I've known for sometime now that Oprah Winfrey has been involved with starting a school in South Africa to help prepare strong female leadership which that nation and southern Africa are needing. In this process she has donated $40+ million of her own money.
On the radio today (Sean Hannity show), I heard of another lady who has come out attacking Oprah for spending that kind of money in another nation while neglecting the schools here in this country. This women really needs to pay attention to reality! ONE: Oprah has always used both her influence and her money to address educational issues here in the United States. TWO: Even the worst public schools in this nation offer a better opportunity for a quality education than the overwhelming majority of schools throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa.
I salute Oprah for her endeavors! I have traveled to severaled to several developing nations I have seen the lack of opportunity that much of the world truly has. In most of these lands only a small fraction of the population has an opportunity for an education, even a low quality one. However, in the United States EVERY child has the opportunity for an education that is far superior to much of what the rest of the planet has to offer.
If the public schools in your community are not at the quality that you believe they should be...and mind you this is coming from a public school teacher...you have no one to blame but the collective community, for it is the community which has through its actions or lack of actions which has provided the basis for the deterioration of those schools. Wealthy whites who pulled their kids of public schools due to integration are to blame. Families (of all backgrounds) who do not stress the importance of education in the home are to blame. Union protected shlubs (individuals who earn a pay check to teach but who do little if any teaching because they know they have the protection of "tenure") are to blame. Public apathy in voting for the school boards, legislatures, and other officials who oversee education are to blame. Students who don't put forth their full effort are to blame...on and on and on....the collective community is to blame.
Don't blame the generous financial actions of Oprah Winfrey for the failure of your local schools. First make sure YOU are doing your part and then make sure your neighbor is doing his/her part. I may not agree with her on much, but the premise of Hiliary Clinton's book is correct because "it does take a village".
~David
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I have lots of opinions on this.
As a child of two teachers, a parent of two teenagers, a person who went to both public and private christian schools (although, for the Christian education, not the Education, education ...certainly not wealthy ..tuition at the time was $75 to $95 a month) and a parent who has used both public education and homeschooling ...
I find it appalling that anyone would put the blame soley on any one institutions shoulders.
Like you, I see plenty of blame to go around.
My children, have had both excellent teachers, and horrible teachers. My youngest son, a special education student, has had some of the worst that Oklahoma special education has to offer ... but he's also had some of the best (individual teacher's) that Oklahoma has to offer. (district ...grrr)
My oldest son ...same thing. He is a junior in high school, we homeschooled him for most of his elementary and junior high years. Recently, a student in his AP history class got frustrated with him for doing so well on the ACT (29 composite score) and said "HOW?" and my sons response ... "Simple, my mom taught me how to learn"
Our focus, regardless of who's been their teacher, me, grandparent, public ...good teacher or bad ... that they are ultimately responsible for what they learn ...and THAT they learn ...how to learn is the key to learning what the facts they need.
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