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