A story of poverty in the Bronx

I am a public school teacher in New York City. I
joined the New York City Teaching Fellows in 2003 in
order to help make a difference in the lives of
under-served children in America. I truly thought of
my work as public service, much like being in the
Peace Corps.

My encounters with poverty and its effects are too
numerous to list here. But I would like to share one
brief story with you. I thought of this student today,
as I read the New York Times report on Pres. Bush
stating that Americans do not need universal health
care because, "We have emergency rooms."

He was a small 9th grader. He had smooth dark skin and
neat braids. He often wore a green bomber jacket and
spotless white sneakers. He wasn't terribly interested
in school, but he came regularly if for nothing else
but to tease teachers and flirt with girls. He had an
infectious smile and was often successful at both
tasks.

One day he was absent. Then another. And another. When
he returned to school he looked ashen, and sat quietly
in the back. Before the morning was up he put his head
on his desk and slept. Shortly before lunch I gave my
lesson and was circulating around the room helping the
students with their work, when we started to hear a
soft, but distinct sound of sobbing coming from this
boy in the back of the room.

The students looked at me. I, being an inexperienced
teacher, didn't really know what to do. But I
approached the boy, and sure enough, he was crying
quietly in the back. I was concerned the other
students would make fun of him, but they didn't.

After I dismissed the class for lunch, I asked the boy
why he was crying. He told me his tooth hurt. He had
an intense toothache and his mother did not have the
money to send him to the dentist. She had been out of
work for some time, lost her benefits, and couldn't
afford the $50 it would cost to pull the tooth.

I walked him down to the nurse's office, where he was
able to rest. I asked the nurse if there was anything we could
do. There wasn't much. Occasionally government
agencies will relent when it comes to medical issues,
but dental issues are ignored. She promised to try to
get in touch with his mother and find out if there was
some way she could help.

There is so much money in New York! How could this
boy's health and education be in jeopardy over a $50
dental procedure? No one deserves to be treated like this!