Volunteers to Inspire Students: A Noble Effort

My colleague, Isabel, wrote an interesting post in her blog regarding the high school drop out rates in Texas.  It emphasizes this critical situation in our high schools and also suggests a possible solution to improve the teens’ motivation to continue their education.  

I found the idea of bringing more mentors and tutors to schools to better guide Texas’ students fascinating.  Isabel mentions that this type of program is absolutely successful in terms of inspiring the students to invest in their futures.  In addition, it appears to be a sustainable way to help the education field, since the mentors and tutors would work as volunteers.  I would definitely support this type of program and I believe it should be broadly advertized so more people would have a chance to engage in helping these kids, and therefore, help construct a better future for Texas.

The only thought I would like to expand on Isabel’s post is that, besides implementing a bigger and continuous mentor and tutor program for students, I would also love to see an improvement in the school system itself.  Perhaps, the Texas government needs to, once and for all, stop cutting funds for education.  As mentioned in Isabel’s post, the $4 billion budget cut in Texas left thousands of teachers unemployed.  It is unacceptable to be firing so many teachers and ruining the overall quality inside the classrooms.    

It would be outstanding to have a much lower drop out rate in Texas’ schools.  Education is the ultimate resource a person has to live a more meaningful, successful, and pleasant life.  The teenagers that already live in turmoil outside the classrooms should be able to find a supportive environment in school, and further help from mentors, when needed.

Sex Education

I would like to take this opportunity to further elaborate and respond to Mr. Medeiros’ comment that was posted on my blog on November 15^th, 2011.  Mr. Medeiros wrote a critique regarding my post titled “To Educate, Not Terminate.”

Luckily, we both agree that something has to be done about sex education.  My personal view is that we must educate our children and teenagers.  Mr. Medeiros beliefs are that “we cannot really teach someone about safe sex”; and that teaching safe sex is the “equivalent to teaching Russian Roulette.”  Considering Mr. Medeiros first belief, I would have to say that the reason why we can, and we must, teach the youth about safe sex is because most teenagers are engaging in sexual activities.  I had a chance to look at the article Mr. Medeiros cited in his post, it is titled “Parents Can Help Teens Reduce Sexual Risk-Taking.”  In this article, I found out that “Half of all high school students have engaged in sexual intercourse (including 39 percent of 9th graders).”  Taking Medeiros’ second thought in consideration, I cannot agree that, by teaching someone how to have safe sex, this person can be at a higher risk of a negative outcome when compared with someone else that is uninformed.  I believe that the person who holds the information would think through their risks and make a positive decision.  Certainly, something could, by chance, go wrong; however, when compared to taking a “chance” and not protecting yourself at all, it seems that “chance” is the best deal.

One of Medeiros’ points that I absolutely agree with is that parents and their children should have a warm, loving, and close relationship.  Perhaps, I did not make myself very clear in my previous posts, but, when I say that sex education is essential, it does include the parents’ input and it is not about teaching children sexual techniques or just talking about pregnancy and diseases.  Sex education, the way I envision, means that we are preparing individuals to be responsible when it comes to sex.  To be physically, emotionally, and psychologically healthy when they feel they are prepared for it.  Education means that these individuals will understand their bodies, respect themselves and others, and engage in sex when it is the right moment in their lives to do so.  Part of parenting is explaining to their children the consequences of starting a premature sexual life.  Such a discussion does not mean that the parents are giving permission or that they approve of their children engaging in sexual activity.   The article mentioned above, also states that “teens reporting a good mother-teen relationship were less likely to engage in intercourse during the study period and those who engaged in intercourse were more likely to utilize birth control”, which I found fantastic.  In a perfect world, all teenagers would have a great relationship with their parents; unfortunately, this is far from reality.  Another point related to this quote is that the teenagers who did have sex, regardless of the relationship with their mothers, used birth control, which means that these kids, likely, had sex education of some sort. 

One last point from the article is that the authors advised “frequent and open parental communication with teens on sex-related issues to moderate the impact of other teens on sexual risk behavior and condom usage”, which screams: educate your kids!

In conclusion, sex education will only help the youth to grow up informed, safer, and more responsible.  The parents definitely play a huge role in this education, and the better they do; the better for the kids.  The motive I have to insist that schools should also take a part in sex education is that many parents fail miserably when it comes to educating their children about sex.  Many times, this type of conversation is considered to be awkward, and/or embarrassing.  Then, if schools bring professionals who are knowledgeable and know how to approach the young and talk about something that is still taboo, it might also help parents to be more comfortable, and more confident to talk to their children.  In return, the children will also sense more freedom to ask questions and let their parents know what is really happening in their lives.

Abstinence Only?

I was very pleased to read a post from my colleague, Allison Murken, which addresses the issue of the lack of sexual education in Texas’ schools.  The post is titled “What Needs to Happen?”, and I found her personal statement very frank and relevant to the matter.  Interestingly enough, I have published a commentary about how sexual education is essential in our schools in order to avoid unplanned pregnancies.  Essentially, we both relate to the fact that the “abstinence only” program has failed, and the statistics are the evidence.

Two main points in Murken’s post made a deep impression of what people want to believe happens, and what actually happens.  The first point was that her school did not have a program to efficiently and sensibly teach children and teenagers about sexuality.  What happened was that a significant portion of the girls ended up getting pregnant and the solution for the problem was to expel them from the school.  This is a typical example of a hypocritical society that does not educate and guide, but expect people to behave within some boundaries.  Some people argue that sex education in schools is synonymous to giving the young permission to experiment with sex.  I see this point of view as very limited and naïve.  Education promotes knowledge and understanding. Education promotes reasoning and responsibility.  Once teenagers get informed, they have a chance to understand why it is better to wait until maturity to have sexual relations, and they can discern right from wrong.  When this information is not given to them, as mentioned in Murken’s commentary, what happens is that “the more we don’t talk to them about it, the more interested they are.”  This statement brings up the second point that is extremely important.  The forbidden is always more attractive than a teenager can handle.  They will, sooner or later, experiment with sex just because they cannot control their curiosity anymore.  Plus, the media is a terrible influence in terms of promoting sexuality.  If parents and schools do not teach the students about what sex really is, and what the consequences of it are; the TV shows will.  The problem is that the lessons from TV will most likely give them a twisted idea about sex, and it will not warn these inexperienced teenagers about the possible outcomes.

Murken also wrote that some schools are implementing the abstinence-plus program that will teach students about birth control and sexually transmitted diseases.  I believe this is a great step forward, but it is still lacking an objective, scientific, psychological, and emotional approach to sexuality.  The students should understand about their bodies, puberty, sensations, and desires too.  At this age, many teens are falling in love for the first time and are very vulnerable to a sexual encounter with their loved one; therefore, they should also know all about pregnancy and diseases.

In sum, sexual education is necessary to teach the young how to handle their thoughts, curiosities, and feelings.  Education is the only way a society has to deal with important life concerns.  When we preach abstinence only and nothing else, we are leaving the door open for teenagers to look out and seek their own learning.

To Educate, Not Terminate

       The issue of unplanned pregnancy is a societal problem that ultimately reflects the lack of knowledge and consciousness of the general public.  While some people are just irresponsible about preventing a pregnancy, others are ignorant, and might also suffer with abuse and violence.  Texas should definitely focus on educating the public, instead of constantly allowing abortions.  The focus should be on how to either prevent or plan a pregnancy, instead of terminating it.  

       Women do have a choice, especially when they are educated.  The choice, however, should come before the pregnancy with the use of birth control.  Education and guidance seem to be the only remedy to this sad reality, and this information needs to be available early in life.  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the ages of mothers start as early as ten years old, and father’s as early as twelve!  This data is the evidence that Texas should implement a permanent program in schools to deal with unplanned pregnancy, to teach the youth how and why to prevent it, and to truly explain the consequences of their choices.  Hopefully, the parents of these students would also get involved, and perhaps this guidance would survive and be practiced outside the classroom.  

        Governor Perry has implemented the “abstinence only” program to the youth, which has been proven ineffective and unrealistic, since Texas holds the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.  When confronted about the effectiveness of the abstinence program by the Texas Tribune interviewer, the governor insisted that this is the best Texas can do to educate its youth. 

       Although, I highly disagree with Perry’s approach about how to educate Texans about sexuality and healthy family planning, I do see a bright side on the newest sonogram law.  Giving a woman a chance to make an informed decision might avoid regrets later on, and might also be a motivator to a healthier and more responsible sexual life.  The bill accounts for important exceptions for victims of sexual assault and incest, and, in my opinion, it benefits the relationship between the doctor and the patient.  The doctor will now have a chance to fully explain, advice, and support the patient truthfully, instead of ignoring the severity of the situation completely and regarding it as an ordinary procedure.  

       My problem with the sonogram law is that this is a remedial method to the issue, instead of a preventive one.  I believe that corrective methods should only be used when every preventive method has failed.  Once again, the only way Texas can reduce its birth rates and avoid the outrageous early pregnancies is to educate the public.  Certainly, there are cases when the mother’s life is at risk or some other extreme situation exists, and an abortion might be the only resource available.  In such rare cases, an abortion is understandable; however, for most cases it is just inhuman.

Drug Cartels and Illegal Immigration in Austin

Mr. Robbie Cooper posted a commentary titled “How Austin Became a Foothold for a Mexican Cartel”, in the Urban Grounds blog, based on the article published by the Austin-American Statesman regarding Mexican cartel’s infiltration in Austin.

The writer’s opinion is that Austin’s liberals and their liberal sanctuary city policies are responsible for the invasion of the drug cartels and the crimes they pursue.  Cooper informs us that most of the drug cartel members are illegal immigrants that come from Luvianos, Mexico.  It was suggested in his commentary that the federal government should control the border by bringing US troops back from the Middle East and placing them on the US/ Mexican boundary.  Cooper believes that the best solution to end illegal immigration and control the cartels is by shooting everyone who tries to cross over the border from Mexico. 

It is completely agreeable that illegal immigration and drug related crimes are serious issues that need to be addressed and managed.  Although this is an obvious statement, the solution for these problems, are far more complex than Mr. Cooper has taken into consideration.  For instance, it is very difficult to judge if all illegal immigrants really deserve a bullet in their heads.  In addition, the actual federal government might not have the means to control the Mexican border because most US troops are concentrated in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It is reasonable to remember that they were sent there by the previous federal conservative, republican, government.

Mr. Cooper also mentioned that the Austin-American Statesman did not blame anybody for this terrible situation.  While the writer was disappointed at the paper for its impartiality, it was definitely the best approach to deliver the news.  Lastly, Mr. Cooper is unforgiving towards Austin’s Public Safety Commission for not recognizing the cartel’s influence sooner.

The writer makes a clear point of how he regards illegal immigrants and their cooperation with the drug cartels; however, Cooper was not able to present a solid, constructive, idea to solve the crisis.  Nevertheless, his focus was to attract support from the conservatives, while his approach will certainly offend many liberals who most likely never intend to assist the drug cartels by any means.

Water Conservation a Habit We Must Keep

In the article “Water Conservation a Habit We Must Keep”, published by The Austin American Statesman, the editorial board urges their audience to wisely continue to manage their water usage.  According to Arnold Garcia, Alberta Phillips, and Ken Herman, conservation works and the city of Austin initiatives to preserve water have been successful.  For instance, the first week after the city’s Stage 2 water restrictions were implemented the water usage dropped by 100 million gallons.  Another relevant point stated in the article is that sometimes the fear of fines can reinforce good habits.  This last statement seems very reliable given that most people would not be willing to pay $475 for breaking water restriction rules.  Hopefully, this reinforcement to conserve water will generate a major change in attitude the same way the law requiring car passengers to buckle their seat belts did in the 80’s.

An additional argument in this article is that Austin will encounter more droughts in the future and that water restrictions only during these times will not be enough to guarantee sustainable usage in our area.  The editorial board insists that conservation is everyone’s responsibility and we should not take water for granted even during wetter periods.  They make a point in saying that the more we conserve water, the more it will be something we just do; it will turn into a natural instinct, a habit.

           Considering that Austinites are pro-conservation, as the authors emphasize by saying that the city received 675 water waste complaints during the first week of stage 2 restrictions, it appears that the Lone Star capital is going in the right direction.

           The authors were able to make their argument credible through presenting some facts and telling some statistics.  Although the Austin American Statesman’s usual audience may be liberal, this article was meant to reach every Texan.  Furthermore, the writers support the idea that every resident is responsible for the preservation of the most precious natural resource we have.  In the end, the reader gets a positive feeling about what has been done, but also understands that the continuing effort to preserve water is vital to all of us.

Grant Will Help Community College Students Get Up to Speed

Complete College America, a national nonprofit organization, is giving a grant to Texas community colleges to help freshman students perform better and graduate faster.  According to the article published in the September 1^st edition of The Texas Tribune, fifteen community colleges throughout the state will benefit from the million-dollar grant.  The money was provided through a donation made by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and it will help implement the developmental programs at colleges.     

            State representative, Donna Howard, D-Austin, reinforced that this grant is essential to the Texas community colleges because of the massive budget cuts in education.  The article also provides interesting data about a study from Georgetown University that concluded 56 percent of jobs in Texas will require a college degree by the year 2018.  Also included in this article, are the findings of Texas State University professor, Selina Vasquez Mireles, about developmental education and how it is not always efficient and motivating to students.

            Although this grant brings good news to the students, it also reminds Texas residents of the poor educational quality in the state.  The reason why the grant is vital to the community colleges is the fact that 38 percent of new students are not prepared to enroll in college level math classes, for example.  This unpreparedness is a reflection of the low standards of primary and secondary education in Texas, and the grant will only aid the consequences of it, but it will not stop the causes of the problem.