What you can do to help...

By Becky Newell, State Coordinator (West FL) on 05/26/2011 @ 10:35 AM

Tags: West

I’d like to share an article that Cindy Barrow, the chair of our Sarasota chapter of the Children’s Movement, wrote for her neighborhood association newsletter. As you can tell by reading her article, Cindy is a dedicated advocate for children. She has worked with children throughout her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and we are fortunate to have her as a volunteer with the Movement.

Dear Turtle Rock Community:

I would like to share my passion for advocating for our youth in the state of Florida. I am a former Lake County Florida School Board Member, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and serve as the current Chair of the Sarasota Chapter of the Children’s Movement. As many of you know, Florida doesn’t spend much money in comparison with the other 50 states on services for children which include healthcare, and education. For years we have ranked in the bottom quartile of the 50 states in academic achievement and per pupil funding. Florida has had significant difficulty luring white collar industry into the state for two reasons. An educated work force looks for top rated school systems, and employers look for an educated workforce to sustain their industry.

Schools in the state of Florida have increased their academic requirements and have made progress towards raising the graduation rate. However, teachers, as talented as some are, can not parent children after school hours. Some children are engaged in productive activities while others play video games until bedtime. Every school day we expect our teachers to perform as social workers, nurses, data experts, class room managers, and finally teachers. Each year we load more responsibilities onto teachers as we pay them less, revoke their tenure, and provide raises according to the results of a once a year test given to students (that is IF the school district has any money to provide any raises).

When we look to other nations that are producing high academic achievement, these children often begin their education at the age of 2. In the United States, experts recognize the importance of providing voluntary pre-school. However enrollment is voluntary and thus many students are coming from behind when they begin kindergarten. In addition, funding has been consistently pulled from these programs in Florida. Early education is the key to long term success.

Not only are we a nation “at risk” but Florida as a state is “at great risk.” We are generally the first state to go into a recession and the last state to come out of recessions. Tourism and the building industry are our only significant employers. Instead of funding prevention programs for children and working towards producing the best schools in the United States, we have chosen to spend more money on the juvenile justice systems and prisons. We have cut mentoring programs for our youth by 50 percent and we have over 700,000 children with no basic health insurance. This coming school year education will receive another 8 percent cut for a total amount of 1.35 billion dollars. Imagine if social security payments were cut steadily for the past 5 years?

I believe that most seniors do value education and preventative services for our children. I also believe that many of our seniors do not know the current state of affairs for Florida’s children. Accountability, results, and costs all need to be weighed in the decision making process. Therefore those prevention programs that do save tax payers money in the long run (preventing high risk children from entering the juvenile justice and prison system) should be funded. All of us want a brighter future for our children and grandchildren and this country will not remain a world leader if we make short term decisions and do not have a vision for long term success.

What can you do to help? Become a mentor in our community. Talk to the children that walk and ride by your house. Make conversation with these children so that they feel connected to their neighborhood. For those of us who are currently raising our children in Florida, we would like to think that our children will choose Florida as their future home instead of moving away to find employment. Working parents must always be involved with their children’s schools. Above all else, do not sit quietly at home and become despondent over these and other problems. Get involved and be the change you want to see.

Cindy Barrow, Guest Blogger