Real Memphis Magic

December 10, 2012

At this time of year, I still find some holiday movies irresistible because of their "holiday magic" themes. As a grizzled 53-year-old, I still want some happiness and magic in my consciousness. And I'm not alone. Who can resist the "I believe, I believe" theme of "Miracle on 34th Street," or "George Bailey, the richest man in town!" from "It's a Wonderful Life" — a paean to gratitude and counting our blessings?

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Community Investment in Education

October 29, 2012

How much money is our community willing to invest to improve academic achievement rates and educational outcomes in Shelby County Schools?

As the November 6th presidential and municipal elections draw near, that is one of the questions that local residents will have to considered.

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Stress of Poverty is Toxic to Our Children

October 24, 2012

A few weeks ago, I talked to Gov. Bill Haslam about toxic stress, brain development and epigenetics. Those may not have been my exact words, but in asking for the state's help to fight Memphis' intractable poverty, I was discussing them nonetheless. In the meeting in the governor's office in Nashville, I mapped out the city of Memphis' Blueprint for Prosperity, a 10-year plan to reduce Memphis' current 25.4 percent poverty rate to the state's rate of 16.5 percent.

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Family Income, Home Environment and the Affect on Young Children

October 2, 2012

According to The Urban Child Institute, a positive home and family environment is essential to promote optimal brain development in young children, and is also paramount to their future success. Language and thinking skills, self control, and self confidence are all aspects of school readiness that are largely determined by the level of support that exists in the home during the first three years of life.

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Fragile Families Give Children Early Setbacks

September 10, 2012

Children don't choose the families they are born into, the neighborhoods in which they are raised or the policies that govern them. However, each of these influences plays a critical role in determining their future successes and failures. The Urban Child Institute's "2012 Data Book: The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County" takes a closer look at the relationship between home environments and early childhood development, and the implications for later life outcomes.

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