YOUR KID IS GREAT

YOUR KID IS WONDERFUL

BUT IF WE ALL JUST FOCUS ON HIM, HE’LL GROW UP IN A PRETTY LOUSY COMMUNITY

This great nation of ours was founded on individualism. But sometimes we get a tad too carried away with that notion. After all, other than Garfunkel (or maybe it was Simon), no one is an island. People reach their true potentials in communities.

School is no different.

As a parent, we’re probably all guilty of having this line of thinking at one point or another: First find the right school, then push for the right teacher (which is quickly followed by hoping we get the right kids in our class, with the so-called “difficult” ones in the other). But what if all the schools were “the right school”? That is to say, what if every public school in town, or even the county, were good enough for your child to go to?
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Date posted: May 11, 2012

WHERE IS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR INEQUALITY TO EXIST?

A. MY CLASS
B. MY SCHOOL
C. MY DISTRICT
D. MY COUNTY

If you answered – “Where on Earth is inequality ever acceptable, and why are we even talking about inequality in the first place when I live in Marin?” – you’re correct.

Even though we live in the land of the perfectly poured latte, where it’s easier to find a flawlessly cut piece of sashimi than a piece of litter on the ground, we also live in a county where there’s inequality. In fact, almost 25% of all students in Marin are underprivileged.* That’s probably more than you thought.

But, we have a plan. Of course we have a plan. We wouldn’t point out such a horrific problem without a plan. And this plan is a good one.

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Date posted: May 8, 2012

OUR CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE WHICH PERFECTLY EXPLAINS WHY OUR GREAT STATE MAY CUT 15 DAYS FROM THE SCHOOL CALENDAR

Our children are the future. So, it makes perfect sense that our great state is proposing to cut 15 days from the school calendar.

Even if you don’t have kids in the school system, even if you don’t like kids and can’t stand the sight of them, you should be aghast. But this is exactly what happens when the state cuts school funding. First to go is usually music, art, sports and technology programs. Then teachers, guidance counselors and librarians. And now, the state is proposing to cut actual days from the school calendar. Three whole weeks, to be exact.

To say there’s a huge gap in what is required for a quality education and what the state provides to schools is an understatement. An understatement as big as the gap itself.

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Date posted: April 26, 2012

DOES “ACHIEVEMENT GAP” REFER TO THE DISPARITY AMONG STUDENTS OR TO THE DISPARITY AMONG PARENTS?

Marin County. Known for its affluence and natural beauty. But that’s not exactly an accurate portrayal of the entire county. Because we also have our fair share of poverty.

Poverty? Are you kidding me?

No. We’re not.

In truth, there are a growing number of families in the Marin community who are struggling. Struggling to pay for rent, childcare and insurance. Even struggling to put food on their tables. In fact, almost 25% of the student body in Marin is economically disadvantaged.* And the challenges that these families face often lead to poor performance in schools.

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62 PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS ARE UNMOTIVATED

WHAT YOU DON’T REALIZE IS THAT THE OTHER 38% ARE EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE*

The words most associated with “dropout” are words likes “failure,” “deadbeat” and “burnout.” What you would never expect is that there’s another category of dropouts altogether. They are driven, ambitious and will stop at nothing. These are the 38% of tenth-graders in California who left high school to work. That’s right, to get a job.

So why would a tenth-grader leave school for a job when they’re barely driving? Actually, they’re getting jobs to put food on the table. So many families are struggling to make ends meet that kids feel pressure to contribute.

But we live in Marin. So this isn’t a problem we face, right?

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