dropout nation

A few thoughts....this is a long one!

I read about and saw this special that TIME magazine and Oprah teamed up on, entitled "Droupout Nation". It was an interesting and somewhat enlightening study....you should check it out at http://www.time.com. Really, if you have time, check it out and pray about what you can do to help improve this situation (there are some good articles minus Oprah's bias).

Having spent the past 5 years around students of all shapes, sizes, genders, and economic backgrounds, I agree with what they presented as factual evidence of the state that our public schools are in, specifically schools in large cities or in high poverty areas. They are a wreck....droupout rates are incredibly high, students are frightened to be in school because of violence, many kids don't function in school because they are coming from a violent environment at home or on the streets and entering into a school environment that often times isn't any safer or more stimulating, kids are hungry, fighting for survival, taking care of brothers and sisters, taking drugs to mask hunger and other pains of life.

One of the main problems posed on Oprah's show was the vast difference between educational tools and opportunities in schools across the US. They compared two schools in the Chicago area....one in "inner city" Chicago and another in suburbia....yes, they were very different. Honestly it was a shocking diffence. The kids at the suburban school had state of the art computers and a work out center that put most public gyms that we pay for each month to shame. The kids in inner city had a gym that had a leaky ceiling that was falling to the ground and locker rooms without functioning plumming.

There are many answers to the problems in our public schools. But I want to challenge the answer posed on Oprah's show....so, here's the question....is this a display of inequality brought on by personal lifestyle choices or discrimination brought on by the government? My answer to this question and hers were very different....surprising huh?

As subtly as she could, Oprah no doubt was pushing an agenda for governmental discrimination, which was undoubtedly spurned by the great Rev. Jesse Jackson as she indicated on her show. Maybe Oprah should think twice about affiliating herself with one of the most known nut cases for propagating discrimination in America.

Back to the problem at hand.....yes, we have schools that are dramatically inadequate and other schools that have way more than any child could possibly need. But, I believe the problem is parents who have made choices which have sacrificed opportunities for their children. Where are all these schools with great technology and opportunities? Mostly in suburbia....where there are moderate to wealthy taxpayers. What about the poor schools....some of which don't even have functioning plumming.....that's right, they are in poorer areas. The "inner city", where governemtnal and HUD housing is common and honestly a high popluation of people who don't pay taxes, who are living off of government subsidies...or they are in rural America, where there isn't a lot of tax money to pay for schools because populations are lower.

Unfortunately, I believe, we as individuals segregate ourselves. We choose where we want to live, who we want to spend our time with, and what we want to do with our time. To work or not to work. Yes, our choices are influenced by our family history, schooling, background, etc. But, ultimately, we as individuals make our own choices, each and every day! I don't think our government is holding us into patterns of discrimination or purposely keeping one group of people from certain educational opportunities. Quite honestly, it isn't the governemnt's responsibility to educate and raise our children. It's our own. If you see a child who doesn't have parents...whether the parents are physically present or not, then do something to help....don't sit around and think, "I pay taxes, so I shouldn't have to do anything else". I think we can all see where that attitude has gotten us.

Now, what's the solution? Not sure, but here's my thought for something all of us can do. Find out what's going on in schools in your area. If you find inadequacy....stand up, fight for it to be changed. Because here's the reality....if we don't invest in students now and attempt to give them a good start at becoming functioning adults in society, we will spend that time and money many times over as they live on government subsidies, wind up in prison, etc, etc. Take time to care about a child, invest in your local schools and students. Become a mentor. Volunteer in the public schools. It's not only a right you have as a tax payer, but I believe our duty.

If you know me, you know I love students. Especially students who seem to have no future, no opportunity, no one who cares. But, here's the thing, they have a hope and an opportunity; it needs to be shown to them; and most importantly, they need to see that there are people who care, not just people who talk about caring.

Ultimately, I believe that we will see the demise of our nation if we continue to ask our government to educate, raise and give us everything we are "entitled" to, and we, as individuals will be held responsible for the choices we made.

A few thoughts from me....what about you?