Thursday, December 13, 2012

Be A Mentor


            The spirit of the holidays is about giving.  As we celebrate the holiday season (Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa) and make plans to improve ourselves and our community for the upcoming year New Year, consider mentoring or tutoring at your local public school.

            Public schools need your support.  We all know how hard public schools were hit with budget cuts, school closures, reduction of staff and cuts to music, art and other programs to support struggling and non struggling learners.  Despite these cuts, school staff continue to work hard to provide the best education they can.  Your help can lessen the affects of these cuts by being a mentor in a public school.

            As a mentor, you are giving students an opportunity to get back on track or to enhance their academic skills.  By providing students with an approach to learning that differs from the normal routine that occurs in the classroom, a mentor can help re-engage (or increase engagement) students by helping them regain (or retain) their confidence in their ability to master academic content.

            A mentor also provides students with an opportunity to be connected with an adult who can offer life lessons and explain to students why education is important to their present and future adult lives.  A mentor can share personal life stories that could help students with decision making, self-esteem and navigating the pitfalls of adolescence.  By offering students another perspective of what they can aspire to become, a mentor can be that adult who students aspire to become when they grow up. 

            Please consider being a mentor.  Find out if your organization or your friends can adopt a school.  Schools need mentors to work with struggling and non-struggling learners with reading, math, science, art, music and technology.  These are key areas where schools struggle to provide time and support to both struggling and non-struggling learners.  Adopting a school doesn't mean you have to give money, it requires your time, expertise and commitment to impacting the lives of students.

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Real Losers of the Lottery


            Last week’s Powerball lottery was half a billion dollars, the largest lottery amount ever for a lottery.  News agencies across the country showed people eagerly waiting in line to purchase Powerball tickets and telling reporters what they would do if they win.  Despite the extraordinarily high odds of winning, people continue to believe they will win winning the lottery and transform their lives.  Unfortunately, only a few people win each drawing.

            For those who don’t win, life goes on.  However, the real losers of the lottery are public schools.  A majority of the states that have lotteries also have financially struggling public schools.  Surprisingly, these states also have had record lottery sales.  If this is the case, why do these states have financially struggling public schools?

            As a way to generate an additional funding stream, states adopted the lottery to fund public education and entitlements for the elderly.  If a portion of lottery proceeds are given for public education, public schools in states with lotteries should not be struggling financially.  Unfortunately they are struggling financially and no one is asking why?

            The financial struggles of public schools are detrimental to the educational growth of children.  When schools lack the ability to purchase the latest curriculum materials or have enough materials give each student; children lose. 

When schools cannot retain teachers due to an inability to offer competitive salaries, smaller class size, non-academic supports or provide substantive professional development; children lose.  When schools cannot upgrade their buildings to incorporate technology to enhance the curriculum and to prepare children for a technological society because the building is antiquated and unable to support the wiring; children lose.  When schools cannot offer enrichment programs such as art, music and other extracurricular activities; children lose. 
Lastly, when schools cannot transform children’s lives, we ALL lose.

When schools cannot do the job they were created to do children lose.  The lottery was supposed to be the solution to the financial struggles and provide the funding so public schools can provide children with the world-class education they deserve.  As record profits are being made by lotteries, the financial struggles of public schools become more dire.  This should not be happening when we understand who the real losers of the lottery are.