Making a Commitment

As I have reflected on the worsening crisis in public schools with regard to the number of children who attend school and live in poverty it makes sense to look at the plight of these children in a not so different manner than educating others. Here's where I am going with this...

Yes, the social, emotional and behavioral needs of those coming from a poor family and neighborhood may different from other students but, what isn't different is the fact that a commitment has to be made, long term, to attend to the needs of these students.

This is a crisis, for certain, but educators, the public, and government officials can't look at this as a three year plan or five year plan and then, at the end of this period of time, say that the program has worked or hasn't worked. A child's growth and ability to overcome severe problems can't be looked at in this manner.

We have to work to eradicate poverty and the attendant problems created by the scourge in addition to providing schools with the means to address its effects.

Dick