| In my previous article called the Dark | | | | with high recidivism rates and |
| Secret About Education, I used four of | | | | antiquated laws, (encouraging the |
| my five steps (from a coaching process I | | | | reunification of abused and neglected |
| call successful living )to focus on the | | | | children with parents who are damaged |
| need to reform our educational system. | | | | mentally, emotionally, and socially), |
| This article will complete my | | | | all need more reassessment and |
| discussion. | | | | renovation. The courts must hold |
| Believe in Positive Power. | | | | families accountable for child abuse, |
| We can revitalize the whole educational | | | | neglect, and criminal behavior. |
| system by more study of an emphasis on | | | | We should hold the educational and |
| ethics, logic, philosophy, religions, | | | | juvenile court system accountable for |
| the arts, sciences, and a greater | | | | providing the necessary treatment and |
| awareness of the power of positive | | | | support services necessary to salvage |
| thinking. Our educators could start by | | | | children, who are damaged by the bad |
| teaching young people, The Five Steps To | | | | decisions and self-destructive behaviors |
| Successful Living. | | | | of their parents. |
| Above all else, young people should be | | | | I believe parenting is not a right, it |
| given more opportunity to creatively | | | | is a privilege. I think our culture |
| discuss, and become involved in solving | | | | should protect the rights of children to |
| current social problems. We need more | | | | be safe from harmful parents as much as |
| programs like the Olympics of the Mind, | | | | the legal systems protects the rights of |
| for example. | | | | all adults. |
| Our country can benefit from inspired | | | | If necessary, pass a new constitutional |
| adults who sponsor projects that provide | | | | amendment to guarantee our children |
| rewards to our youth for trying to | | | | legal protection from damaged parents |
| resolve our great social challenges: | | | | who sexually, physically, or emotional |
| the environment, crime, racism, | | | | abuse them. |
| violence, substance abuse, obesity, | | | | We can't afford to wait any longer for |
| poverty, incarceration, rehabilitation, | | | | improvements in the educational system. |
| and even terrorism. | | | | Our dark secret says," Leave it alone; |
| We also need to believe that our | | | | somebody else can fix it." |
| educational system can and will involve | | | | We need to face the social problems of |
| parents once again in a collaborative | | | | today, not deny them, or believe we are |
| effort to educate our young people, and | | | | too busy to resolve them. We can act now |
| model acceptable social behaviors. | | | | to do something positive about these |
| Parents may have to be held responsible | | | | problems. |
| for keeping their kids in school, and | | | | Let us begin by expressing our feelings, |
| for teaching appropriate social values, | | | | both negative and positive about our |
| preventative healthcare and positive | | | | educational crisis. We can start using |
| mental attitudes. | | | | positive thinking to develop a |
| Parents who leave their children alone | | | | meaningful plan of action. |
| all day to watch television, or let them | | | | The only thing that can try to hold us |
| wander the streets unsupervised, or | | | | back or our country back is the dark |
| abuse, or neglect them, could be held | | | | secret of fear. The negative side |
| accountable by our society. | | | | whispers in our ears: "Nothing better |
| They might be encouraged to pay for the | | | | can be done at this time." But the only |
| social treatment programs necessary to | | | | power fear has is the influence we give |
| make up for the deficiency in their | | | | it by avoidance, denial, despair, anger, |
| parenting skills. | | | | depression, guilt, and shame. |
| To this end, our juvenile court system | | | | |