Education and the Community: Is there really a connection?

President Clinton, in his 1998 State of the Union address, gave a very clear mandate, no a challenge, for better education in America. His Call to Action for American Education: 10 principles made it very clear that the business of education is the business of every citizen. But is it? How many of our nation’s citizens know what happens once those doors close for the start of the school day? Are parents really taking an interest in their child’s education? Are citizens taking an interest? The ball is still in the air concerning the awareness of the citizens for their youngsters. Following are the arguments from both sides telling why and why not citizens should take an interest in their nation’s education system (Nellen 1).
The first point, rational though it may not seem, is that the older generations needn’t bother worrying about the education system because they have nothing to do with it. Their children are long out of school, some even have grandchildren out of...