Pam

I met a truly remarkable young woman in college named Pam, who grew up in the ghetto of South Central Los Angeles. She was an exceptionally bright woman who had graduated at the top of her high school class, summa cum laude. Upon graduation from high school she enrolled in college, full of high hopes and expectations. One can only imagine her surprise, shock, and despair when she received the results of her college entrance exam, deeming her to be "functionally illiterate".

What went wrong? Somewhere along the line there was a colossal blunder. Was it her own shortcomings? Was it her parents at fault? Was it her school district? Ultimately the responsibility for educating children rest upon the shoulders of the parents. If schools fail, parents must step in to see that children are properly educated. But perhaps this is a little unfair to Pam's parents who were not highly educated themselves and didn't question school officials. They only saw that their daughter came home with glowing report cards, and asked no questions.

Pam's dilemma is all too common in both public and private schools. If kids aren't learning, it's easier for the teachers to inflate the grades and 'punt' the kids along to the next grade. This way teachers avoid confrontation with angry parents, who are lulled into complacency. The cold shock of reality doesn't hit them until after graduation from high school when kids apply for work or college, and find themselves woefully unprepared for either.

This story has a happy ending for Pam. Through sheer determination she made up for her deficiencies. She took the required remedial classes and then earned her degree. After graduation she found meaningful employment in her field.

Pam, however, is something of an anomaly. Most of her former classmates simply do not have her talent and drive. The disadvantage of growing up in a poor neighborhood with shoddy schools is simply too much for most students to overcome. Few will make it through college. Few will overcome the culture of failure and despair