Universal Education by Timmy Siverd

My mind has not stopped racing since leaving Washington, D.C. just over 24 hours ago. Never before have I met with such a diverse and accomplished group of leaders, and they challenged me to think critically in more ways about more topics than I previously thought possible. Education is an issue that can attract spectators formally (teachers, parents, administrators, politicians, education policy specialists, etc.) but also informally – everybody has (or should have) a vested interest in the quality of the next generation of leaders.

While I wasn’t really sure what impact the trip would have on me, I have come to at least one conclusion since my return to campus – it is our duty to provide high-quality education to students across the board. I’ll openly admit that as I entered D.C.’s Anacostia High School, I let the question “Why do we bother?” linger in my brain longer than I would have liked. As I entered the school building through a metal detector, signed in with a security guard, and observed another security guard nearly restraining a student having an argument on her cell phone (which is allegedly against school policy), I began to wonder if education at this level was worth it – I asked myself if any “real” learning could take place in this type of environment.

Looking back, just three or four hours later I should have realized that it is worth it and that real learning can take place at Anacostia (“Ana,” as it is known by students and teachers). Though, like every other school, Ana has its share of students who put little effort into fulfilling their potential, I also observed students who were thriving and soaking up the material they were learning.

The highlight of my time at Ana was observing a fourth-period math class for students who were “over-age and under-credit.” Imagining the “worst of the worst,” I was surprised to find students who actually argued with each other over who got to answer the Algebra II-level question. I found students actively engaged with the teacher and who showed desire to perform well on the next day’s “quest” (it’s not a quiz or a test, but a quest – the motivational tools teachers use still amaze me!) I found a teacher who was passionate about getting his students to understand not just what the answer was, but why it was. I found, by all accounts, everything that one would expect from a veteran teacher in a high-performing classroom.

That being said, there are undoubtedly reasons why Ana is one of the worst-performing schools in one of the worst-performing districts in the nation. Truancy and turnover in the teaching and administration staffs are issues that have plagued Ana for years. Our main contact, a Teach for America corps member who graduated from William & Mary in 2009, recounted a gang-related attack that took place in her second-period English class. It’s not my intention to sugar coat the truth – Ana is a tough place.

But whereas before I wasn’t sure whether all the energy and resources required to turn a school like Ana around was worth it, now I am convinced that it is our obligation. One of the students I interacted with at Ana could have what it takes to be a future President, find a cure for cancer, or even just make a difference in a handful of lives if he/she receives the nurturing they need. Many of the students’ homes are unstable, and I believe it is up to the school to provide the affection and education the kids need to reach their true potential.

Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Michael Jordan. Each of these owns an Emmy, Oscar, or NBA Championship ring. Each of these also went to a local public school. Warren Buffett, one of the most revered and trusted financial minds in the world, graduated from Alice Deal Junior High School and Woodrow Wilson High School – of the D.C. Public Schools system. Wouldn’t it be a shame if our inattention let the next great role model slip through the cracks?