American students are becoming more competitive in the global marketplace because of the education they got in public schools. There are public school graduates at the pinnacle of every profession. Dropout rates are declining and are lower today than in the 70's and 80's. More students with disabilities are being educated in regular classrooms. While we have had some tragic incidents, two so painfully close and recent, the fact is that the overall school crime rate is decreasing.
School is still the safest place for a child to be.
We should be proud. Some say our public schools are failing. This kind of criticism does not help our children. We need positive reinforcement, a more concerted effort by our legislatures to fund public education initiatives and a more engaged community to embrace public education and help students achieve more. That is why we as school board members do what we do.