Educational expectations vary from state to state in the public school system of the United States—and even within states there are often extreme variations between school districts in different counties.
Though we might know that in theory, it's still jarring to witness the differences for yourself.
Mom and TikToker Ellie, or @reheatedcoffeeclub on the platform, recently did a short TikTok series explaining that she and her family had decided that they would be moving from Northern Florida to West Hartford, Connecticut, for "family, the quality of life, the schools" and more.
Because she has multiple children, a key concern for Ellie was providing her kids with a quality education—preferably one where book banning and active school shooting drills were not a central feature—instead filled with art, science, and other opportunities for self-expression.
While visiting a school in the district her children would be assigned to, Ellie realized how much she and her family had to look forward to by moving to Connecticut, to the point that she wished that she could attend school with her children.
Excited by what she had seen, Ellie rattled off:
"We passed by an ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom, and it's where students learn to speak English."
"There were science labs and art labs and all of these extra programs that have already been cut with Florida budget cuts."
"These are public schools that have resources and filled libraries and just amazing teachers who value acceptance and equality."
"I'm just so excited. I literally want to go to elementary school with my kids; it is so nice there."
The mom described the walk-through as a "dystopian" experience as she realized what was normalized in her current school system that would receive shocked expressions in others, including her future Connecticut district.
You can watch the video here:
The comments section of Ellie's video popped off, ranging from excitement to bewilderment to reality checks. It's important to remember that Ellie's school experience is not representative of all Florida schools, but there are definite differences between the education provided in Connecticut and in Florida.
Some, just like the person who had given Ellie the tour, were shocked by some of the things she'd seen in her school.
@reheatedcoffeeclub/TikTok
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Others welcomed the family with open arms and hoped they enjoyed the experience.
@reheatedcoffeeclub/TikTok
@reheatedcoffeeclub/TikTok
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@reheatedcoffeeclub/TikTok
@reheatedcoffeeclub/TikTok
Since posting this video, the family has since moved to Connecticut and have already created bucket lists and videos about the things they love in Connecticut, and the school system remains one of their favorite features.
While no school system is perfect, it's easy to forget all that there is to be grateful for in some districts while others struggle to provide their students with the education and experience they deserve before going out into the world.
Fortunately for this family they were able to see the shortcomings in their current district, and they had the resources to relocate their children to a new one, which not everyone has the privilege of being able to do.
