Education isn't a panacea. Richard Rothstein wrote a great article in 2002 called "Out of Balance" that suggests that if we look at equal investments in housing and education, it seems as if a greater return would come from housing. If a child spends 6 hours a day in school and 18 hours at home, which place has more impact on his or her life?

I'm listening to Meet the Press, which is having a roundtable about Obama and what his presidency means for American and for African-Americans. Wait, David Gregory is the father of 3 young children??? Anyway... he's showing Obama talking about pesonal responsibiliy and the home and family as central to children's growth and development. Both education and the home are essential to creating a good society. If parenting is important - how can we pursue public policies that help create safe homes for children that allow them to prosper? Obviously trying to get more people to own their own homes did not work. There have got to be good housing policies that help people succeed in their lives and their children succeed in school. Government isn't the only answer - people do have to step up and try to be good parents - but government should help give them the tools to do that.

Rothstein, R. (2002). "Out of Balance." http://tinyurl.com/9t7ym4