Community Investments in Education

By Linda K. Jones

This article was originally written by me on 4/20/2007 for the Westside Towncrier in response to the call for a war on gangs

A few months back, there was a call out to the community by a couple of community leaders to declare a war on gangs. A large segment of the community responded and thus an awakening and activation for a call of accountability and increased community involvement had emerged, but for how long and in what direction?

Given the changing nature of the global marketplace, the high school diploma is no longer sufficient for individuals seeking good jobs, or for communities building a vibrant economy. Education has a major impact on community and economic development in this region. If the High Desert region desires to be at the forefront of economic success, we will need to create lasting systems and integrated structures that will help learners from pre- k to gray achieve, workers advance in their careers, and citizens improve their communities in a way that puts the education community at the very heart of its effort. The question I propose is: Are we attempting to miss an opportunity to address profound issues of major community and economic development by way of an integrated approach to human development that captures the creativity and potential of communities, schools, and workplaces or, will we be intent on having our attention diverted again only to gain temporary relief from the pains of rapid growth and poor planning?

America believes in education: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week. - Evan Esar, American Humorist (1899-1995)

The views stated above are not representative of the Westside Union School board but of the individual authoring this article.