Oh Canada!

Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I had to start back up to work and graduate school, so I won't be able to post as often now. Plus, it has been about a month since I have been back home, so I need to plan a trip soon.

I had an incredible experience this week. In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the University of Dayton brought in educational reformist Geoffrey Canada, from Waiting for Superman fame. A friend of mine and I attended, and I could not help but think of Detroit Public Schools as I was sitting in the audience.

Canada is famous for reforming a section of Harlem's schools. He is really a brilliant man. As I am currently studying Educational Leadership, his words really resonated with me.

There is no silver bullet to cure the ills of America's Public Schools. And anyone who attempts to say that there is is a fool. There is no cure-all panacea or formula that will resurrect our dysfunctional system. Actually, Dayton, Ohio has a ton of innovative programs going on, and has for years - Charter Schools, School Vouchers, etc. Sadly, however, Dayton Public Schools still remain some of the lowest academic performing ones in the state. But one can have hope. Hope to make small changes. Hope that if enough creative leaders make small changes, like Geoffrey Canada, then a revolution will occur.

Canada knew he could not go in and save all the children in Harlem, although he of course wanted to. He knew that was an impossible feat. Since compulsory education began in America, we have always had a drop out rate of near 30 percent. This is nothing new. People just don't realize it is part of the history of American Public Schools. Inner city schools have a drop out rate of near 50 percent. This is a true problem that is going to haunt our nation for years unless we do something about it!

Canada started with 11,000 children in one section of Harlem. There was no rhyme or reason as to why these children. It was luck of the draw. He could not save all, so he just picked an area in Harlem to work on reform. He said that he started with one block at a time.

He also said that you cannot go in with some program and let it run its course and be done. This inevitably fails. Everyone goes back to the way it was before. Those short term projects always fail. He stared with these kids in preschool and stayed with them until college. This is what we have to do. We cannot focus just on preschool, or just on middle school, or when it is just too late in high school. We have to commit to these kids as a life long educational project.

Canada is brilliant. The most brilliant thing he said though is that our kids are just lacking faith. Sure, everyone blames this on the separation of church and state in the Constitution. Well, the First Amendment does not even use those words. Thomas Jefferson coined them in a letter. They are nowhere in the Constitution. But, Canada was not talking about faith in God, really. He was talking about reigniting children's faith in themselves, in America, and in school. We have to have them believe in themselves, their schools, their country, their future.

So, one step Detroit Public Schools could take is to start small. Be committed. And don't give up. Have faith in our children, our schools, our country, our city, and our future. After all, what else do we have if we do not have faith?