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A Child Is Waiting
by Don McGee
The blame for many of our societal problems was placed on schools. Today's crisis in education witnesses the same public panic, frustration and outrage. Coming in second does not resolve the issue of winning the race and first place is the only goal set by our culture.
From ‘A Nation At Risk’ to ‘No Child Left Behind’ we've exhausted all of our time and energy trying to understand what is wrong with education. In reality, we should be looking at what has gone wrong in our society and what changes have been made to inflict our culture with the “equalization” myth. Marriage has become irrelevant as men and women are free to go their own separate ways, equal under legal and moral authority. Despite the laws to the contrary, children are free to use alcohol or drugs. At the age of 16 a child can drop out of high school and no one, not the school, not the family (if they have one) , or society, will interfere. We've equalized our society to where divorce has become common and where children have no place to turn.
It does no good to blame public education for every social and economic woe facing the nation. Such an over simplistic accusation is easily made, however, since we have continued to place more and more of our individual, family, and social responsibilities upon schools. Public education has become the scapegoat of all of America's anxieties and the available target of opportunity for our rage. We have failed to create for our children a stable, secure, and happy home life and the schools bear the burden of this guilt. It is our failure to adequately create for children a place to learn and a soapbox for dialog.
All learning is a process of becoming and it is from this perspective that we must approach the future. The Carnegie Report stated “Whatever is wrong with American public education it cannot be fixed without the help of those teachers already in the classroom” and that “teaching is not a soft and undemanding job”. Although written over twenty years ago the Carnegie report was accurate when looking at the future of American schools. They took notice of an increase in the amount of drugs, problem of broken homes and children from these disjointed families and of the migratory nature of modern mankind. “Teachers are expected to work miracles day after day and then often get only silence form students, pressure from the principal, and criticism from the irate parent.” Add to this the dilemma that a teacher faces: He/She is a member of society and must adjust to the acculturation around him/her, while at the same time setting a standard needed by the children he/she teaches.
No teacher ever entered the profession with the thought of enormous wealth at the end of the rainbow. They entered it because of an idealism and commitment to youth and to the future. The experienced professional learns that far too many of our societal problems are pawned off on the schools. A teacher needs to be respected as a human being and should not be the agent for change in a broken home, an abusive home environment, alcohol /drugs, or a host of other issues that continually appear each day at school. And yet, this is what we expect: It is our definition of the term TEACHER. And, amidst it all there is the child who waits for the school door to open.
On Friday Nov. 4th KMRIA Inc, a non-profit Alternative Education in Elementary and Secondary Subjects (www.kmria.org), organization is hosting a catered Open House at Holiday Inn Express from 3 to 7 PM. Complimentary dinner buffet and live music and entertainment will be provided by the popular Jerry Grimo jazz band. This free event is open to all principals, special ed teachers from the VT and NH public and private schools . Join us and see for yourself our proven track record for success in helping troubled teens ‘Start Over’ and see what our ‘briefcase on wheels’ program is all about. Hands on Demonstration of the PLATO and RIPPLE EFFECTS software, in which KMRIA staff is the only certified organization in VT (PLATO) and in New England (Ripple Effects), will be available.
Give your student a real second chance with our successful program for troubled students K to 19 years of age, with Education, Life Skills and Employment.
With KMRIA, Inc. no child is left behind!
For more information call Don McGee at 802.885.1483 or e-mail at donmcgee@kmria.org
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