Joe Martinez
By Joe Martinez, Ed.D.
Doctor of Curriculum & Technology
Students across the nation continue a downward trend of failing their state academic standardized tests, with scores getting worse over time.
Studies have shown that there is a correlation between hunger among some students and poor academic performance at school, especially among those from lower social status groups.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, food is one of the first basic needs a person must fulfill to progress to higher levels of need, including learning, which is challenging for some families here in San Benito because poverty runs rampant amongst its citizens.
When I did my doctoral studies here in San Benito, what I heard from a majority of teachers I interviewed was that some of their students had to work to help out their parents put food on the table, pay for rent and utilities, and therefore, their academic studies suffered severely because of this, causing a cascading effect on their school performance, lower grades, higher absenteeism rates, with some eventually dropping out of school to work and help their households.
Teachers also stated that students were insecure of where their next meal was going to come from when they were at home, away from school, and away from free school breakfast and lunches.
Studies have shown that academic performance decreases when a student is hungry because their concentration is diminished until their basic necessities, such as food, have been met.
Food insufficiency in a student’s household can harm their academic performance, especially in reading and math.
Studies indicate that hunger can negatively impact school-aged children, affecting their mental health, peer relationships, social isolation, punctuality, attendance, and increasing the chances of repeating a grade.
Studies have also shown that parents facing food insecurity at home experience increased stress, mental health issues, and difficulty supporting their children’s academic efforts at school.
What can we, as citizens, do to promote a healthier environment for our students, especially when it comes to food insecurities for students of modest means?
We can inform their parents about programs available to them, such as SNAP, WIC, free school lunches, and other supplements that can help reduce the costs of providing food for their households. There are also community programs that can assist with low-cost housing or utilities.
Teachers can also help identify students who might need a referral to social workers or other programs that could assist them in obtaining proper nourishment at home when away from school.
One of my goals is to see a community kitchen or cafeteria implemented within our city, where food is provided to those that need it; something like Loaves & Fishes in Harlingen, but directed more to help children and students that need meals while away from school.
Let’s face it, the Rio Grande Valley is one of the poorest areas in the country, especially the city of San Benito where, according to statistics, more than 28 percent of residents are below the poverty line and 12.6 percent are living at 50 percent or less of the poverty level, which adds up to about 40 percent of residents living in poverty.
Another factor influencing poverty is the limited employment opportunities within our city, which are minimal at best.
Community leaders must do everything they can to attract businesses and companies to our area. There is also no employment agency here to help local residents find jobs. There are many things we can do to make our city of San Benito more conducive for learning, to eliminate hunger, and reduce poverty among our citizens, but it takes teamwork, community leadership, and collaboration with businesses as a whole to accomplish that.
My vision for San Benito is to prepare our student population for academic success in pursuing future careers that can foster growth within our community. Let’s make San Benito the gold standard for students to learn, grow, and succeed in all their academic and career pursuits.
1 comment
The primary issue doesn’t necessarily start with lack of nutrition. I myself grew up, much like many of my peers at school, in a lower income bracket, but my parents made sure that I was always fed and well dressed. It may not have been a big meal, but hunger was never an excuse for bad performance in school. No one wants to address the real issues.. that often falls on culture and family dynamics. I would make an educated guess that many of the children attending SBCISD have parents who are not U.S. citizens, don’t know the English language, nor do they have a proper education and how can a child ask their parents to solve for X or read their paper for grammatical errors. The other issue is the lack of the nuclear family in minority communities. For too long, minority communities have been made dependent on the government to provide for them, so long as there is no father in the picture. This is why students in extracurricular do better in school.. coaches take on the ‘father figure’, they add stability, and someone to admire or make proud. Throwing money into another food program doesn’t address the problem.. it just lines the pockets of those in charge.