** ” …Teachers and other staff members know much more about what is happening with kids than those school employees ever report. We know which kids are showing up hung over, which kids hide in the library to avoid the lunchroom, which kids are suddenly ostracized from a group they were once part of. We observe kids together at school in ways that parents never can, and often have them in our care for more of their waking hours than their families do. We can say it’s not our job or not our business. But schools have a responsibility not only to help students learn, but also to keep them safe, physically and emotionally, while they are in our care.” ~ Mariam Azin, psychologist
** “I bet many parents my age remember school days in that children’s garden [kindergarten] of morning rest times, snacks to be savored, pet hamsters to be fed, and terrariums created in peanut butter jars. Gone is that version of kindergarten. ‘Kindergarten is the new first grade!’ In this new academic kindergarten, math stations have replaced sand tables, and fitting in time for recess is on ongoing struggle. Focusing less on the development of social skills and more on the development of academic skills represents a seismic shift in the traditional purpose of the kindergarten year, and one that can prove harmful to many students.” ~ Lori Day, educational consultant & writer
** “The best way to move from poverty into some kind of steady place in life is through education. There’s nothing else that, within a generation, can be an equalizer. Winning Powerball possibly, but that’s not going to happen for everybody, so let’s take that off the table. The only thing that you can really do is get an education.” ~ Soledad O’Brien, journalist