It takes communities to raise a child. But in place of healthy communities, too often we find neighborhoods deteriorating amidst the alienation, rootlessness, and despair of violent streets. It takes schools to raise a child. But where there should be a shared sense of common purpose among school, family, and community, too often we find a circle of blame. Parents blame the community for the child's problems.
Communities blame the school.
And the school, too frequently, blames both. Then it closes itself off in its time-bound world. The finger pointing and evasions must come to an end-up and down the line from the federal government to the family and student. Although concrete recommendations are difficult to make, several ground rules point the way ahead. Government should focus on results, not red tape.