put a roof over their heads. People with nothing talk about how the minority president wants to take everything they own I don't know how you can possibly steer that ship around. The majority of the parents of these kids are strong GOP leaning to tea party -- that is what Seminole county is. I love FL, its in my veins, but I don't know how you empower those that refuse to be empowered. Parents will damn their own children to misery and poverty before accepting anything labeled "liberal". How do you reverse that?

[Sam Salinitis]

06:54 PM on 03/08/2011

While I read about Gates and his globalist school system he dreams of - maybe he could invest in Seminole County. By the way, when will Florida understand that more teachers would run to the state if they knew how to pay for top tier talent to work and live in Florida.

[garystartswithg]

01:23 AM on 03/11/2011

I lived in Orlando, Seminole County is part of the burbs. The people have been steered to vote against what is in their best interest. The school system and the local governments are more corrupt than i could do justice to in a few hundred words. There are good, even outstanding people working hard on the ground, but the endgame belongs to administators and polticians, and its a losing battle.

[Sam Salinitis]

07:08 PM on 03/11/2011

sucks i would be the first one down there if they paid teachers a decent salary.

[Ladybuc99]

02:59 PM on 03/08/2011

I live in Seminole County and just watched the commission Meeting on TV. I was shocked to see that it took a piece of bad press on 60 Minutes to push the Commission into acting like they may do something. Like always, however, it's up to the charities (funded by you and me) to fix this problem. Not that charities are bad, but the root causes are not being addressed. The standard answer is "let's all donate". And then (!) they whine about things like “Socialism”. I’d rather live in a society with strong social programs, than one in which children are starving and have no place to live!
I'm sick of it! These poor kids along with their families don't need charity! They need a CHANCE to get back on their feet. This will not be accomplished by tax breaks and utility bill discounts for businesses and rich people. Where are the JOBS, Mr. Scott???

[2ewdee]

10:21 PM on 03/08/2011

"These poor kids along with their families don't need charity!"
Exactly.
I remember a time when people commonly did not accept charity. Now I know why. Root causes need to be rectified.

[Mondieu]

06:07 PM on 03/09/2011

I couldn't aqree more!

[PoliSci2008]

02:15 PM on 03/08/2011

I had read that President Obama wanted to keep his Ipod to keep in touch with reality. I hope President Obama is reading this, as well as viewed 60 Minutes report on this just the other day.

[Mondieu]

06:07 PM on 03/09/2011

Sorry, he's too busy meeting behind closed doors with important Wall Street Billionaires.

[dubbleplusgood]

11:34 AM on 03/08/2011

whiners... don't they realize their sacrifice is needed so that 400 americans can own half the countries wealth, and get tax breaks upon tax breaks upon tax breaks?

[Patricia Cash]

10:06 AM on 03/08/2011

Its going to become worse,with the Republican Tea liberterian Party cuting from the bottom and the middle to give to the top. Some Republican like Mike Lee are saying and tryin to introduce bills that Child Labor Laws aren't Consitutional and Ron/ Rand Paul saying that Education isn't a right it has to be earned . Its time that every American Takes to the halls of Congress and stay there until all the wrongs are righted and Bill are reintroduce to Force Corporations and the Very Rich to pay their Fair Share at the Expense Not Ours. Corporations pay ZERO taxes and the very right pays less than a person who earns 50k per yr . Rick Scott and the Frist Brothers along with others at HCA belonged in Prison but the Frist Family Wealth Kept them out by paying a fine. They brought in Jack Bovendar to clear everything up in order to protect HCA and its holdings. Florida is going to see more families in the street ,every State that has Republican Governors and State houses are going to see more of this . It won't be long before 25 % becomes 50% and still the greedy Republicans will continue to force America into being a 5th rate country - Still Voting Republican in 2012? Do so at your our peril.

[PoliSci2008]

02:19 PM on 03/08/2011

Patricia Cash, you gave me the drive to keep voting. Thank You for your comment.

I've been so disappointed with the give aways to the rich, that it WAS my intent not to be bother with the 2012 elections.

F & F

[Patricia Cash]

03:51 PM on 03/08/2011

@Polisci we need you and every Democrat ,Liberal,Progressive and Indy to vote in 2012 its really a make or break year for this country. We must push back against the Corporations benefactors the Republican Tea Liberterian Party. Too many people lives are at stake . Too many children needing a roof over their heads ,too many children need 3 meals a day vs the one meal they are now getting in school. Too many 4-5 yr old needs Head Start and Kindergarten to help them to achieve their educational goals that their parents set for them. Too many seniors need us to vote for them so they can enjoy their golden years and too many crooked people wanting to steal our wealth for themselves we need to keep out of office . We need you ! I saw what Rick Scott,Tommy Frist and The Old Man Frist did in Nashville I saw the dbl billing everyone in Nashville did and everyone thought Scott would go to prison but old money kept him out. Jack was the only respectable person they could find to right that ship. We are headed for something awful if we don't all work together to end the Corporate nightmare that we have found ourselves living in. A Corporatist Country is an Unhealthy Country.Any Tea bags want to argue that with me?

[Yam716]

03:59 PM on 03/09/2011

I am a FL resident as well and actually voted. I think the problem is that most people don't see midterm, local, county or state elections as important as the Presidential one! Well we get what we deserve in Rick Scott...I thought for sure Alan Grayson would win! FL proved me wrong!

[Mixpixlix]

09:06 AM on 03/08/2011

I, too, found this story heartbreaking, but not unexpected. For 30 years Florida has been encouraging wild, uncontrolled growth. Giving tax breaks to large corporations and turning a blind eye to the scams and cons that permeate the state.

Most recently, the voters elected a thief and liar to be governor. Rick Scott belongs in jail. His company,HCA, stole hundreds of millions from Medicare. Somehow his CFO and COO were found guilty, yet, he...the head of the company got away "Scott" free (pun intended).

Until we, as a country, wake up to the problems greed YES greed creates, nothing will change.

In the land of plenty, children go hungry? We should be ashamed.

[PoliSci2008]

02:25 PM on 03/08/2011

We as Citizens must volunteer of services on Criminal & Civil Grand Jurys. We as Citizens can bring a formal complaint to District Attorney of the Grand Jurys, and by sitting on the Grand Jurys, we, as Citizens, can ensure that trails are conducted.

[veteran teacher]

07:49 PM on 03/08/2011

You bet he belongs in jail. Check out this deposition testimony of his......says it all

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIYad3TvY6Q&NR=1

[Mountain Momma]

02:54 AM on 03/08/2011

This story was absolutely heartbreaking. I watched it last night and cried. There's a point where Scott Pelley is questioning the students, and you can see him getting choked up as they are describing what it feels like to go to bed hungry. It shows what teachers are trying to tackle every day. Kids are coming to school with the weight of the world on their shoulders, many teachers know this, and they want to do what's best for the kids, not waste time teaching to a meaningless test.

[veteran teacher]

07:50 PM on 03/08/2011

Jeb Bush ought to hang his head in shame.

[Mondieu]

06:11 PM on 03/09/2011

Jeb Bush has no shame.

[2ewdee]

01:35 AM on 03/08/2011

The problem with education is that the politicians refuse to focus on its root cause -poverty, that which their policies have created.

[thevamprn]

01:49 AM on 03/08/2011

Sorry, it's not poverty. Parents are no longer teaching personal responsibility. Their kid's poor proformance is becasue of the teacher, school, rich, etc. The human mind is without limits. Education is in books, not buildings. Are parents demanding excellence from their children or planting them in front of the play station because they are too busy/tired to take in interest in their own child's education. Knowledge is not obtained through limited facts, but the quest for knowledge itself. Personal accountability=personal empowerment.

[JudyDutrow]

11:45 AM on 03/08/2011

Really? So go tell the 13 year old girl who is homeless that she needs to take personal responsibility. Easy, no problem there. Your response is indicative of people who just prefer the blame game because it's a lot less trouble than helping with the solution. Get off your high horse and do something constructive.

[2ewdee]

05:09 PM on 03/08/2011

Poverty and homelessness has dire effects on the parents to, their hopes and what is available to do for their kids.
"Busy/tired" from parents working 16 hours a day/ 2 or three jobs to keep the roof over their heads after being brainwashed by your politicians into the culture of capitalism? The structure of family has no place in capitalism. What you are seeing are effects that are now multigenerational. People fought for their kids to be educated beyond that which they were allowed.
How do parents in poverty educate their kids when they have no educations themselves?
Again, it is about what their policies have created. Poverty. Parents suffer poverty too. Parents are also affected by poverty.

[thevamprn]

01:55 AM on 03/08/2011

Consider reading "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," by Adam Smith. http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html

[nukemind]

12:06 PM on 03/08/2011

Hmm, yes but Adam Smith's work, while seminal is only the beginning of understanding economics as there is a whole lot of thought afterward. Also read:

Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (Great Minds) by David Ricardo
Das Kapital by Karl Marx
The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money by John Maynard Keynes

And many many more!

[Tulka2]

11:18 PM on 03/07/2011

There should be no assigned homework.  School should go till five p.m.  Students should have a break after formal classes and then sit in study halls, with computers and teachers until five.  All "homework" should be done in that time.  Kids should go home and spend time with their families with no pressure.  No heavy book bags either.