Leveling the Playing Field

Walking into Robert Lee Elementary school on Friday was an eye-opening experience. I knew the statistics going in, and I have heard that Birmingham schools are dilapidated and in much need of renovation if not new buildings. I knew as I drove through the neighborhoods surrounding it that I was going to see something that would be both disheartening and frustrating. So many buildings were boarded up or surrounded by barbwire fences, and people were just roaming the streets around lunchtime.

The school was hot and very old; janitors were carrying these huge boxes up stairs with a dolly because the building does not have elevators. When we finally made it to the kids we were going to survey, my heart broke. I sat with three fourth grade girls who could not spell some basic words, and who put together broken sentences as they sometimes struggled to read the question on the survey. I was thinking about Place Matters and our discussions in class, thinking if this was the inner city school my children would go to, could I really do it? More importantly, what can I do now to help improve the conditions for these children? I would like to start by sending every person in the suburbs to this school for a couple of hours, to see that a little "spreading of the wealth" would help kids that were born into intergenerational poverty but who have bright smiles and dreams just as "the rest of us" do.

Now obviously I am for Obama, but the link below outlines specific ways that he and not McCain hopes to level the playing field.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/side_by_side_comparison/index.php
Moving towards voluntary, universal pre-school and utilizing his "Zero to Five" plan are, in my opinion, a great start. In his speeches he talks about how education is more then students and teachers, it is about the parents involvement. I hope he becomes president and more importantly I hope he does these things to provide the chances to those who also deserve the chance to learn and grow.