Despite all the efforts of every president from Kennedy to Obama, [high-school dropouts] are a blight on our society. According to DoSomething.org, [more than] 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States every year, [or roughly] 7,000 kids a day. [In 1970], the United States [...] had the world’s highest graduation … Continue reading Dropouts Are Putting a Major Strain on Our Economy
Category: blog
Who Pays for Our Kids’ Education?
CBS News reported there are 200 one-room public schools located in rural areas left in America. At one time, just about every child was taught in a one-room school. Our second president, John Adams, taught in a one-room school near Boston. Abraham Lincoln was educated at a one-room school. Henry Ford loved his one-room schoolhouse … Continue reading Who Pays for Our Kids’ Education?
Kids Lose Their Future to Poverty
Now that one school year is over and we are preparing for the next, June is a month of reflection for educators and parents on how to do better [for the] next school year. It is hard enough for students to learn at school in today’s world. You throw in overcrowding, teacher-to-student ratios, poverty affecting … Continue reading Kids Lose Their Future to Poverty
Why Fight for Our Country?
Earlier this year, Stars and Stripes, the independent newspaper to the military community, reported [that among] male veterans under [the age of] 30, [the suicide rate has increased by] 44%—[in other words, an average of] 22 veterans [...] take [his or her] own lives [every day]. Reasons for the increase could be the pressures of … Continue reading Why Fight for Our Country?
Helping Small Businesses—Lots of Talk, No Action
The Small Business Act of 1953 established the Small Business Administration (SBA), which came into existence on the grounds that small businesses are essential to a free enterprise system. It was the intent of establishing the SBA to “deter the formation of monopolies and the market failures monopolies cause by eliminating competition in the marketplace,” … Continue reading Helping Small Businesses—Lots of Talk, No Action
The War on Poverty is Back; This Time, It’s the People’s Burden
Feeding America reports that 15.9 million kids [in the United States] under the age of 18, [or one in five], are unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life. Last month, Congress passed a sweeping "Farm Bill" that cut an additional $8.6 billion from SNAP, [or the] Supplemental … Continue reading The War on Poverty is Back; This Time, It’s the People’s Burden
Congress Could Use a Lesson from America’s Innovators
The compromise spending bill for $1.1 trillion keeps the government open through September, according to CNN. It increases funding to Head Start by $1 billion for early childhood education, which makes sense after its recent low point with the forced budget cuts last year. It increases the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by … Continue reading Congress Could Use a Lesson from America’s Innovators
Did Not Make It Home for the Holidays
The weather [this month] not only played havoc on retail sales but ruined many holiday celebrations by causing electrical outages, undelivered packages and [poor travel conditions]. December brought the coldest weather some areas have seen in decades, [including] a reading of 135.8 degrees below zero [...] in Antarctica, [...] the lowest temperature ever recorded on … Continue reading Did Not Make It Home for the Holidays
Can Small Businesses Survive This Christmas?
[Supported by] Black Friday, Cyber Monday and, [now], Small Business Saturday, [sales made in] November and December [...] represent as much as 40% of yearly retail stores sales, according to the National Retail Federation. [With] Thanksgiving [falling] so late on the calendar [in 2013], [though] there are six fewer shopping days between [then] and Christmas. [...] … Continue reading Can Small Businesses Survive This Christmas?
It Really Does Take a Village
The partial government shutdown for 16 days caused some Americans to lose hope in our democratic way of life. If our elected officials can’t get along, what does that say about how the normal citizen can get along with their neighbors? If we can’t take care of ourselves and the basic functions of daily living, … Continue reading It Really Does Take a Village