RM Sharr’s mom must have rocked.

A big thanks to RM Sharr for giving us the voice of one of those that made it. In a letter to the Times Union he wrote.

“I am sick and tired of these armchair psychologists helping these people blame their problems, mostly failings, on things in our so-called system.

I’ve never heard one of them explain how so many of the same class make a huge success of their lives, coming from the very same environment as the failing ones.

It’s called choice.

The successful ones have chosen to stay in school, study, dress properly, work when possible and lift themselves out and up.

The failures hang around street corners, wearing their pants down to the knees, plotting who knows what.

If these individuals have chosen to do drugs, steal and rob, it’s because they have chosen to do so, and they must bear the consequences of their choice!”

Let me guess, he had parents (a parent, grand parent etc) who pushed him and made education relevant and important. If only there were more parents like them.

Sadly, read that again, sadly, society can’t go if only little Johnnies dad would have given him a pop when he acted up or if little Shemeka’s mom would have read to her more often then they would have had a chance. That and a buck twenty-five will get you a cup of coffee. Righteous indignation and stating the obvious gets us nowhere but more kids going nowhere.

Society needs to draw a line in the sand and say for at least six hours we're going to give kids a glimpse how the real world should look. Act up and expect a consequence and then develop a work ethic or get left behind.

Tragically many won't find that here in Duval County as the superintendent and school board are more interested in passing the masses along and they could care less as evident by their actions if they have discipline, the prerequisite knowledge and abilities and a work ethic.

Yes education has many enemies, Tallahassee who wants to privatize it and Obama who doesn’t understand it but worse of all is our leaders at the school board who are more interested in appearances that in doing what is right.