Teachers - can you tell which kids come from wealthy families and which don't?

[Anonymous]

I teach high school special ed, and the smaller ratios mean my relationships with kids are more intense than regular high school teachers. We also do a lot of reading and writing about their own experiences, and I do things like tie shoelaces, and open lunch containers that means I might notice things that who has restaurant left overs multiple times a week, and who always has new shoes. And I hear about things like the fact that your kid goes three times a week to work 1:1 with a personal trainer at the country club, or that he went to Florida at Christmas, and Aspen at Spring Break, and you asked me to fill out the forms for some really pricey summer camps.

So, yes, I know. It makes a little bit of a difference in how much I hold you responsible for costs. For example, if I take a kid on a community outing, and that kid doesn't have money for an entry fee or something, I'll pay it, every time. If I think it's even remotely possible that you didn't have money to send, then I'll eat the cost. If I know the reason she didn't have money is because you and your spouse were on vacation to Aruba, and you forgot to tell the housekeeper to send it, then I'll wait until you're back and write you a polite note asking for the exact amount.

It also makes a difference when we do transition planning. Do I suggest that $80,000 program?

But mostly, day to day the fact that you're wealthy doesn't impact how your kid is treated. On the other hand, if your kid is living in poverty, I see the day to day impact of that much more clearly, and adjust much more for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach high school special ed, and the smaller ratios mean my relationships with kids are more intense than regular high school teachers. We also do a lot of reading and writing about their own experiences, and I do things like tie shoelaces, and open lunch containers that means I might notice things that who has restaurant left overs multiple times a week, and who always has new shoes. And I hear about things like the fact that your kid goes three times a week to work 1:1 with a personal trainer at the country club, or that he went to Florida at Christmas, and Aspen at Spring Break, and you asked me to fill out the forms for some really pricey summer camps.

So, yes, I know. It makes a little bit of a difference in how much I hold you responsible for costs. For example, if I take a kid on a community outing, and that kid doesn't have money for an entry fee or something, I'll pay it, every time. If I think it's even remotely possible that you didn't have money to send, then I'll eat the cost. If I know the reason she didn't have money is because you and your spouse were on vacation to Aruba, and you forgot to tell the housekeeper to send it, then I'll wait until you're back and write you a polite note asking for the exact amount.

It also makes a difference when we do transition planning. Do I suggest that $80,000 program?

But mostly, day to day the fact that you're wealthy doesn't impact how your kid is treated. On the other hand, if your kid is living in poverty, I see the day to day impact of that much more clearly, and adjust much more for that.

What program is $80k?