Own It; Fix It; Learn from It

I had a conversation this morning with a friend who said he didn't like the elitist idea of a charter school and that we essentially toss students into a failing public school system that is powerless to help itself. You know, I've worked in public schools a really long time - for 14 years - and now in a charter, and I don't see that at all.

Admittedly, public schools are struggling under the weight of trying to become more effective. The current system is successful with a lot of students, but not all. To adapt to the growing diversity of our culture, honors programs, and Title I programs, ELD, and academies have been added to the curricula.

Within the walls of every school, whether private or public, are thousands of talented, creative, committed staff who knock themselves out every day to provide opportunities for students. All the training in the world will not help a child who consciously chooses to fail, and there are many of those.

I get that our country feels the enormous impact of an undereducated workforce, but the hard truth is schools are only a part of the overall problem. The nuclear family has eroded. The family that used to cluster and collaboratively raise a child is less common now. Financial concerns pull adults out of the home and family time is in shorter supply. Religious influences are less evident, and kids are making choices for themselves that are hard to undo.

What this is about is taking responsibility for our choices, whatever they are. If a student chooses to fail, in an environment where tutoring help and caring, devoted teachers are present, that's on them. And if a student wants to learn, but can't in the environment they're in, that's where a charter school comes in. Charters are public schools that offer a free, alternative academic environment. They are all unique. Where I work, there are no boundaries keeping students away. Neighborhood kids and those from across town are welcome as long as they have a desire to work hard and honor the school culture. There are other places to go if they do not.

Schools were never designed to tackle the social ills of our society and yet can't help but be influenced by them. I see absolutely no reason why we can't ask our children to learn the lesson we were taught, namely You Reap What You Sow. They'll make mistakes along the way -- join the club! But they have to own their choices and behavior before they can fix it and learn from it. That's just as important as math as they prepare themselves for life.