Beyond the Headlines: My View of the Classroom 

A young writer reflects on school, home, belonging, and her evolving role in the community. 

As students head back to school this fall, new surveys show worry about education across the United States. According to weekly polling by Bryson Gillette, most voters are concerned about school budget cuts and their effects: students unprepared for jobs, less support for students with disabilities, and overwhelmed teachers. At the college level, most Americans oppose federal control over university programs and curricula, and nearly three out of four voters reject cuts to financial aid for low-income students. 

These education worries connect to broader concerns about rising prices, healthcare costs, and protecting people’s rights. Together, they show families and communities fighting for fair access to good schools, stable finances, and equal treatment. 

What can be missing from these polls are the voices of students actually living these experiences every day. Statistics reveal how adults feel about education policy, but what is it like to sit in the classroom? Student perspectives can tell us what they’re learning, what they need, and how world events show up in their daily lives. That’s why we are taking a moment to turn the microphone over to one young person navigating the school system as it currently exists.  

We welcome you to engage the following thoughts and observations from SFUSD student and guest contributor, Ohio R. 

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August 18, 2025. First day of 7th grade. 

It’s a cold, crisp fogust (foggy + August) morning in SF, and I leave the house at 8:30 a.m. to meet my friends and classmates in the neighborhood to walk together up the hill two blocks to Presidio Middle School in the Richmond district where I live. We get to school at 9:05 a.m. (it starts at 9:30 a.m.), and as soon as I walk through the gates, my insides begin screaming, guts preaching, “Okay, Ohio, it’s time to get to work.” Summer’s over and I need to lock in.   

Science, Week 1: A Collage. 

We hit the ground running. My science teacher gives us an assignment to create a collage that asks, ‘How does science help us?’ I immediately feel inspired by the ocean. There’s a lot about the ocean we don’t know yet. Only 26% of it is mapped. I live right by Ocean Beach – the Pacific Ocean, which connects me here in SF to my ancestors’ homeland of the Philippines. This year, I fell in love with swimming in the tides. The ocean is alive with, like, sea creatures big and small, coral reefs, and seaweed. Also, the color blue is one of my current favorite colors.

Balancing School and Mental Health. 

I am learning a lot about myself, especially recently. I learned that I can get overwhelmed or overstimulated in certain situations. It can get chaotic in my head, so I need to do things to feel more organized.

I like having a plan, and knowing what I need to do makes me feel more at peace. I immediately write things down that I have to do or remember.  Stepping back and breathing is important. I learned this when I was younger, and it is a valuable tool for me in situations where I can have an anxiety attack.

Being a kid and having fun is important to me, and I think it is good for mental wellness, too. I like to do Run Club at my school, even if we have to wake up at 7 a.m. to do it. I fell in love with track & field and I play soccer. Being competitive and using my body actually makes me happy. Hanging out with my friends is also a source of real joy for me, so I can say I highly value that time.  

Local Issues.  

So many of my friends and classmates are spread out across the city. I feel lucky to live within walking distance of my school, while so many of my friends have parents who are already at work in the morning, and they sometimes have to take more than one bus line to get to our school. A lot of my classmates are late because they have to wait for buses. They say the buses are overcrowded, too.  

In terms of meals, our school offers free lunch. I learned that this was important to the district because so many kids are hungry and they don’t have breakfast or lunch to eat. Our lunch lines are PACKED, and after being in that line, there is hardly any time left to eat and hang out, so sometimes students skip lunch so they can just unwind instead. One note, though, our school lunch is actually pretty good! 

San Francisco, beautiful and complicated.  

If SF were a person, its pronouns would be she/they. In one given day, she can be many things. Sometimes, she feels tough like the Tenderloin. Sometimes, she is sweet and generous like the Golden Gate Park. When she is The Haight, she is WILD and has a vintage vibe. She definitely has layers, and we wear layers (haha), get it? She is outdoorsy and artistic.  

My family has lived here for a total of 40 years, if you add my mom and my dad’s time living here. My brother and I have grown up here, and we are pretty proud of that. 

Festivals and Traditions.  

I grew up in a place where many communities celebrate their culture. Diversity is more like an experience than just different kinds of people. I went to Rosa Parks Elementary, and it is where the Japantown and Fillmore neighborhoods are. These are historical neighborhoods for Japanese and African American communities.  

There is the Sakura Matsuri, or Cherry Blossom Festival, that happens every year. Our school participates in the parades and booths. It was at the Sakura Matsuri that I was picked to do a poem about the Japanese Internment.  

Another big thing in my home is October because it is Filipino American History Month. Throughout this month, there is something going on almost every day. I grew up going to Filipino craft fairs or markets and performances to celebrate our history in America. In these moments, I know I belong here and I know who I am.  

I want to continue to be a good member of my community, someone who accepts people for who they are, who listens, who is kind, who is empathetic and generous.  

Let’s Go.

This was the chant throughout my first day back. I’m excited for what is ahead, even as I face the unknown. In a way, this is what kids do best.  

I am Ohio, a 7th grader at Presidio Middle School, born and raised in San Francisco. Fun Fact: I love coconuts (fresh buko).