Mark Miller Online

An alarming trend is developing in education. Little by little, more attention is being paid to computer based learning programs over direct teacher instruction. I believe that when you look at the reason for ninety percent of the world’s problems, at the core you will find a money grab spawned by polarized politicians and conglomerates battling over our resources. In this case the federal education budget.

As more money begins to flow from state run schools to charter schools, private corporations will undoubtedly run the school systems the only way they know how, like a corporation. It’s no secret the primary concern of any American corporation is to make money. They will address their bottom line at every turn and find ways to run more “efficiently”. But instead of devising remedies to bring more teachers into the classroom or innovating new ways to enhance the learning experience, I fear corporations will do what they always do to increase profits, cut employees. Although countless studies have concluded a highly effective teacher is the best indicator of student success, teachers will be picked off like fledgling turtles rushing toward the ocean.

Imagine the money the myriad of future charter schools will save by placing one teacher in a classroom with two hundred students armed with the latest laptop technology. I am familiar with many of the programs widely used to assist with reading comprehension. They have their merit. The stories and corresponding videos are engaging, surely enough to draw a reluctant reader’s attention. But in this new age of technology, don’t young people have enough to capture their attention. Maybe, no definitely, I’m old school, but I know the good old page turning experience of a book is enough to capture any kid’s attention. Ask the millions of kids who have read one of the five hundred plus page Harry Potter books.

Of course there will be a few shining examples of schools producing successful students using computer based curriculums and virtual learning programs in classrooms with a ridiculously high student to teacher ratios. Politicians and corporations will exalt these schools as a paradigm forAmerica’s educational future. Schools with well to do parents will be equipped with the best technology and resources.  But just as schools with limited resources presently fail students, schools lacking top notch technology will fall behind. In an economy teetering in and out of recession, how many families will be able to afford the top notch schools? 

Like the depletion of our natural resources, the education of our children is one of those issues destined to test the true agenda of our political leaders. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen politicians clamor for more qualified teachers citing studies that prove a highly effective teacher is the best indicator of student achievement, I could retire. Let’s see how many of these same politicians endorse legislation that eliminates class size restrictions or makes it easier for charter schools to strive. Politicians are supposed to be on our side, protect the people’s interest and make sure all citizens get a fair shake. I hope I’m not being paranoid, but it seems like the line between the haves and have nots is becoming more clear, and the chips are being stacked on one side.    

I don’t need to read any studies to know that I see the strongest gains in my students’ comprehension when we discuss the stories, I guide them through the reading, and we have discussions where I can spark critical thinking skills by connecting the story’s theme to issues relevant to their lives. I believe this one on one Socratic dialogue, this human interaction, is invaluable to the development of critical thinking skills. There are too many hidden messages in the reading student’s simply don’t pick up on while using computer guided reading programs. No computer can beat a highly effective teacher.

Of course being a teacher, I am biased. I don’t want to be replaced by a computer. My opinions are clear, but my mind is always open. Are you a student or parent that has had an experience with computer based learning?  Was it a positive or negative experience? What do you think is the best way to learn?

Mark Miller

12/30/11

Take Responsibility

One of America’s most beloved fathers, Bill Cosby, was vilified for his comments on the state of the Black family in America. His crime, suggesting it was the parents not slavery, Jim Crow or today’s society at fault for so many young Black men failing in school or becoming imprisoned. Finally, someone with the nerve to state the painfully obvious.

The philosopher, John Locke, believed children are born a blank slate, their personalities formed by their experiences. Simple enough; a child who is born into a family with strong parents has a better chance in life than one born to an alcohol or drug abuser. Countless studies have proven the effect neglect has on personality development. Many children who are not nurtured and made to feel safe in their first years of life have difficulty fitting into society later in life. Of course, the worse the neglect or abuse the harder it is for children to recuperate and strive. A physically abused child bullies his peers, a sexually abused child perpetrates on other children, a child who witnesses alcohol and drug abuse abuses drugs and alcohol.

A recent report on National Public Radio featured the child rearing practices of Chinese parents. According to the feature, Chinese parents are among the strictest in the world. They are involved in all aspects of their children’s lives and they expect their children to succeed. They make sacrifices to send their children to the best schools and prepare them for advanced classes. Education is stressed above everything else. One Chinese mother insisted her daughter practice violin at least two hours every day, without exception. Her opinion, “American parents are too soft on their children.” We live in a hard, competitive world where only the most prepared will survive. For this Chinese mother, who has already raised an accomplished pianist attending Harvard University, to not push your children to realize their full potential is a form of child abuse.

It doesn’t take a philosopher or a Phd. in family psychology to understand. Children thrive when parents are involved, period. I believe this is the single most important factor involved in raising successful children. I was fortunate to be raised by two parents who always put the needs of their children over their own. Dad always made time to throw the ball around and Mom was always there to check my homework. In my opinion, no one should consider having a child until they are willing to put all their needs, wants and desires behind those of their children. Young people must realize the grave responsibility involved in raising a child. If you drop off your kids at someone’s house every weekend so you can boogie down in the club, don’t be surprised of your child develops a drug habit down the road. If you’re the type of father who only comes around once every few weeks, don’t be surprised when your son develops anger management problems or has problems paying attention in class because he’s too worried about when he’ll see you again.

Be involved with your children. Know where they are and who they’re with every second of every day. Check their homework even if you don’t really understand it. Nothing builds confidence and teamwork skills better than sports. Let them explore music or art or dance. Encourage their individualism and creativity. Above all else, be there to guide them, catch them when they fall and praise them when they shine. Children fortunate enough to be born into families that do these things develop the self confidence to thrive, academically and socially. To a child, a parent’s attention and praise is like rain to a rainforest. The more you give, the stronger they grow.

As a dear friend always tells me, “You can’t do better until you know better.” How can a teenage father know how to be a father if he doesn’t have a father of his own? He can’t do better until he knows better. Fortunately, society is beginning to realize what Mr. Cosby acknowledged but many were not willing to admit. Ultimately, the family must be held accountable when a child fails. But to heal the child, you must first heal the family. Foster care does the best it can and but it’s not a permanent solution.

The good news is help is there for those who seek it, but young people must make the conscious decision to do the right thing, break the cycle, embrace their children and take on the hard work of building their families. Fortunately, Planned Parenthood is safe for the time being. Scholarships4Moms.net provides information on educational grants and support. Parentingchoice.com offers online parenting courses approved by the Department of Children and Families. Vachss.com provides listings and links to articles, agencies, organizations and websites for a myriad of issues relevant to young adults and parents. Baby-Place.com offers a plethora of information about pregnancy, birth and babies. These are just of few of the many resources available to young adults and parents of all ages who are serious about making a commitment to their families. Of course your neighborhood churches remain a tremendous resource for community services as well. Seek out these resources, accept the help of mentors. We can only lead you to the water. You must dip your head and take a sip.

Are you a teenage mother or father? What is your role in your child’s life? What questions do you have about parenting? Do you have any suggestions to help bring families together? Share your thoughts.

Mark Miller

What does it mean to be a man? At some point, every young man asks himself the question. I was fourteen when I first asked myself. I had just received my first real pay check from working at McDonalds. On the same day, my parents had denied my request to stay out later than my curfew. That was enough. I boldly declared to my father, “I’m getting my own place.” He simply giggled, asked how much money my paycheck reflected and proceeded to run down the expenses I would need to maintain to be self sufficient. His thirty second rebuttal left me speechless, feeling helpless and small.

He was right, of course. Still a latent instinct gnawed at my conscious. I had to be free, to be my own man, to answer to no one. Like a runaway slave planning his route north, I had to map my road to freedom. Go to college, study hard, prepare to earn a living and steal whatever bits of independence I could scheme along the way. School rules, parent rules, it didn’t matter. Breaking the rules made me feel free, but it was a mirage. Even though I had part time jobs, my parents paid for most of my tuition, room and board. I was still taken care of, still a boy.

Graduation day finally came. My parents suggested graduate school, but I was ready to cut the leash. I flew away to California and found a job that paid enough to cover my share of the rent and utilities and still have enough money left over for food and play. Sure my boss told me what to do from nine to five, but when the whistle blew, I was free. No one could tell me what to do, especially my parents. All they could do was make suggestions from three thousand miles away. I was a man.

I realized what man and every other living being that has ever walked, crawled or flew over the Earth has realized since the beginning of existence. If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t survive. This is what a man does. He takes care of his needs and the needs of those he cares for.

Any man can plant a seed and boast of his conquests. But even the most hardcore player, upon honest reflection, will admit to the void he feels inside. An honest man will tell you he hasn’t done a thing until he builds a nest strong enough to support his responsibilities. It’s natural to run away from a brood of gapping, hungry mouths if you don’t have the means to feed them. The trick is to think of the responsibility before the seed is planted. Today, with DNA testing, you can run, but you can’t hide.

What does it mean to be a man? It’s making a plan, accomplishing a goal, building a nest, realizing that freedom and peace of mind come with knowing, no matter what happens, I can take care of me and mine.

Are you a teenager or young adult? What does being a man mean to you? When did you first realize you had transformed from a boy to a man? Do you have any advice for young adults struggling to find their way to adulthood? Please, share your thoughts…

Mark Miller
8/15/10

Young and Pregnant

I found the following information on a great website, Pregnant Teen Help. : The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Just under 1/3 of all girls in the United States will get pregnant in their teenage years. Every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant. Unmarried teenagers having children account for 24 percent of all unmarried expectant mothers. More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school.

Although it seems clear that teen pregnancy continues to be a problem, the reasons why are as opaque as a brick wall. Why do teenagers want children of their own? Maybe that’s the wrong question to ask. How about why do so many teens end up pregnant? The first question assumes teen pregnancies are planned. Based on numerous conversations I’ve overheard in the classroom about the desire to have babies, maybe they are?

“Girl, I think I wanna baby when I get outta here. You think I can do it?”

“You can do it, girl, my sister got a baby and she ain’t but fifteen.”

Such nonchalant remarks were typical among the girls I taught in juvenile detention centers. I listened, but I also asked the question. Why do you want a baby so bad? In most cases, the response was, “I just want one. They’re so cute.” On the surface there appeared to be no rational thought here, no planning, but I continued to listen. Many of the girls told stories of sisters, cousins and friends who had had babies. Teen pregnancy wasn’t the scary, life stunting experience the media and parents liked to describe. It was familiar. They swapped information on where to find public resources like Wall Street brokers traded stock tips. They had it all planned out, except for maybe who the father would be. But the question still remained, why?

We all need love. Teenage girls, especially, need to love and be loved. Unfortunately, too many of them grow up without a strong father figure to receive and nurture that affection. There aren’t enough hours in the day for working mothers, so that craving often gets channeled into “boyfriends” who are typically more boy than friend. Still, the need for unconditional love persists. A baby fills the void perfectly. All a baby knows how to do is love you and need your love in return. Many teenage girls have spent their childhood caring for younger siblings. They feel they know how to raise children. It is familiar.

We remember the “baby pact” made by seventeen teenagers who attended the same high school in Gloucester, Massachusetts. According to an Associated Press article, school officials were concerned about the number of students reporting to the school clinic for pregnancy tests. The officials were astonished when the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers. Principal, Joseph Sullivan, reported that one of the fathers “is a 24-year-old homeless guy.” Superintendent, Christopher Farmer characterized the girls involved in the pact as, “girls who lack self-esteem and have a lack of love in their life.” So that’s the answer. They do it out of the need for unconditional love.

But what about the girls who come from strong, two-parent, middle class households? In 2008, I was asked to appear as a member of a panel on teenage pregnancy on a local television program called Open Forum. I met a sixteen year old girl who had a stable family life and a boyfriend. She simply believed in the teenager’s favorite saying, “It’ll never happen to me.”

I have read numerous studies that concluded rational thought doesn’t completely develop until we are past our teenage years. With this in mind, can anyone say we make our most rational decisions while lost in the depths of passion? I don’t think so. Maybe it’s as simple as that. Kids just don’t think of the consequences before they have sex. Let’s admit it, neither do some adults.

Do teenagers truly desire to have children of their own or do they simply forget to think and end up pregnant? What do you think? Feel free to express your opinion! Press the comments tab below to share your thoughts…

Mark Miller

The son of Jim Crow survivors I was raised to believe an opportunity is all you get in life, and you’re lucky to get that. But as long as I had that opportunity, was willing to work hard and had a plan, I would succeed. I believed it because it was true. The economy has had its ups and downs since I joined the workforce in 1980 at the tender age of fourteen, but I have never felt as much anxiety over my ability to gain or maintain employment as I feel today.                                                       

By 2010 standards, I was spoiled. It seemed as though jobs grew on trees. During school breaks I worked in fast food, bused at chain restaurants, delivered pizza, sweated through humidity and ninety plus temperatures for a moving company, and worked on a street crew for the gas company. By the time I graduated from college I had some experience to pad a resume and references to prove I was worthy of employment.

Today’s teens face a much different reality. According to National Public Radio, the unemployment rate for teens is at a record high, 75% nationally for teens actively searching for work. As the national unemployment rate continues to hover around nine percent, young people are competing with more experienced applicants for jobs I once considered only part time work to help me through school. “Basically, people’s careers stall before they get actually start and the research shows that this has a long term, negative impact on their life time earnings,” stated Aldernon Austin of The Economic Policy Institute.

President Obama’s job stimulus program has and will create work in certain pockets, but it will not be enough to quench the thirst of millions of unemployed. Most financial prognosticators predict unemployment will continue to be a problem for two to three more years. No one has a crystal ball, but today more than ever it’s better to be prepared. Eventually, companies will begin to hire again. The more skills you acquire in your time between employments, the better off you’ll be. It could help, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

What can young people do to improve their chances when even in good economic times they are likely the last to be hired? One solution, seek out publicly funded work project and job training programs. Congress is currently working on a proposal for an eight billion dollar youth job training program. Volunteer work, especially for teens that don’t have the burden of paying bills, provides an opportunity to experience all aspects of business from marketing to sales, while gaining organization and people skills. Talk about perfect padding for a resume.

In today’s work climate it is imperative for anyone, young or old, who is job searching to be diligent, even tenacious, about exploiting available resources. Get online and let your fingers do the walking. Seek out free job training programs. Downtime is the perfect time to improve your computer skills or take a class that will enhance your job skills.  It tells the world that even in the worst of times; you maintained the determination to focus on your career. If I were a prospective employer, I would look for people who tried to improve themselves, those who continued to work hard, even though they weren’t receiving a pay check.

Although we are competing against each other for jobs, we are all in this thing together. Consumer spending is the fuel that runs our financial system. Unemployment is the catalyst that can lead our economy into a tailspin. We work better with each other than against each other. Are you currently looking for a job? What’s been working for you? Do you have any advice or information to share with someone looking for employment? 

To share your thoughts,  press the comments tab below.

Mark Miller

Time to Love

Who’s to blame when a kid goes bad? It must be his teachers. If they were teaching him right, he would be engaged and interested instead of looking for reasons to skip class. Maybe it’s his friends. Damn kids these days. All they care about is sex and drugs. What about the media with its constant bombardment of negative role models, sex, drugs, and violence. How could anyone expect a healthy all American teenager to avoid all of society’s landmines.

Is it fantasy to wax nostalgic and yearn for the days when there were only a handful of TV stations to corrupt innocent, pure minds? A time when families gathered around the dinner table at 6p.m. every evening, when every neighbor knew every other neighbor’s kid by their first name, when we realized there was more to life than getting ahead or keeping our heads above water.

The philosopher John Locke believed we were born a blank slate, a tabla rasa, an empty canvass molded by our experiences to determine the true beauty of our ultimate design. Whether we turn out to be The Mona Lisa or a corner store knock off print of dogs playing poker is completely based on the sum of the good or bad influences in our lives.

I recently received an email from an acquaintance who knows I work as a teacher in juvenile justice facilities. Her teenage son had recently begun skipping school and hanging out with a new set of friends. His grades were slipping and she suspected drug use. She wanted to know if there were any counseling programs I could recommend.

I thought about her dilemma and how difficult it must be for a single mother raising a teenage boy while working two jobs. I reached back to my experience as a counselor and teacher for child protective services and the juvenile justice system. The faces of hundreds of kids who had struggled through great adversity ran through my mind, the victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment.

Victims of physical and sexual abuse live with deep scars, but the wounds can be healed with good counseling. Children learn that although their parents had done heinous things to them, on some level they were still loved. Their parents were the sick ones. They were simply the victims of a bad experience. They could learn to forgive. Maybe even rebuild a relationship when the offending parent recognized the error of their ways.

The child victims of neglect and abandonment experience a different frame of mind. How do you ever overcome the realization that your mother or father has something better to do than spend time with you? After all, to an infant or toddler, a parent is their world, their entire existence. Children need our love and attention to fill in the spaces of their blank slate. The worst thing a parent can do is leave a child alone. Bad things will happen. Whether they live in an inner city and fall prey to gang influences or are raised in the most affluent community and turn to drugs, lonely children will find a way to relieve the pain of absent parents.

Many years ago, I spent Christmas on a ranching village in the mountains outside of Mazatlan, Mexico. It was a small, hand made, cinderblock home with concrete floors and an outhouse to handle your private business. The people there survived on whatever they could plant in the fields and reap from their farm animals.

I wasn’t surprised to discover God fearing people in a Christian nation, but there were no trees with presents piled underneath, no stockings hung on the walls, no lights or tinsel trimming to brighten their humble surroundings. There was no money for such luxuries; nevertheless, the spirit of Christmas was everywhere. It lived in the songs we sang every night in front of the bon fire, the hand made tamales we shared, and the careless way we danced and enjoyed each others company. Young and old, worked together, played together, lived together, and celebrated the Navidad, always together.

There was no doubt; family had formed a bond between parent and child that no economic adversity could break. Of course, most of us don’t live on a ranch. Unless you run a home based or family owned business, the idea of incorporating our children into our work lives is inconceivable.

I thought hard before answering the email, compelled to offer sage advice based on my experience working with troubled teens. I could recommend a myriad of community resources from after school programs to mentoring programs to counseling or therapy. Her son might make more positive friends, catch up on school work, learn from constructive role models, and get an empathetic ear to vent his problems. Maybe his grades would improve. Maybe it would help for him to have someone to talk to. But there would always be something missing. Like a band aid placed over an infected wound, the resentment left to fester. All the pastors, mentors, coaches, and teachers in the world could never take the place of his mother. Although I recognized the plight of the single parent, working two jobs to make ends meet, I had to address the root of the problem. The advice I gave to my acquaintance; find a way to spend time with her son. She had to take time to love.

Parenthood is the biggest sacrifice a person can make, if you’re doing it right. The single parent must often make the supreme sacrifice, an absolute loss of personal time. Fortunately, as our lives have grown more complex, our resources have improved. Cell phones allow for constant daily contact. Good churches provide great resources for single parents. Most of all, I encouraged her to spend the little free time she had with her son. Something as simple as movie night twice a week, which is actually an excuse to sit side by side, quietly, with the most important person in your life, provides the perfect opportunity to bond.  

There are no easy answers, but good suggestions never hurt. Are you a single parent? What’s been working for you? Were you often left alone as a child? Are you a teenager, currently experiencing a similar situation? What’s your advice to other teens? How can adults help? Please, share your thoughts…..

Mark Miller

 In honor of  Black History Month,  a reporter from our local newspaper asked me to write an article expressing my ideas on how things have progressed or regressed for African Americans during my lifetime. The following article expresses my ideas. Are kids less interested in school now than in past years? Why is the teenage drop out rate so high?  Do young adults today recognize the importance of education? Why would any teenager drop out rather than take advantage of a free education? What do you think?

Opportunity Lost

     When pondering how things have progressed or regressed over the years, my deepest concerns surround education. Too many African Americans continue to struggle academically. At the same time, some have been more successful than ever before. President Obama is living proof the American dream is alive and true. Given the opportunity, anyone can grow up to be the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth.

     I often reflect on my time growing up in one of the few African American families in a white suburb. Born in 1966, I missed all the big wars and most of the racial tension my ancestors endured. Sure, I experienced minor inconveniences. I had the “N” word hurled at me every now and then. My parents had to visit my schools to make sure I wasn’t tracked in lower level classes, even though my grades and test scores clearly placed me with other high functioning students. Annoying, yes; but not even close to the brand of racism that stripped dignity and opportunity from my ancestors. The type of racism that would have made it easy to feel there was no hope to succeed.

     Thanks to my ancestors’ sacrifices, doors flung open and the red carpet was rolled out. All I had to do was work hard and have a plan. Fortunately, my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, most of who grew up under Jim Crow, never let me forget the struggle they endured. Sure, I tolerated some name calling and sat in classes where I was blatantly different, but I was never spat on, hosed down, beat after school or hung from a tree.  How dare I not succeed. After all, I had been given the one thing that should never be taken for granted, an opportunity. There was no question that school was important, no doubt that I would someday attend college. Not all my friends and schoolmates were destined for college, but they all looked forward to graduating high school. I never knew anyone who dropped out or didn’t care whether or not they failed.

     As a teacher, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of teenagers from Northwest Florida. Some of my students work hard to learn as much as they can. Most graduate with high school diplomas or G.E.D.s. But too many of them think school is a waste of their time.

     While the rest of the world continues to make academic gains, America has slipped. I have never been able to understand how people from all over the world, no matter how young or old, poor or affluent, can recognize the value of a free American education, and our own children can not.

     I asked my students how an indigent child, sitting in a hut in Africa, can recognize the opportunities a free education provides, but some of them can not. One student simple stated, “We’re too spoiled”.

     Maybe it is asking too much from the generation of cell phones, 200 cable channels, and ubiquitous fast food to understand the value of hard work. In many third world countries, if you don’t work, you don’t eat. But, thanks to food stamps, section 8 housing, foster care, and the myriad of programs designed to protect children, even the poorest child in America can fill his belly, he will always have a roof over his head and most likely a TV or two to help him leisurely pass the days.

     Have things progressed or regressed? I would have to say both. From Obama to Oprah, African Americans are at the top in all aspects of our society. What about our children who can’t recognize the opportunity? Whether or not the government funds the idea, we can not leave any child behind. Our village still has some raising to do.

Mark Miller