New Orleans Schools
This article, about one New Orleans high school really startled me.
I can’t see how any responsible parent could leave their high school age children alone in any city, particularly New Orleans, as it is right now. This article clearly illustrates some of the problems which can ensue when teenagers have no parental supervision.
I’m sure that some (or most) of these parents think they have the best of reasons for leaving their kids without their supervision in this kind of situation. However, this one high school at least, is feeling the effects of it. From what I could gather, this school doesn’t even have adequate resources to be operating let alone dealing with students who are totally on their own.
What are people thinking?
New Orleans, high school, teenagers, parents
November 2nd, 2006 at 10:56 am
First this story disregards the fact that a lot of the children in New Orleans are under the care of other family members, such as grand parents, aunts, etc. (usually female other family members).
It also discounts the fact that many people are dislocated to places like Houston where there is no effective mass transit system. The people who can find jobs have no real way to get to them. There children would be just as unsupervised (perhaps less supervised) if they stayed with their parent who faced several hours each way to get to work.
I agree with your conclusion: what are people thinking? However, I have in mind the people who have created an economy in which these children are a hidden cost of low wages that result from the collision of generations of sub-standard minority education and an open world marketplace.
The fact is we are rebuilding a major American city on our own with no consequential help from the federal government. We are doing the best we can. Perhaps when some of the promised money is actually delivered to pay for services and rebuilding (and compensation for the federal government’s destruction of our city via the failure of their levees) then perhaps, just perhaps the committed 200,000 people who are home can begin to make this city a better place. For now, we’re holding it together with duct tape.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:16 am
Mark,
Thanks for your comment. I agree that, if these teens are under the supervision of MATURE family members, then this is fine. If they are better supervised in this situation than they would be if they were with their parent, fine. However, I’m worried about the number of them I’ve read about(not only in this article, but in others) who aren’t. And I’d be worried about any who weren’t, whether in this situation or any other.
And yes, we can put some of the responsbility on the government, the economy, sub-standard education and lot of other things. But, the bottom line is, as parents, we’re still responsible for our children. And I don’t see how anyone could send their child off to ANY city if there isn’t proper supervision in place.
I’m aware that New Orleans is in a unique and desperate situation, and that the government has done far less than it could and should be doing. And I commend those people who are living and working in the city and are doing the best they can to rebuild under very trying circumstances.
However, I still can’t agree with leaving teenagers living alone to fend for themselves, if they have no supervision-not in New Orleans or anywhere else.