Family role essential

In our race to the moon in 1961, schools upgraded their drafting, math and science classes. There was no talk of failing schools and bad teachers. We had direction, purpose, pride and gusto. We became, still are, the envy of the world.

What happened? The common denominator for all disrupters of the classroom is that 90 percent of the disrupters were abandoned before they were 3. Couple with that: the absence of the daily requirement of physical education, taught by a disciplined teacher that gave and supported what the parent was trying to do at home, eliminating art, vocational classes, music and those classes that make life worth living could only lead to the unintended consequence that we live with today.

The kids are watching us. They do look at us for leadership and moral direction. It was true when we were in school and it is so evident today: The family is the most important unit in society. Like an ecological web, if one part of the food chain collapses, the entire ecosystem will fail in time.

The role, the idea, of family needs to be part of the discussion to fix schools.

Walt Altobelli

Medical Lake