To Believe in Education Again

Last week, the Huffington Post published a blog post titled, “Wealth of Intelligence Can Lead to the Wealth of a Nation.” At first glance, the article appeared to be the average post about the need to help more of our students pursue interests and careers in math and science to compete with other countries in those subjects.

However, instead of talking about STEM and how to raise student test scores, the author, Ronnie Cameron, called on the everyday people in students’ lives to create a cultural change that would shift the emphasis from what policies need to be in place to community influence on the education of our children.

Specifically, he made his point clear with the following statement:

“We need to refocus our attention on school and its importance. We have to create a culture where education is of utmost significance and that it is the key to economic freedom and success in this country. Respect and collaboration with our nation's educators is necessary. They are the vehicles to our country's future because of their influence on our young ones. But we can't leave it all up to them; a thirst for knowledge and curiosity has to be created in the home and community.”

While the government and other interest groups are doing their best to support students in the classroom, these cannot be a substitute for the influence of parent, peer, and mentor support in the after-school hours.

“The idea that all children and young adults can’t succeed is asinine. If there is a culture in place that expects success by everyone and that is constantly reverberated by media and public figures, it will make it ‘popular’ to do well.”

Cameron’s plight is noble, but how do we make changes in culture to make a lasting impact for our children?