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Street smarts are a vital tool. Some neighborhoods are safer than other though the high risk areas tend to be close to the poverty level. Not many people prefer to get lost, get robbed, or get anything worse. I'll even take a risk at betting that people don't even want to be on the defense in the first place. So why then don't we look to evaluate the offense? High crime ties to high unemployment ties to high drop out rates in school, in any order, it's a cycle. The best thing we can do begin to see a change in the game is to lay out the foundations of a good education so we can make informed decisions and empowered communities.

Education is the building block of everything great, thoughtful and useful. It is needed in order for one to operate at his or her full potential. However, the cracks have become so plentiful and deep at such an alarming rate that it has become an overwhelming problem in which unfortunately few have been able to fix. It's not that the value of good schooling is overlooked. Schools are more funded than ever in the last forty years (more than 27% is spent per pupil) with teachers spending more to acquire a masters degree (more than half as opposed to a quarter)but it's simply not enough. Our kids are no more smarter than they were before even with these factors. The U.S. is only #21 and #25 in science and math respectively. Something is clearly missing. If a country prides itself as being a global leader in economy, entertainment, democracy, etc., its placement in knowledge should reflect the same.

The working formula for successful schools, that is those with a high graduating rate and better test scores than average, seems to be treating it like a business. Not meaning necessarily approaching it top to bottom as it is valuable to hear the kids out. They want to learn, as long as they see it will benefit them functionally and intellectually. Companies have an executive team lead by a CEO who has the power to make a change when and where it is needed. Although there is a board of directors, there should be a paradigm and also a bottom line. The board of directors should include parents and teachers while the bottom line should simply be to get the kids that diploma and prepare them for the future. The current structure doesn't allow room for change and for all parties to have a say since it is so political. Recently, Mayor Bloomberg has chosen Cathie Black of Hearst to become chancellor of the Harlem Children's Zone sans any experience in teaching. Who cares? She runs a successful business. Give her a chance and see what she can do which is likely better than those in the industry who don' t know how to manage money and people.

In addition, unions also inconvenience change. Teacher who are not being held accountable for the continuing mis-education of our children are retained. For whatever reason, whether it be poor resources, bad leaders (i.e. principals, superintendents), the more we drink from the same water, more sick we become. The more we become sick, the more we will have to rely on benefits to take care of us.

What people don't realize is that those who expect social services and government money are those who never had a chance to finish school, nor to make a career, nor just a job. These services cost Americans so much that we complain about paying taxes. The root of it is the learning institutions and how we can nurture our future with the resources and tools they need so that won't have to worry about being a burden on society later. We must move now and create a world of obtainable success for students.

Teachers, principals, and yes, parents make up this world as well as the interior and exterior of the buildings itself. How motivated would anyone be if wall paper is pealing, water is leaking, and computers run slower than a the internet on a blackberry? The best way to show kids that they are worth it, it is to create an environment that they would want to spend their day learning in. A positive atmosphere sets the move. Presentation at least works in Advertising and Marketing as a vital component in relaying a particular message. And if the building looks neat and welcoming, perhaps the rest of the neighborhood could follow.

Let's turn the streets smart by giving our kids the chance to the best education that can. It takes an adaptable and competent team as well as a positive environment to build a society and country of able citizens. Every decade, another generation retires leaving the ones following to pick up the tools. It is up to us to build a strong foundation of education now, so that we can safely inhabit any neighborhood...and not pay more taxes in the long run no matter where we live!