Public Education = Some Great Young People
Originally Published April 2014
I recently had the pleasure of attending Recognition Day at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Rec Day is the culmination of nine months of intense physical, mental, and academic training that students new to The Citadel, or knobs, experience. My son is a freshman, and, at this time, a “Knob No More,” at the school. As I spent the day watching just a small portion of the seven hour-event that started at 5:30 AM with PT (physical training), leadership and responsibility classes, more PT known as The Gauntlet, and finally a march to Marion Square, the site of The Old Citadel, where the cadets reaffirm their oath to the college, the Corps of Cadets, and their values of honor, duty, and respect, I was struck by the fact that these young people chose to be there. They took “the road less traveled.”
Occasionally, when I read the headlines, it seems that it has become fashionable to criticize public education. Our test scores aren’t high enough. Our students don’t respect others or the opportunities they have. We aren’t preparing students for the future. While we should have an attitude of continuous improvement, we public schools with the support of our families and communities do some things really well…like developing some amazing young people who make us proud.
Students choose to attend military schools such as The Citadel because they know it will be difficult, and they will be better for it. Students choose to put their own advancement on hold to serve others. I recently met a public school graduate who is planning on spending some years in the Peace Corps before starting her career. We have students all over Ohio and the nation who give their time to mentor younger students, to volunteer at shelters or food pantries, to be of service to others. These students are not lazy, and the teachers and administrators, along with their parents and communities, have taught them more than math and reading. They have taught them the value of sacrifice, commitment, and hard work. They have taught them to care more about developing character than developing a big bank account.
It is my passion to help students learn as much as possible and to grow academically. But growing a child is about more than a score. With public school students outnumbering private schools students ten to one, the vast majority of our future citizens will be the products of public education. So hold us accountable for their learning but recognize that the scores and grades are evidence of only one part of learning. What students do with that learning and how they serve others is just as important.
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372
