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