PLATFORM : More Than School

The school should be the connecting place. We have that day-in and day-out contact with the kids, and get the signals first that somebody could use some help. That should serve as (an impetus) for us to approach the family and connect them with social services.

I’m not saying that in a time of reduced services that’s not problematic. But there are private agencies that try to give help--whether it be over a financial problem or child abuse or problems that lead to child abuse.

There has to be a commitment that we are a society, that we’re not just a conglomeration of individuals, and we all have a responsibility for each other. I think that’s what leads to the demand that services be available.

An increased investment in education and other vital services is not a call for more of the same. It’s a call for new national priorities, economic policies that strengthen working families, and social policies that sustain the health and well-being of our people.