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Over a year ago, I read in the news that 23 Baltimore public schools reported that they had zero students who were proficient in grade-level math. That means 2,000 students were not proficient. The situation was even worse: 20 more schools had only one or two students who were proficient in grade-level math. And in the entire city of Baltimore, not a single high school student scored a 4, the highest possible score.
This news may be old, but it’s not. If you think this is an issue that only affects certain Americans or certain regions, you’re wrong. This is America’s future, and Baltimore is merely a worst-case scenario. Schools across America are failing kids and sending functionally illiterate graduates to the city.
I’ve been thinking about the situation in Baltimore lately because it shows how dysfunctional our society is. Most of the news articles I read show citizens blaming the city, local and state governments, and educators. Rightly so. But shouldn’t they be blaming themselves instead?
What’s happening in America’s public schools? Enrollment declines and chronic absenteeism tell a dramatic story
I say this because these accusations are not helpful. Government officials and educators simply don’t care. They are aware of the problem at hand, but few take the necessary steps to fix it. It’s amazing how little shame they feel about their children’s failing grades. Many of them hide behind the excuse that it’s all because of white supremacy.
And then there are people who blame the politicians. They say, “Just stop voting Democrats!” There are a lot of low-performing schools in Republican strongholds. My point is, politicians are not the solution to this problem. They’re just politicians.
If the Democratic Party says it stands with my community, why are so many still unable to learn to read and write?
But we don’t see enough families here taking responsibility for their children. Some parents are outraged and challenging the system. But it’s not enough. Where are the boycotts? Where are the shutdowns? Where are the demonstrations around the schools?
Some parents say they try to work within the system, I have seen them try, God bless them, but nothing comes of it, and then they get tired, or their child graduates and they give up, and the problem still remains.
Why is it that so many Americans marched for George Floyd and protested that Black Lives Matter, yet no one cares about sending a class of nominal graduates to an already struggling America with their hands tied and struggling to make ends meet? Why do we care more about the theatrics of racism than about the transformative power of education?
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I just can’t understand why education isn’t the primary focus today. Just a few weeks ago, the media was buzzing about VP Kamala Harris stealing former President Donald Trump’s idea to not tax waiter tips. Our house is literally on fire and we’re being mad at that?
These failures of leaders should serve as clues to parents to show that they are truly independent. If they want their children to have a chance in life, they cannot leave them in the hands of so-called authority figures. Parents need to stop giving away their most precious possessions — their children — to people who could care less about them.
What happened in Baltimore is proof that an education system that pays its employees hundreds of thousands of dollars is completely failing — and that too many parents have ceded responsibility for raising their children to the state.
I don’t care if you’re working two or three jobs. Take care of your kids. I don’t care what excuse you have. Take care of your kids.
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Frederick Douglass and many other slaves learned to read, write and do arithmetic under the oppression of slavery. There were no special schools or skills, just sheer will and a desire to learn and gain power through knowledge.
Parents need to parent and impart the gift of learning to their children, or they will become just another statistic.
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