March 10, 2010

I come to you not only as a concerned resident of the City of Trenton, New Jersey, but also as a parent and aspiring educator. My name is Skip Harrison. I answered the call of the The Trentonian, serving New Jersey’s capital city and surrounding area, to contribute facts, insight, and first-person accounts concerning the Trenton Public Schools via this blog as a Citizen Journalist. My love of writing and desire to learn more about how I can be a more active participant in the improvement of my city’s schools prompted me to pursue this opportunity.

My wife, who was raised in Trenton, and I moved here in 2001 because we wanted to be close to family, and because of the proximity to both Philadelphia and New York. We knew the quality of the public schools was poor, but we said we would live here and, by the time we had children and they reached school age, the things would improve, allowing us to live that American dream of home ownership, and a family with children attending the local elementary, middle, and high schools. I had it all planned: my kids, both boys (ages 3 and 5), would walk to school once they were older. They would eventually play the sports of their choice during middle school, then possibly at Trenton High, all while receiving a good education, and being encouraged by concerned parents who maintained connections with their teachers and re-enforced at home what was being taught at school. 

Well, nine years have passed, and our oldest is spending his first formal school year in a learning environment that is not a Trenton Public School. Why? Because my wife and I, along with hundreds of other parents raising children in the City of Trenton are not satisfied with neither the quality of education, nor the environment in which young people are being forced to learn. So, as my wife reminds me, and anyone else who will listen, “we’re now paying property tax AND private school tuition”.

During my years as a Trenton resident, I have developed my own theory on some of the societal factors that have the schools in this current condition. I’ve spoken about them in various environments, with everyone from my barber, to my pastor, to current and retired educators, as well as elected officials who can surely lead the charge to effect change. Unfortunately, I get very little response. Sometimes, people with whom I begin discussing the topic simply change the subject, or end the conversation. Someone has to first recognize the elephant in the room. Metaphorically, how can you miss it? It has tracked mud into the party, changed the music from Glenn Miller to Snoop Dogg, then wasted its drink on the way to its seat in the corner.

This is only the beginning, people. I will share what I’ve learned through conversations and observations, and I hope you will do the same. Right now, though, I have to prepare to teach a class.  

Skip Harrison is an educator, freelance journalist, and parent who resides in Trenton, New Jersey.