For me it’s not about rocking the boat or the way to do things. The task before them is gigantic - basically trying to make up for all the problems in American society: lack of housing, food insecurity, criminalization of poverty, lack of livable wages, erosion of the safety net, etc etc. So far, every teacher my kid has had has been wonderful, dedicated, overworked. Some kids won the privilege lottery and others didn’t. Education is supposed to give everyone a level playing field - but it’s impossible when everything else around them is a shit show. A kid in my child’s class shows up every day to class with pants that are too short and his sweater is full of holes. But he’s there. His mom, who shows up in dirty clothing and looks high half the time, makes sure he is there on time. She needs help beyond what the school is equipped to provide. You can tell that this kid will not get a fair shot at life and will probably end up dead or in jail before he’s 25. The schools need additional funding from the state to administer social programs to help the parents get out of poverty - more social workers, job trainings, parenting classes, etc. Im not going to judge why someone is in a bad situation. I don’t see poverty as a personal failure but as a societal failure. We collectively are failing these children by not providing what their families need to succeed. I would rather my tax money go there than in military spending or expanding highways.