To stay.

One of the saddest things I've heard as I've talked to a bunch of different people about buying a house was this. "You'll probably be the safest person on the block. You're white; everybody knows if they mess with you they are in real trouble."

Reminders of what living in a world gone bad is like. Why is my life more valuable? Why doesn't anyone care as much if one of my kids gets hurt, or robbed, or, God forbid, worse? Are they not still made in God's image?

I remember, a while ago, having an argument that racism was a thing of the past. That the American dream was attainable for all. But it's not. I mean, the clan has been ostracized, but the more subtle stuff is still around. Not that I have a fix. I mean, my kids probably have more money poured into their schools. The probably have more police on their streets. But trial is still by Jury and Media is still by revenue. So a 13 year black boy getting stabbed is still going to sell fewer papers than a 13 year old white girl getting stabbed. People are more shocked by the latter. It sells more papers.

I say all this without a proposed solution. People ask me all the time what the solution to failing urban schools is. If I knew that I would have quit teaching and went back to policy. But it's not the kind of solutions that are easy. It didn't take a year for things to get this way. It took generations of neglect. Whole generations of people who were failed by their schools who now have trouble honestly telling their kids that trying hard in school will get you somewhere in life. Our schools failed them.

So my solution is: to stay. I can do more good showing up every day and teaching my heart out. I can do more good genuinely caring about my kids. I can do more good making sure when my kids need a hug, me, or a giant stuffed lion, are available. When they really just need to punch something, the lion is available. (not so much me.)

I think too much of society has bought into the idea that there are easy solutions to all the ills of society. It's just not true. There are often very simple solutions, but never easy ones. The simple solution is often that people need to stop sinning. Urban youth need to lay aside the culture of violence that persecutes "snitches." Parents need to start raising their kids instead of letting the TV do it. Dads need to mentor their little boys. Teachers need to care more about educating children than their dental plan. Parents need to be invested in their kids futures. Jobs that earn a living wage need to be available to everyone. They are simple solutions. But they aren't easy.