As an educator, I witnessed something today that made my heart sick, especially knowing I truly am not free to step in and correct what I believe to be an egregious situation. Volunteers in an after school program were simply giving the students the answers to their homework; the computer instructor was merely holding typing lessons. While the latter was shameful, the former was absolutely and completely wrong.

I shared my observations as carefully as I could, but the truth is often not really welcome for the threat it holds to the Status Quot. As cynical as it sounds, I have found that most often those in leadership care more to keep things as they are than rock the boat by holding others to the standard of care, the caliber of work, that should exist. The specious excuse is that we cannot expect such high standards, blind to the fact that they are not high, that we are holding mediocrity as excellence. The specious excuse is that we cannot control employees or volunteers. No, you cannot control the actions of another, but you can hold them accountable for their actions. Especially those who works with the future of our race.

To give answers to a child should be akin to criminal. There is no excuse. You can lead a child to learning, you can teach her by giving her knowledge, but to tell her what to write so that her teacher believes she has grasped the lesson is reprehensible.

At least it is so to me. It saddens me that I fear I am rather alone in believing as I do.