“No Child Left Behind” was first and then followed by “Race to the Top.” The top of what? How about the top of nothing. Oh I know, both George W. Bush and Barack Obama had grand hopes—they proved to be utopian.
In 1999, I started (with very talented collaborators) the Reading Excellence and Discovery Foundation (READ), a New York City-based organization that teaches young children to read using accomplished teenagers from their same neighborhoods to tutor them. READ provides most of the teenager tutors their first job.
READ is now Read Alliance and is led by an extraordinarily capable leader, Kelley Perkins. It began experimentally in two schools; it is now in 40 schools throughout New York City.
Kelley and I sat down last week and talked about where we started, where we are, and what we have learned. We spent most of our time talking about what we have learned and a promising new partnership with New York University (NYU) and Dr. Susan Neuman, Professor of Childhood and Literacy Education. By the end of the conversation, I was angry, and perhaps Kelley was as well.
Kelley said, very simply, that if we don’t work on a child’s emotional and social well-being as well as his/her reading skills, the chances of graduating accomplished students in low-income neighborhoods are frustratingly small. Certainly, many parents are ill-equipped to guide their child through educational and social challenges in school. Perhaps this is not a politically correct conclusion, but it is true.
President George W. Bush said it was unacceptable to leave children behind—he called the failure a form of bigotry and his educational initiative was “No Child Left Behind.” President Obama reflected the same attitude in his major education initiative called “Race to the Top.” Both programs were revealing, not in what they accomplished, but in their failure.
While there has undoubtedly been some progress, I know that it is true with READ, overall America lags internationally and especially in the low-income neighborhoods. A statistical profile is not needed to prove the point.
The nagging question is are we at the early stages of the reality of two Americas or at the beginning of doing something about it?
I was fortunate; my Mother was an English teacher, and my Dad made sure I had some level of discipline in my life. If my parents had not led me, if I had grown up in a culture where many of the incentives were perverse, I would not be penning this article.
A generation plus ago we frequently said in setting some goal of improving society, “if we can put a man on the moon” we can (you fill in the blank). Shame on our leadership for not understanding how relatively simple it is to put a man on the moon.
As it became clear what a difficult challenge America faced in giving underserved children a fighting chance, some good things began to happen. Some level of school choice was offered, although as “Waiting for Superman” dramatized, in reality, there is far too little choice. Also, the not-for-profit sector began to initiate complementary efforts.
I went to public school in a small rural Southeast Missouri town. Today families with economic means often choose a private school option. My parents made certain my teachers had my undivided attention, and when they didn’t have it, Mom was their de facto teacher’s assistant. Indeed, if we need more proof of the importance of the family setting, look no further than the number of accomplished children that are home-schooled.
Undoubtedly we need a new national goal, but as a society, we need to understand that a new set of government programs, regardless at what level, is not enough. We need to work on the emotional and social well-being of children as well. Kelley Perkins, in partnership with NYU, is working to find the right mix. Adam Green, the founder of Rocking the Boat, is working on the right mix in the Bronx and is showing measurable success.
But, let’s understand two things about time and how it works or doesn’t in the life of a child.
First, and most importantly, a child only knows today and the few days in their life that preceded it. They cannot look back or forward for wisdom. They will either get educated now or run a high risk of failing in life. So, while adults debate about what to do, kids are often the unintended victims of the default setting, the status quo.
We must also understand that a para-normal event is not going to happen. Superman is not going to fly in and make 2017 and the years that follow just fine.
We spent an enormous amount of money in intense research and development over a long period of time to get to the moon. We met a national goal and Americans greeted the moon landing with enormous pride.
Improving the chances for the children in the America where promise is often unattended by effective action will take much more. Thankfully there are leaders whose daily motivation is not to maintain the status quo, but to create a revolution. Nothing short of a societal revolution will assure that no child is left behind. Ask what you can do!
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al recently published Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
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