The average child in America will spend less than 10 percent of his or her life in school through the 12th grade. If we are serious about education reform, we need to understand what's happening to our students the other 90 percent of the time, and adapt to those realities.
I remember the "good ol' days" when I knew Thanksgiving was coming because the stores were putting out Thanksgiving decorations in November. We all know those days are long gone; if you are like I was last year, you may have found yourself setting up your Christmas decorations in October!
We live in a very busy world. The idea of taking the time to learn about protecting children from child abuse may feel like just one more thing we don't have time to do. Especially if it feels like it isn't our problem. The truth is that child abuse in our community, whether in our own home, at our neighbor's house or in community settings, is like a toxin in the water supply. It affects us all.
Right now the talk of education in the Mid-South is all about funding, and more specifically how there isn't enough to go around. It seems obvious that our children are our community's future and therefore our schools must be well funded, but most of us know running a government is far more complicated than cutting the pie and passing out slices.
Why do people help perfect strangers? That question really hit me last week. I was driving on Airways Boulevard at Lamar when a young couple in an old car rhythmically motioned with downward-pointing fingers, like John Travolta dancing in "Saturday Night Fever." These strangers were telling me that my back tire was quickly going flat.
The Tennessee Department of Health announced last September that Shelby County ranked last among Tennessee's 95 counties for the healthy growth and development of children and families. The finding was based on a statewide needs assessment that identified risk factors affecting families' health and well-being. The factors included rates of infant mortality and teen pregnancy, as well as exposure to poverty, domestic violence and crime.
