At the Root of it all – Education

Welcome back!

Well there is no argument that re-shaping our communities to be places where we can work, live and play is a fantastic movement taking foot in our country.  But there is still one important component of community life that needs to be more consistently addressed…for all our sakes.

That component is public education.

It’s wonderful to live in a community where there are vibrant public schools, with engaged parents, top notch teachers, well stocked book shelves, computerized classrooms and a strong extra curricular program. The sad part is not all of our schools are like this. The saddest part is that an awful lot of our schools are no where close to being like this – especially in those troubled areas where kids need strong education services the most.

Whether you think charter schools are the answer for some troubled communities or simple, old fashioned parental involvement – whatever the solution, I encourage you to voice your opinions and engage your political leaders to examine and support the best options for your community and others.

Our public schools should be community hubs – lively centers where children and parents have positive and inspiring experiences.

I happen to be happy with my own local public schools and you may be too, but that should not stop you nor I from making sure that local politicians have a position on education reform that addresses the inequities in our education system.   A discipline, safety or academic achievement problem in one community will only manifest itself as another type of problem down the road.  Poorly educated, undisciplined students today can become disengaged, troubled adults in your community tomorrow.

Some Statistics:

• According to the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 30% of Grade 9 students fail to finish high school with a diploma.
• In 2003:  the U.S. ranked 15 out of 29 OECD countries in reading literacy (OECD: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development); the U.S. ranked 25 out of 30 OECD countries in mathematics literacy.

This is a country rich in knowledge and resources.  Surely we can do better for our kids…all of our kids.