What is Your Opinion on Cleveland, Ohio Education?

Bailey Says: Well, I feel that many students, teachers and parents do not understand how valuable a good education really is. I see so many kids who should be in school roaming the streets everyday. It is a shame that their parents do not put more effort in making sure their children are in school. It is also a shame that so many Cleveland kids and teens do not appreciate or understand the value of an education. I will share some examples with you.

A family member is 18 years old and only has an 8th grade education. She began homeschool in 8th grade and got lazy once she entered the 9th grade. She failed the 9th grade four times because she simply did none of her assigned work ever. She did homeschool through an online-based high school. So, is it her fault or the parents fault that she failed? I feel it is both of their faults. After she failed the first semester in her 9th grade year, why wasn't her mom keeping an eye on whether or not she was completing her assignments? As she continued to fail semester after semester, year after year her mom continued to take her out everyday, reward her for failing with concerts and trips, clothing, electronics and just about everything else she wanted. Now, she is 18 years old, has no intention of obtaining her high school diploma or GED. She also has no ambition and no desire to obtain employment. Her mom continues to pay her bills, buy her many things and reward her failings with concerts, clothing etc.

Another example is my next door neighbor. She is a high school dropout that left school in the 9th grade. She has four children, has never had a job and has lived off of welfare for at least fifteen years. Her two daughters are high school dropouts. Once dropped out in the 9th grade and the other in the 10th grade. She does not make her kids go to school and does nothing to help them or encourage them to get an education, a job or to better their lives. Her two sons are enrolled in school, one in 9th grade and one in 7th grade, but she keeps them from going to school at least two to three days a week. The school year started last Thursday, meaning there has been three days of school in this year so far, and each boy has only gone once. She does not stay home and does not come home at night. This means that she is not there to get her kids up and off to school.

Of the five kids discussed here, none of them have an education or a desire to get one. The parents seem to be holding these kids back and seem to not care whether or not their children become educated and successful adults. It is sad and these are only five out of hundreds, if not thousands, of kids in Cleveland, Ohio that will not even finish high school. In Cleveland, Ohio the graduation rate is only 53%. These kids are the future of our country and that is terrifying.