I have been in education for almost 15 years, in various capacities, administrator, counselor, and teacher and with all kids, no matter the economic level, a few things ring true: 1. The child who is MOST informed (from home with factual information) makes the wisest sexual choices. 2. Parents of children who keep their children involved in ANY type of organized extracurricular activity (ie. community service groups, musical lessons, athletic programs) have a greater chance that their child with stay out of trouble. Providing the parent is actively involved. 3. Parents who discipline their children at an early age have fewer problems of reigning them in when they are teens. 4. Parents who read and read to their children (at the time of development in the womb) have a greater shot at a successful student. 5. Parents who frequent the library and encourage their children to do so, have more successful students.


The statistics... a 14 year old student who gets high with dad, and dad drags him along to meet women and do drug pick ups (oh yeah, dad and mom are still together)... a 15 year old girl (should be in HS whose momma tricked her and her sister at age 8 and 9 to support her love of money and drugs) now she is in a foster home, has zero self esteem and enjoys the occasional gang bang and providing blow jobs to the football players in the bathroom. Another student whose mom won't let his step daddy discipline him and her idea of "handling it" is to violently "fight" him when she is upset with him, I wonder why there is speculation that he beats up on girls...oh and his best friend, who's a notorious drinker, gets drunk and beats up on his gf's too, because that is how he sees his dad, handle mom.


Ladies and gentlemen the stories go on and on....Hate to get preachy but here it comes...bottom line, You have a baby? RAISE IT! We have so many misguided parents, thinking they are doing the right thing by being on an endless paper chase to give their child more, so they are never around. Focus less on money and more on love/time, that is what these households need! Kids are coming home to big, empty homes, with no parent or guidance. The lower income families where it is a reality for mom to hold down several jobs, this is where it takes a village folks...We have to support and help each other raise and love these children. Teachers are scared to death to reach out and do more in this sue happy society of jealous parents who resent that many of us know their children better than they do.


So what can you do? Help a single mother! How about volunteer at a local school or after school program to help them raise funds for scholarships? How about organize a mentor program or call a local organization and help them pull one together. Let's use our sororities and fraternities to bring back the community service component! Get on the school board in your community, at least go to meetings to find out where the $$ is going, ask questions and raise hell if something is not right! Most folks have little or nothing to do with the local school boards once their kids have graduated from that district.


Lastly folks, you all are going to hate me for this one, if you have children, TURN OFF THE DAMN TELEVISION!!!! Put down those VIDEO game consoles!!! Disconnect all that frigging cable! Basic cable is sufficient to get all of your news and entertainment, what do you need with 700 channels? How about making sure you have some books in the house? Play board and card games instead of video games. Get all that fancy cable when your kids are older and can handle it. Can't afford to take your child on nice vacations and to the theater? Then take your kid to the library; videos of performances are FREE and so are those books! And if you disconnect the expensive cable, imagine all the money you have to actually take your family somewhere, do the math!


Truth time... if your child can control the remote and work a video game, but can't read, it is YOUR FAULT! That should be the number one rule in every home, NO TV UNTIL THE FIRST BOOK IS READ!!!! It was the rule in my house, outside of educational programming which should be done by Video and DVD folks, why? Because there are no commercials, which is the beginning of the decline for our youth. As a result, my daughter read her first book at 4, has skipped a grade and is consistently scores as the highest reader in her school. Coincidence? I think not!

Ok, I am stepping off the soap box now...