The summer of your years

The formative years of your life, the first years, are the ones when your parents teach you what you will need to know in order to interact with society...your peers, your playmates.

If there are basic flaws in your household, your education starts off skewed. A child in an illiterate home is at risk. If the household suffers from neglect, poverty, joblessness, then hopelessness is a very real possibility. 

There are years of training, education; a ton of care and concern that go into becoming a teacher, a person entrusted with teaching your most valuable asset...your child. They are tested, interviewed, assessed and evaluated at all levels before they are allowed that privilege. None of that applies to you in the creation of them. Simple tab "A", slot"B"...oops! Yet, you as the parent are allowed to go to the school and complain to the teacher. They have virtually no recourse. Your child's teacher is now confronted with the task of "teaching to the test". What may be best for the student no longer exists. Curriculum that might aid the child has been given a few minutes per week. Johnny may graduate without knowing the capitol of his own state. Why would that be so important? He may have to go there to apply for some state assistance because he may be unemployable...due to lack of skills. Not to worry though , in this state if you fail the test the passing grade will obligingly lowered to accommodate!

If our children are not learning useful skills at home or in school, they are very apt to be learning much less productive ones on our streets! It isn't that hard to steal a purse from an elderly person with a walker! The equation isn't that difficult to follow; a child, given a decent education equals opportunity, perhaps a productive life with hope. 

The math for you as a taxpayer is easy to do. Someone with a job, contributes to the tax base. Those without jobs not only don't, but frequently, exactly the opposite. Crime isn't measured in only what the victim pays, but in what we pay in taxes to control it. Police, tasar, mace, cars, jails, DA's, etc.

Teacher's don't carry guns. They deserve your respect, if only because they may be doing your job.