Ever notice how many students at AU seem genuinely hell-bent on changing the world? There are probably thousands with these great intentions. It’s amazing. And it’s part of what makes this university so great. Service and volunteerism are rites of passage for almost everyone here, which is appropriate, since all AU students are relatively privileged by virtue of our enrollment here. We go to a top university that will afford us opportunities most people our age will never have. Giving back is the least we can do in return.
There are countless causes which would benefit from our time and effort; AIDS in Africa, genocide in Darfur — just to name a few. But AU students should also “think globally, act locally,” as the phrase goes. We are fortunate to go to school in Washington, D.C., and we should be good neighbors to the many underprivileged people in the city. One of the best ways to do this is by joining the struggle to fix the failing D.C. public schools.
This school system is literally one of the worst school systems in the nation. Only 9 percent of the city’s public school students go to college and graduate within five years, less than half the national average. The system’s high school dropout rate is over 50 percent. What’s worse is that the education students are receiving is grossly inadequate. That fact that 92 percent of eighth graders cannot do eighth-grade math is utterly unacceptable.
This tragedy in D.C. schools is so high profile that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and President Barack Obama sparred over how to solve it during the presidential debates last fall.
The good news is that it does not take a president to improve the life of a D.C. public school student. Teach For America and similar organizations have proven that smart, civic-minded college graduates can achieve amazing things in the classroom. But college students can also be part of the solution for D.C.’s schools.
No one knows this better than Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who gave the keynote speech at the “College to Kids” event in Mary Graydon Center yesterday. Over the past two years, Rhee has attracted national attention for her crusade against inadequate teachers and championing of merit pay for excellent instructors. Speaking yesterday, the chancellor said she believes college students can play a vital role in encouraging students to go to college. And she’s right.
Mentorship relationships have the ability to transform lives. So AU students should be reaching out to struggling students in public schools. We can tell them not to give up. We can encourage them to graduate high school. We can remind them that higher education can be a pathway out of poverty and to prosperity. Those of us who are busy and cannot make a huge time commitment can still get involved in small ways. We can volunteer one day at a time, if need be.
Good schooling is the silver bullet in a competitive society. One’s educational background can certainly determine success in life. In a sense, there is no greater poverty in this country than a lack of education. AU students should take the opportunity to help the least among us.
