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While my big, fat Sunday New York Times sits faithfully at the end of my bed from the time I take it inside until at least Thursday of that week, I’m thankful for my friend David who, like clock work, reads it cover to cover and sends me the juicy bits. I guess that’s the difference between having four year old twins vs. an eight year old who can reach the cereal and help himself to breakfast!

Last week he sent me the first in a series of articles they’re running on “Class in America.” It’s a lengthy article so be prepared but if you can manage the time, it’s truly enlightening. The part that resonated for me was of course about how “class” is inexplicably tied to one’s overall “success” metrics and how children perform in our highly driven culture. While we all feel good about taking our children to the museum, exposing them to different kinds of music, schlepping them to soccer and art classes–according to the data, none of this “culture cramming” has any baring on how our children will turn out. Imagine that, the Mozart effect may not work. It may simply come down to genes. Be lucky enough to be born to affluent, educated parents and you will likely turn out the same way. Of course there are the excpetions–dirt poor Bill Clinton is one that they offer as evidence but they are for the most part the minority. Mobility in our culture is clearly not on the rise.

This resonates with me for mainly one reason. I am educated, as is my husband, and we have enough cash at least to send our children to an independent school. Great for me and my kids but what of the rest? Without offering this same access to education to the disappearing middle class than we again stiffle that mobility and opportunity for young children just entering the world. I would argue that we need more Bill Clinton’s. That they shouldn’t be the anomoly. That every child has the right to succeed, even if their parents aren’t in the Forbes 400.

Posted on May 22nd, 2005 by Sam
Filed under: School Time