Appalachian Issues Met With Education Advocacy
By Wallace Caleb Bates
Over the past several months, I have continually contemplated what it means to live in these mountains I so proudly call home. I grew up (and currently reside) outside of Jackson, Kentucky, in rural Breathitt County. Our area has gained attention recently because of Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy, a Ron Howard adaptation of the 2016 J.D. Vance book.
Vance’s book unjustly portrays Appalachia in a negative light. His criticisms blame Appalachians for the cultural, economic, and political issues facing the region. This piece, as I write it, is not intended to criticize Vance, though. I am entitled to my opinion, which is rooted in truth, just as Vance is entitled to his.
The people in Appalachia are resilient. For many years, coal barons exploited hard-working people who needed to put food on their family’s table. Education was not an option for folks in years past because mere survival was of such great importance. The situation has improved greatly, but there are still systemic barriers which exist; affordability is one of the greatest roadblocks.
Vance’s enlistment in the military is a common aspect of many Appalachian peoples’ stories. The military serves as a bridge to success for many folks. My own father is an example of the military’s ability to provide avenues for folks seeking a way out of intergenerational disparity. Without financial assistance provided by the military, my father would not have been able to complete numerous post-secondary degrees.
My father’s story is my story, just as my grandmother’s story is my story, too. After years spent in a marriage which ended with divorce, she learned lessons of courage and resilience. She passed those lessons on down to me. With memories of life as a young girl with little opportunity for academic or educational success, my grandmother instilled in my father the importance of education.
I, too, believe in the importance of education, largely because I have experienced its power in a unique light. My maternal grandmother retired from the field of education. For years, I have heard stories from my grandmother’s former students about the ways in which she positively changed their lives. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Education has allowed folks like Mr. Cameron Adams, an attorney in Eastern Kentucky, to reach success; education changed his world. I thank Mr. Adams for granting me the opportunity to interview him. Education is the way out of disparity, so it is crucial for our leaders to treat it as such, and the discussion which we had was largely rooted in the field of education’s influence on Adams’s life.
The lack of prioritization in families is reflected on a much larger scale: schools across the Commonwealth of Kentucky also fail to regard themselves as a top priority.
Growing up as a young man, Adams’s family did not always prioritize formal education, in terms of learning from the education system, as a top priority. The lack of prioritization in families is reflected on a much larger scale: schools across the Commonwealth of Kentucky also fail to regard themselves as a top priority. Athletic programs are well-funded while other extracurriculars, like the academic team, are restrained to inadequate supplies. The issue also impacts academic programs as textbooks for AP classes arrive late. In the classroom, Adams experienced the failed prioritization firsthand.
Young people tell stories of feeling behind in their learning because education systems in Appalachia do not always provide them with the resources necessary to achieve success in a globalized society. At their cores, education systems should prepare students for life after graduation regardless of the path they choose to follow. Not all folks decide to become attorneys or doctors because vocational trades are equally as important.
From a young age, Adams learned information from folks without degrees. He came to love learning outside of school. At a young age, he began reading books from boxes, digging to find stories about leaders such as John F. Kennedy and sports legends such as Pete Rose. Adams’s love for reading guided him through, and he moved the alarm clock to his bedroom when he was in second grade because he wanted to ensure he was awake early enough to attend school. Learning became a matter of great importance to him, and he worked to ensure that his siblings loved learning too. Adams loved school although the education system did not exactly reciprocate those feelings of admiration.
The problem is much larger than just the education system, though; it is evident that societal systems are set up against folks living in the hills of Appalachia and Eastern Kentucky. Ensuring access to educational opportunities cannot be a priority for some families because basic needs must be met first: keeping a house warm in the winter sometimes (quite literally) overpowers ensuring access to standardized test preparation materials. Our economy is failing as jobs leave, and there are no jobs to attract newcomers. The politicization of education in small towns makes for a very complicated situation, too. Breathitt County is all too familiar with the ramifications of a politicized system of education.
To be quite honest, Breathitt County is all too familiar with struggle. I have always said that the mountains are our greatest blessing; however, as I have grown older, I have begun to realize they are our greatest opposition, too, keeping us so isolated from the rest of the world. But in that globalized world, there are many unique opportunities becoming available. Many believe our society is thirty years behind, but the recent influx in access to online platforms has resulted in rapid growth.
I have always said that the mountains are our greatest blessing; however, as I have grown older, I have begun to realize they are our greatest opposition, too, keeping us so isolated from the rest of the world.
The connection of folks who live in different Appalachian counties makes for an interesting dilemma as well. Appalachians are very proud of their individuality yet also proud of their collective belonging. Competition drives a lot of life forward. For example, the county-wide elementary basketball tournament each year makes for lots of tension as the three elementary schools go head-to-head in an attempt to bring home a trophy. The same competitive values are applied on a much larger scale, too, even when it comes to county-versus-county competition, region-versus-region competition, and state-versus-state competition.
The steadfast love for competition often drives gaps of division between folks who should otherwise work together. So, I largely believe working to solve issues facing people in Appalachia starts with a great effort to unite people. In society, politics is very divisive, and the landscape consists of people who either identify as Democrats or Republicans. The divisiveness of the system alienates people and leaves progress out of the picture. Learning to see past basic differences makes for a more successful government. I believe in the power of a government which works to meet the needs of all of its constituents — and the same goes for education systems, too.
The education systems in rural Appalachia became politicized long before the politicization of society. I believe that progress is achievable only with bold (and sometimes unpopular) action from leaders. One of the largest challenges facing Appalachia is job growth, and the political interrelations of school districts exacerbate this issue in a unique way. Landmark legislation to encourage accountability in the hiring processes for districts is needed, as is accountability in general, especially when it comes to budget allocation. We must ensure future generations of Appalachian educators share the values of the education system in America: the values of compassion, of humility, of progression, etc., because all educators should have a passion for equity in the system; the future of education in the Commonwealth should unquestionably promote an equitable education for each young person.
As we work to reform the hiring process in schools, we must simultaneously invest in opportunities for young people to work toward the achievement of their dreams. Our students need access to quality resources, including new textbooks, virtual educational programs, and various other means to reach success. Additionally, students must understand the necessity of aspiring to achieve their goals.
Different divisions of the education system must work together. Public school systems must continue to uplift young students in all grades, and post-secondary education institutions must be prepared to meet their students’ needs when their students are ready to learn. Collaboration is of great importance; education is very much a community-based effort. With that effort comes the necessity of encouraging young people to believe in the importance of education. The emphasis should come not just through words, but through meaningful actions — including bold investments in the education system — because future generations deserve nothing less.
Appalachia’s issues can be solved with attention, dedication, and time. I believe in the power of education, just as I believe in the power of what we can accomplish together when education is prioritized.
Wallace Caleb Bates is a senior at Breathitt High School.
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The Student Voice Forum and the Student Voice Team were part of the Prichard Commitee for Academic Excellence when this piece was published.
