SOMETHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

From correctional center to Congress: Former inmate vouches for education

This story shows the values of adult education and hopefully this young man not only an example of personal growth and development but provide an example of what is important and behaviors to avoid. Here is a case where a little money wisely spent can avoid the expense of future incarceration. It's much cheaper yo pat one teacher a few hours a week for a classroom of adults than to provide alternative housing on a state prison.

You not only save on that person's housing but you don't lode his potential contribution to the tax base. Then there is the ripple effect throughout his family, often school age kids who insure increased expenditures due to family decay.

The GED program at LPS has somewhat of a stormy past I think ADULT EDUCATION as a whole. Now at the FORD SCHOOL )I can hear you screaming "Oh here he goes again about Ford," sorry I've not had my medication yet this morning. Anyway at FORD on Mon. and Tue. nights through the winter various classes are held benefiting well over 200 people. There is even a class on cable, Now that's a lot of success stories, maybe not as great individually but it speaks very loudly collectively.

It was a story that almost never happened. Forgive me if I don't have all the details but people are AFRAID to talk to me. I talked to one teacher at my BOSTON STREET OFFICE that gave me his story but refused to give me his name, He said he knew me and was afraid of the ramifications of being associated with me. Anyway I seem to remember a fight where our SUPERINTENDENT said ther was no money to pat for $35 teachers for a couple of hours to improve kids lives by improving their parents' ones but there appears to be little problem scrapping up around $200.000 to replace doors at $10,000 a pop.

Sure it is done in the name of safety and that is supposed to justify it. Anything to keep the bad guys out. The thing is with a little education there would be less bad guys to keep out. We need to spend our money wisely.