Bill Jones: Working to create a ‘culture of education’

A couple of weeks ago, one of our board members at the United Way of Wyoming Valley, a former member of the U.S. Navy, sent an article to me that he thought I might find interesting. I did.

The article featured retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral, William McRaven. If you do not recall his name, McRaven commanded special operation forces and, among so many other achievements, commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein in 2003, rescued Captain Richard Phillips from the Somali pirates hijacking of a cargo ship in 2009, and lead the mission that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011. He also delivered a commencement speech at the University of Texas in 2014 that went viral for sharing leadership insights as a Navy Seal and telling the graduates that if they wanted to change the world, they should start every day by “making their bed.” Wise advice.

The article that was given to me reported on the response Admiral McRaven gave when he was asked the question, “What is the number one national security issue in America?” His response will surprise you. He said the number one national security issue in America is the country’s K-12 education system.

This would not have been the answer I would have expected from such a high-ranking, career military officer with 37 years of service, but he makes a profound point. Long term, education is critical to the success of our country. McRaven strongly believes every child should have a quality education and that the United States needs to develop a “culture of education” within all communities. Amen to that!

Over the past six years, the United Way has been working with many of the local school districts, nonprofit partners and families throughout the Wyoming Valley to develop this culture. From issues of brain development and early childhood literacy to kindergarten readiness, attendance, grade-level reading, and so much more, we have been promoting the importance of education and working to remove barriers to academic achievement.

This year, given the COVID-19 crisis, the barriers and challenges to a quality education may be greater than ever. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, recently stated that the pandemic is creating a “generational catastrophe” because millions of children throughout the world are not getting the education they should be getting. He said the crisis is “undermining decades of progress, exacerbating entrenched inequalities, and wasting untold human potential.”

Locally and throughout the country, most schools are still trying to figure out how to implement their plans to not only teach their students well, but to also ensure the safety of all. New plans are made and others are changed every day and it is very unsettling for every student, parent, teacher, administrator, employer and the community.

In some fashion, the 2020-21 school year is about to begin. None of us have the control we wish we had, but, regardless of the decisions that get made in what is clearly a very uncertain environment, it is important that we remain patient and flexible. Above all, we need to work together to do our best to help children. They will need our support.

If the barriers and challenges to a quality education are greater than ever, our efforts to address these challenges need to be greater than ever as well. Admiral McRaven’s wise advice to create a “culture of education” in all communities could not be more important or timely. Our future success depends on it.

We wish our students, teachers, administrators, and families the very best this year.