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I am concerned that our youth will not be well equipped for the challenges of tomorrow! Our public school system cares more about standardized testing than teaching students. My whole family are school teachers and I watch them working longer hours than ever before. I watch them struggle with bringing up their classes scores yet deflate when the special needs class didn't improve enough leaving their school without a portion of next years funding. The rules set forth in No Child Left Behind have good intentions but the practicality of it is lacking. It doesn't allow for kids with special needs and handicaps, in some districts where middle school starts at sixth grade, sixth grader scores are being added to their elementary schools, and federal funding is making it more and more difficult to get through to children. When I attended school we never had more than 24 children in a class. Today, none of the teachers in my family are with less than 34. In my mom's school they've turned the cafeteria and hallway into classrooms because there is not enough physical room to contain the children. I cringe when I see children take out their cell phone to use the calculator to figure out a tip.

Our youth are also driven by a virtual society. Where their Internet skills and easy access to the world wide web will surely help them in their professions, it leaves them lacking social skills. Content that my parents never would have allowed me to see pop up on their home pages. Children are using online references instead of encyclopedias and printed works. Emails, IM's and text messages seem the ideal form of communication. My brother who works in engineering is always horrified to see business emails come to him in shortened text and im code. "How r u?" Children need to be taught to utilize their access for knowledge, but also how to communicate effectively.

Adults nowadays have many priorities that stretch into work, family and their social circles. Where as the youth of before usually had parental supervision almost all the time, many of today's children are on their own before full maturity. Even if your child stays out of trouble, not having sex, experimenting with drugs, drinking and cigarettes, never throws a huge house party, and obeys the law, they are still bred to think like an adult before their time. They have this pressure to be perfect. They feel like they have to be free thinking adults, have adult responsibilities and in turn are left with little time for imagination and developing friendships. My most insightful time was when I was allowed to run free with the kids in the neighborhood and just make believe.

There are many many youth who will grow up to be responsibly contributing members to society, but I think it is our job as adults to help pave the way for them. I think many of us fall short with the hopes that they will find their way. Instead of getting agitated about how "kids weren't like that in my day" why don't we try and wrap our heads around a way to guide them into maturity with respect and care. Times have changed and our children have inevitably done so also. Let us all do our part to ensure they are successful.

Learn more about this author, Molly Carter.
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