Fear Not, Pray, and Help the Young Who are Afraid.

Maryland USA

Since the Boston Marathon bombings in April, many people around the world have felt burdened for children affected by these very hard days. As a Christian, a teacher, a mom and a grandmother, I know that children experience fear that is much like our fear, only their youth limits the perspective of experience. For some, this is "the first worst thing" to happen.  
  Nothing is more important now to Christian families than awareness, calm, and being present to the children. God is helping. Who sees this? Evil may strike and severely wound, but it must not be allowed to overtake. God helps us overcome fear.  

   From Isaiah 41:10: 

Fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed (confused), 

for I am your God. 

I will strengthen you; 

yes, I will help you; 

yes, I will hold you up 

with My righteous right hand. 

   Horrible news is not new, yet why were the recent Boston bombings allowed to happen? Habakkuk, a prophet of long ago, also wondered. He cried out to God, "Violence! Violence everywhere!" Violence tortured that faithful man of God. His conclusion was that he would trust the living God, no matter what happened. His hope, he realized, must remain steady. God strengthened, helped, and upheld him in his trials.     

   Prayer and helping, alone and with others, are like water and food to nourish and refresh us, to keep us alive in strength and hope. We must pray for this nation's parents and families. We agree that the future, immediate or otherwise, is now different. God is able to sustain, to  make resilient, to help, and to hold up when the knees try to buckle permanently.    
  "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). That is a place to begin, if anyone needs a place to start praying. 

Copyright (c) 2013 Opinari Writers.

Opinion: WAITING FOR SUPERMAN

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If I did not live 45 minutes (in light traffic) from the nation's capital and did not read The Washington Post Metro section most days, would I pay much attention to public school kids' Education/College Prep/Future-building Superman of the book and movie, Waiting for Superman? This movie, a documentary, incites tons of anticipation. It starts this week across the country, and I can hardly wait to see it.

There are lots of discouraged kids all over this land. A man featured in the movie, who grew up in a struggling community, recently said on TV that he cried when his mom told him Superman was not real. He said his hopes for "getting out" were dashed. Maybe in thriving areas like Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs, most kids do not know that feeling. But, in neglected urban, rural, and suburban neighborhoods, there are many kids waiting for something to get them out. Even if they cannot name what or who it is, they are waiting for something that will happen, or someone that will come to save their day.

I don't want to bog down in the DC school chancellor Michelle Rhee's dealings with union leadership, but when teachers cannot pass basic proficiency tests in math, science, or English, then remediation or See Ya Later, Teacher seem obvious options to me. Kids, says Rhee, should come first, not last. Buildings need to be qualified, too, and Eastern High School and other deteriorating schools in DC will no longer languish in decay, thanks to restorations under her leadership, even though opposed.

Maybe like me, you cried over your school, too, although for reasons like these:  Those doggone mean teachers expected a lot from you; they fussed if you worked below par. They called your mama if you didn't show up one morning, or have your homework done; or, they had the school secretary put in a call. Some people, even parents, may have shaken their heads over the teachers' old cars or clothes. Most parents, however, praised those "horrible" or "unfair" teachers that pushed you to succeed and got low pay for giving their best. 

Well, thank goodness teachers make more money and get better benefits now. And thank goodness there are some really good teachers. Yet, somehow with progress in professional recognition, in too many places the kids got left behind. They grew up without good teachers, and their kids and now grand-kids got the same, and are trailing, too. Maybe not in your town or mine, but in lots and lots of places. Way too many places have mayors, councils, boards of education, superintendents/chancellors, principals, and/or teachers that do not love kids, trust kids, or respect the needs of kids...at all or enough. If they did, don't you think we'd hear less about education budgets and new theories and more about how every student from age six to 17 can read and write at first, third, and sixth grade levels? But that's not happening in too many places. This is not a new problem; it's been worsening for over 30 years. And the solutions are not mysteries that need  Sherlock Holmes to solve.

Apparently, too many of us who want kids to have excellent and devoted teachers have been hoping, voting, praying...or, have we been waiting for Superman to come to the rescue? Where is the Clark Kent among us? Is it Michelle Rhee, and others hoping to be like her? Is it us? I'm going to see the movie, in hope of answers. I opine that Waiting for Superman will give every viewer a lot of ideas, surprises, maybe a few shocks...and fresh thinking about kids first in public education.

(c)2010 Jean Purcell

Related articles

• Read WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" and Help Schools (franklinmatters.blogspot.com)
• "Does NYC Schools need someone like hard charging DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee? I'm just asking." and related posts (r8ny.com)
• Teachers (edreformer.com)
• "Is Obama Waiting for Superman to Save the DC Schools?" and related posts (reason.com)
• Review of "Waiting for Superman" (edreformer.com)
• Reason.tv: NBC's Education Nation Summit - Joe Trippi, Michelle Rhee, & More (reason.com)
• Teachers' Unions throw Kryptonite against "Waiting For Superman" movie fighting for charter schools, education reform (theblogprof.blogspot.com)