During my 12 years of basic education under segregated schools, churches, communities and city, the focus was on academics and the “it takes a village to raise a child” concept.

To a certain degree, parents and the local government had control of the school system, with no political tricks like “no child left behind.” Academics were a way of getting out of your family poverty situation and not becoming a ditch digger, which was the lowest form of hard, physical labor that required no formal education.

Parents and grandparents developed our norms at home before we arrived in the classrooms. Almost no violence ever occurred in our classrooms or on school property, just a few fights over the cost of your school uniforms.

Has the Petersburg school uniform policy eliminated violence and fights and increased student aptitude?

Children come to school with disrespect for others, antisocial behavior or an acceptance of gang life and violence. For some students, its pressure from their parents to be No. 1 in sports rather than No. 1 on the honor roll with an idea or goal toward becoming a lawyer, doctor, engineer or other critically needed skilled vocation.

 The school system cannot budget morality, fix lack of motivation, honesty and self-esteem or the inherited negative patterns of social attitudes.

We should all agree that teachers need a salary increase and need to help change the morality issue in the homes. But I see no real student academic changes.

What will happen in Petersburg in 10 years?

Just think about the changes 45 and his political party are planning for 2018 that will directly affect the city and schools.

WALT HILL

Petersburg