It is not uncommon to see simplistic solutions or rationales skirt passed needed context. The other day, I read an op-ed that more of the blame on education problems should be laid at the feet of parents than teachers.
Actually, the problem has multiple factors, parents being one of them. But, the missing context is the high percentage of single parents and parents living in poverty. It is quite difficult for single parents to juggle a job (or two) and children and be able to attend all parent/ teacher meetings and help kids with their homework. And, kids in poverty have heard far fewer words in the home and start and remain behind as reported by David Brooks in “30 million fewer words.”
It is not unusual to read a letter to the editor say the problem with poverty is too many single parent families. Again, that is one of multiple causes, but why? There is a high correlation between poverty and large families. So, better funded family planning efforts have shown they can address both issues. Holistic sex education, better access to birth control, and straight shooting answers to questions can help young women and men with these issues.
Healthcare access is another concern that impacts people in poverty. The US is a leader in western world countries in a bad area – maternal death rates in delivery. We still have fifteen states who did not expand Medicaid. Rural hospitals have closed without needed funding. As a result, we have fewer doctors and nurses in these underserved communities. And, this does not reflect food deserts and their impact on community health.
Poverty, poor education, and poor healthcare issues go part and parcel with large family size, more single parents, and lack of opportunity in the community. There are multiple factors that drive these issues, but not doing enough to support families and children, whether it is better and safer after-school programs, whether it is more active community policing to address crime that comes with fewer opportunities, whether it is job retraining where companies and community colleges can address shortages, whether it is asset based community development to restore old buildings to something inviting and/ or commerce related, are all contributors in their absence.
I have worked with a number of homeless working families in an organization I was involved with. These folks were not in poverty due to lack of piety. Some of the most pious people I have ever met are homeless mothers. Poverty is simply the lack of money. Many had multiple jobs. They simply lost their home due to a healthcare crisis, due to childcare issue, due to the loss of car or one of the jobs, or their spouse or boyfriend beat them and they had to get out.
When we discuss the reasons why things happen, we need to think of the larger context. Otherwise, we will solve the wrong problem. A community developer from New York noted his chagrin when a community tore down a school (or left it empty). A community needs an asset like this not just for children, but for community activities for adults and children. This is the premise of asset based community development – repair or repurpose buildings.
Let’s think holistically. Let’s dig into the real causes. Let’s think of those who are in need and how we can help them climb the ladder. We cannot push them up the ladder, but we can make sure the rungs are well built and help them make the first few steps. A social worker I worked with used the phrase that she walked side by side with her clients. I like that. Let’s do more of that.
musingsofanoldfart 
Excellent post. But one more effort that might help would be to take the electronic toys away from the kids. They need to learn how to read, calculate, and think — and interact with others. But, as you say, simplistic solutions are not the answer.
Hugh, thanks. Great point about learning the basics and how to think. We use math everyday, so understanding financials of everyday life is beneficial. Keith
An excellent post, dear Keith! Most serious issues are multi-faceted, and there is rarely a simple, single panacea that will address the issues, yet often that is what we seek. So much easier, for example, to blame poor parenting for children’s troubles in school. But, as you say … why? The why and how questions are often the most important. We tend to want a simple solution to everything, but it is rarely a viable one, for it leaves out far too many factors. Our world today is complex, and so will be the solutions to the problems.
And, for the record, I agree with Hugh. Both the electronic toys and our education system, that focuses more on career skills than on teaching young people to actually think, are reducing our society to one that can be easily fooled into believing what they are told by the loudest voices. We need to think ‘outside the box’ in order to find real solutions to the real-world problems of the day, and those solutions will not be found on a Nintendo game, nor on Fox News.
Well said. There are too many unasked why questions.