Don’t Settle for an Ordinary Education

A good education can make a world of difference in a child’s life. It is not something to leave to chance. Don’t hope for the best. Don’t assume that a typical school is good enough. The national graduation rate for high school students has recently fallen to 68% .

Everyone knows the public schools are failing. Even those in the “good” neighborhoods have problems with dropouts, bullying, and boredom. But school doesn’t have to be like this. I taught for years in public schools, trying to change lives from the inside trenches. I had students who really wanted to learn mixed with students who didn’t even want to be there. Those few students took up so much time that the other students were begging me to get rid of them so they could learn. I had a meeting with the assistant superintendent of the school who told me that it didn’t matter if the students learned anything… what mattered was the image and reputation of the school. And this wasn’t a “bad” school. This was in what most consider a successful school district. This is the norm.

And private schools? They use the same curriculum and follow the same basic structure of public school. The only real difference is class size. The same textbooks, the same curriculum, the same teaching methods, the same system. Why pay more for more of the same?

I saw the best and worst of schools. And this gives me hope. Most kids WANT to learn. They WANT to be successful. They WANT to be ready for the future. But they are stuck in a situation that is less than ideal. So, let’s change the situation.