Our Education

Our Education

            Far too often we find ourselves speaking poorly about someone or something. Whether it is a politician in office, a celebrity’s actions, the inflation rate, the U.S. unemployment rate, or the troubles in our education system; we are all a part of the problem. We speak with distrust about the people we know best when they are not around…we can all admit that we have done it at least once. The honest truth is that our world has the opportunity to be remarkable, but too many people sit back and speak on our problems rather than choosing to stand up and fix the situation.

            Of all of the problems listed above, I look at the ‘troubles in our education system’ and immediately, a negative connotation flashes into my mind. But in actuality, our school system does not have as many flaws as one may think. Of course, the teacher salaries are remarkably low and therefore, the ability to attract proficient and experienced teachers to the State of North Carolina is difficult, but the teachers who teach for reasons other than money are the ones who have come to Mecklenburg County and are a part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. And before you say, “The teachers coming to North Carolina must be uneducated if they are not choosing to come for the money; they must not have any other options”, you must read on.

The statement above is what the majority of people in our area believe, but the honest answer in my opinion as a recent graduate of Ardrey Kell High School, is that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) have some of the most highly educated and well-rounded teachers in the State of North Carolina. I would guarantee that numerous teachers currently working at CMS could work in any school district at any school in the United States. For instance, at Ardrey Kell High School; I had several teachers who graduated from well-respected universities, such as UNC- Chapel Hill and Stanford. That fact eliminates the statement above regarding teachers only coming to North Carolina schools because other options were unavailable. Teachers all around CMS care about their students and are aware of the competitive world awaiting their students after they graduate high-school. Our school system may have flaws, but doesn’t everything in the world have flaws? You could be attractive, but you may not be smart. You could be rich, but are you always happy? You may have everything, but is something still missing?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is bringing in thousands of new students each year to their elementary, middle, and high schools. Made up of 164 schools and nearly 143,000 students enrolled in CMS, the need for teachers is critical (CMS: Fast Facts). Of course CMS wants to increase the teacher salary, expand on infrastructure, and bring in new technology for students to use, but the money is limited and with 164 schools, there is a process to receive funding and it is a long process. The problem is neither our school system nor CMS. The problem is larger than we can see it. Our educators and officials want students to receive an extraordinary education, but the ability to help everyone at once is not reasonable; just as it is when two presidential candidates run against one another. One candidate will have nearly half of the votes and the other candidate will receive virtually half of the votes. Life is challenging and we cannot please everyone, but we can still be successful with what we have.

            My focus point is that whether or not we believe our education system is functioning effectively and successfully, we can receive a remarkable education regardless. We have teachers. We have classrooms. We have SMART Boards. We have computers. We have pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, erasers and more. We have the necessities to receive an education and too many people are complaining that we need more. To be honest, I was against the education system in past years, but I have discovered that the problem was that I listened to the public’s opinion on our education system, so I blamed our school system when I earned poor grades or when something went off beam at school.

            Having the opportunity to attend school is a gift by itself. Having the opportunity to be in a safe school occupied by cameras and security-officers is a blessing. Having the opportunity to learn in a classroom with your own desk and your own space is remarkable. We take so much for granted and we do not realize how fortunate we are to attend school. CMS has done an extraordinary job at ensuring safety for all students and have spent years analyzing how to achieve their vision of “providing all students the best education available anywhere, preparing every child to lead a rich and productive life” (CMS: Fast Facts).

            I have been enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools since Kindergarten at Hawk-Ridge Elementary School. I then went to Community House Middle School before attending Ardrey Kell High School, where I then graduated in June of 2014. I have experienced more than I could ever want and I learned more than I had planned. I have been equipped with the knowledge to be intelligent, the professionalism to be mature, the skills to be well-rounded, the vision to have a dream, and the inspiration to be a success. I thank Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for everything they have done for me since age five.

            Now at High Point University, I am using my knowledge to take me to the next level. I am in the process of writing my own book, Dreams, Drive, Determination: Taking A Different Route and I have my own blog, http://dreamsdrivedetermination.blogspot.com/. I am continuing to learn more each day and I can truly say that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has influenced me on how I live my life. I have been pushed by all of my extraordinary teachers to reach my potential and I have discovered more and more about myself over the years. Our education system may have flaws in its appearance, but once you break down CMS and look inside its outer cover, you will realize Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is on the right path towards ensuring a successful future for each student enrolled in its system. You choose whether you will be successful or not; nobody else can make that decision for you.

-Austin McClain Baker

 

 

 

Austin Baker

Twitter/Instagram: @ABakerPresident

DreamsDriveDetermination@gmail.com

Austin.Baker25@yahoo.com