May I have your attention please? Did you know that 3 Million students dropped out of the K-12 system last year? Michigan contributes 300,000 to that overall number. Fifty percent of Michigan dropouts are incarcerated. And lastly, yesterday Columbine had another school shooting. Now that I have your attention, what can we do about this?

If you’re like me you’re probably asking yourself how we got to this point. I don’t have an answer and I’m not about to sit here and guess. However, I can tell you that it will take all of us to get us out. Sadly, it seems like we need something to almost kill us in order for people to wake up and pay attention to what’s going on. This is exactly why education needs something “Big” to happen in a positive way. WE have kid’s influencing kids at a time when we need parents to be the head of the house hold. Parents were never created to be best friends, my dad had one job and he did it well. When I got out of line he was there to put me back in place.

The other day I heard a student refer to her mother by first name and the mother thought nothing of it. I didn’t know my mom had a first name until I was 21 and when I found out what it was I knew better then to address her as such. Growing up the only name I had to know was “MOM”. I respected my parents and more importantly I feared them.

My safety was never in jeopardy and I knew they loved me. However, I knew my limits and what lines to cross. Rules were in place to ensure that I had every opportunity to grow up and one day drive a car, graduate from college, get married, etc. They knew what to do to increase my survival percentage.

The something big that has to happen starts with you. At a time when 50% of the state is unemployed we cannot ignore our greatest resource. Let’s get involved in a young persons life. Let’s not wait for them to talk to us; lets’ take the conversation to them. Our youth is experiencing a lot of negativity; you can be the positive deposit they were waiting on.