chuck

I presented awards for the English dept. at Skyline's senior awards ceremony tonight. We had 150 students receiving awards. The auditorium was barely a quarter full. So many of these seniors came and received awards without a single family member or close friend to support them. One young lady who I nominated told me earlier today that she wasn't planning on attending cuz no one from her family was going to be there. I convinced her otherwise. Her classmates and definitely I would be there to cheer her on. I'm so proud of these guys for their achievement, but part of me is sad that they stand alone in recognition. So often we ask what's wrong with the picture of education today. Welcome to one of the symptoms: Who is standing and cheering for these young people when they succeed? Their teachers and classmates are a good start . . . bur it's not enough.