Education. How Much is it Worth to You?
Early one morning I found out about a school in Chester, Virginia, to be precise, a failing high school. I asked myself, is it the only school populated by minorities that are failing? No. Is this something the country and its citizens are unaware of? Another no. The problem with the situation in Virginia exists in so many urban areas across the country that, identifying them is easier to do than pointing out the ones that are successful.
Why am I writing about this? Because I hurt for the innocent ones. The ones that still possess open minds we’ve lost. If the schools are failing and those that can teach are not there, where do innocents go now? How will the innocents survive? When I was growing up, school was my world. I was in the future teacher’s club, a cheerleader, future nurses club, and a class president one year. I had meetings before and after classes. I studied art, cooking, sewing, drama, and civics. You heard me, civics. Did you know that not one child I have ever asked knows what “civics” is? These are the voters of the future. HELLO! If the people of America don’t want to get involved now, what are they going to do with this generation when they become in charge tomorrow, after they have failed today?
Is there a solution to the failing public school system in America? Yes, most likely. What we have to do is what we haven’t done before . . . look for it. We here in America had in the past pointed fingers, slapped on band aids, cried money blues, and spewed a myriad of other excuses. Enough is enough. I don’t know about you but, I am tired of being tired. Tired of knowing a public school education is a joke.
The only educated children that become a success are the ones we pay for. And that seems to be the problem. We don’t want to pay one copper penny to educate anyone. Yea, schools need money but, all the money in the world is not going to motivate, inspire, encourage, guide, and assist a young child. Buy all the books in the world, build state of the art facilities or even pay tutors. It will not, and I repeat, will not make a child want to learn. Until we, the parents, teachers, clergymen and women, neighbors, extended families, shopkeepers, corporations, entrepreneurs, and celebrities make room in our planners to give some time to the children, the schools will continue to fail. Public or private, without all of us “paying it forward,” one day we will look back and see that we never left where we are right now.
Why am I writing about this? Because I hurt for the innocent ones. The ones that still possess open minds we’ve lost. If the schools are failing and those that can teach are not there, where do innocents go now? How will the innocents survive? When I was growing up, school was my world. I was in the future teacher’s club, a cheerleader, future nurses club, and a class president one year. I had meetings before and after classes. I studied art, cooking, sewing, drama, and civics. You heard me, civics. Did you know that not one child I have ever asked knows what “civics” is? These are the voters of the future. HELLO! If the people of America don’t want to get involved now, what are they going to do with this generation when they become in charge tomorrow, after they have failed today?
Is there a solution to the failing public school system in America? Yes, most likely. What we have to do is what we haven’t done before . . . look for it. We here in America had in the past pointed fingers, slapped on band aids, cried money blues, and spewed a myriad of other excuses. Enough is enough. I don’t know about you but, I am tired of being tired. Tired of knowing a public school education is a joke.
The only educated children that become a success are the ones we pay for. And that seems to be the problem. We don’t want to pay one copper penny to educate anyone. Yea, schools need money but, all the money in the world is not going to motivate, inspire, encourage, guide, and assist a young child. Buy all the books in the world, build state of the art facilities or even pay tutors. It will not, and I repeat, will not make a child want to learn. Until we, the parents, teachers, clergymen and women, neighbors, extended families, shopkeepers, corporations, entrepreneurs, and celebrities make room in our planners to give some time to the children, the schools will continue to fail. Public or private, without all of us “paying it forward,” one day we will look back and see that we never left where we are right now.
posted by Sylvia McClain at 4:27 PM
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