Never enough

We at P.O.S.H.S want to ensure that all of our students graduate. In an effor to help those whose credits have not amassed at the correct pace, we now offer credit recovery after school. The adults in charge of the program identified students, sought the students out, and enrolled them in this worthy program.
This afternoon while I shot around the gymansium, eight students slowly strolled the perimeter of the court under the watchful and encouraging eye of a PE teacher. For the next two hours, these eight students would have to endure team sports like volleyball or individual activities like slow-walking.
Two of the boys and a few of the girls quite vocally shared their disdain for having to be there this afternoon. "This is stupid; why can't I just go home," one asked. "Come on, just let us go; I have to walk home. Doesn't that count," another asked.
And it struck me how the outside world looks at public education and decries our graduation rates. President Obama is unhappy with us. We need more training, more mentoring. Yet, here WE are, pushing and shoving our students into these credit recovery classes where the requirements aren't much more than show up and you'll get the credit. Here WE are, giving them every opportunity to salvage their credits from the mire of their own stupidity.
At the end of T.I. and Rihanna's song, "Live Your Life," Rihanna sings:

Got everybody watchin' what I do/ Come walk in my shoes /And see the way I'm livin' if you really want to...

So to all of the public school haters, just live your life, because you couldn't do what we do. The old saying is "Those who can't, teach." The new saying is "Those who can't teach, go into politics."