Without telling my age, schools just aren’t what they used to be. When I was going to school, it was more of an extension of my home life. My teachers and principals were like my aunts and uncles. And my peers, were like cousins. My parents knew my teachers, we all lived in the same neighborhoods. It was perfectly normal to see our teachers during a grocery trip or at the local park. It takes a village to raise a child was a true sentiment that we were living out. Today, America’s school system could benefit greatly from this blast from the past.
Back then, the teachers were concerned with your overall well being because they cared for you as if you were their own. So if you were getting out of hand, there was no need to send a student to the principal, when the teacher had full authority (by the principal AND your parents) to discipline you as necessary. THEN, your parents would also be made aware of your behavior. But that’s the time when children revered their parents. “I’m gonna tell your mama,” was an actual threat. Today, it seems we have lost the sense of community. The understanding that the entire community shared in the development of not just successful students, but all around good people for society. Everyone took part in this development: parents, teachers, board of education, council persons, etc. Today, there is just a lot of placing the blame.
I was happy to run across the story of Dr. Nadia Lopez, the Principal and founder of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY. She has taken the extra step to show how true concern and love can be the best form of developing great individuals (students). Her story is so inspiring because she is serving an under-served community and shining a spotlight on the brilliant minds located there. There’s nothing wrong with our students, instead, there is something wrong with the way we are schooling them. And it’s time for a change. I’m proud to see this sister at the helm, leading the charge. Watch the video below for more information on Dr. Nadia Lopez and her role in the educational system in America. From us to you…I Hear That Girl!
