TEXAS’ Widest Circulated and Read Newspaper with a Black Perspective

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Focused on the Future!

 There was a time not long ago where high school and college students was expected to excel in school and graduate with very little problems. There was a time not long ago, where education counselors were ready and armed with the necessary tools to help young aspiring students to achieve their individual goals. There was a time when parents and guardians would be called if a student missed more that one class for any reason whatsoever. Many people have a hard time accepting that times have definitely changed, and every society, every institution, every race, every religion and every generation on the face of the earth has felt the changes.

Students in public or private schools have some of the hardest challenges to face in today’s society. Yes going through school brings it’s own challenges, and there is nothing new under the sun. But let’s be real, the pressures facing young children today are far greater than they were for the 70’s and 80 generation, and if the pressures are undetected young students can be overwhelmed and begin to crack at the seams. I am a young man, in my mid thirties, and for me to see such a drastic change in the overall concern, availability and care for young children in the American school system by Counselors and Educators, especially in the public school sector is a depressing site to see. Many of the Educators and Counselors that are trained to help students move through crisis and the pressure of finishing school were simply not available to an overwhelming number of students. There are many reasons why students drop out or become disinterested in school. Not having access to the very personnel that can help them stay on course could definitely be one reason a young student might drop out. Out of 1,773,117 students who attended Grades 7-12 in Texas public schools during the 1998-99 school year, 27,592 students or 1.6 percent were reported to have dropped out. Dropout rates for African American and Hispanic students remained above that for Whites statewide in Texas, however the statewide annual dropout rate for Grades 9-12 was 2.2 percent. (Source: Counselors in Texas Public Schools) According to the Texas Education Agency Data Research Report (www.austin.isd.tenet.edu) The Texas Education Agency (TEA) concluded a five-year investigation of the effects of education reform on students identified as at risk of school failure.

 Among other findings, the study revealed discrepancies between the roles of the school counselor as envisioned in state and national models of counseling and guidance services. Teachers reported they often counseled students because counselors were too busy- burdened with task unrelated to guidance. Counselors confirmed that extraneous duties, especially those related to paperwork and testing, prevented them from adequately satisfying the demand for counseling services. (Source: Counselors in Texas Public Schools) Our young children are faced with abuse in the home from step parents, Drugs in the home by young parents still living a carefree life. Homelessness and Hunger, absentee parenting, substitute parenting (by the media, Hollywood and entertainment idols), and a lack of good solid High Moral Character Role Models. One would think that our young are doomed,…..Not so. Many youth and young adults still achieve their goals in the absence of vital support from their homes and schools. So it makes me proud to share with you these youth and young adults who have made a significant mark on their journeys. It makes me proud to see young people who remained FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE.