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January 2008
Despite the cold and grayness typical for this time of year, I have always looked forward to January. For me, the first month of the New Year is a time of great hope and optimism. We get to start over. We have another chance to get it right. As I think about what getting it right means in 2008, I have six wishes for our region:
A Wish for Improved Education in DC and throughout the Region
We all know education is the building block of the future. Anyone who has read journalist Tom Friedman’s book The World is Flat can’t help but be concerned about how well we are preparing our children for the global, interdependent world of tomorrow. Those who will do best in this world must have high levels of skill and be able to think critically. We have to educate our children to meet not just the challenges of today but be prepared to solve problems and address issues that don’t yet exist.
We must be sure our schools are up to the task, but educating our young people to succeed isn’t just a responsibility of schools. Parents, educators, government officials, business leaders, and all citizens alike must be involved. Together we must invest in our youth. And we must support school systems like DC Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools as they continue the hard course they have charted to make themselves better so all students, especially those living in low-income families, can achieve and thrive in the future.
A Wish for Healthier Children and Families
All children and families should have access to excellent health care. Seeing a health care provider shouldn’t be reserved just for those fortunate enough to be able to afford it. I wish that no child should be impaired or worse die, like the Prince George’s County seventh grader whose tooth infection spread to his brain because his family couldn’t access good primary care—in this case, a dentist who would accept Medicaid to perform an $80 tooth extraction. We know from numerous studies that people living in neighborhoods with medium to high poverty rates are more likely to have chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension and be hospitalized for conditions that could be treated and managed in a primary care setting. Fewer are insured and they are less likely to have a regular doctor or source of health care besides hospital emergency rooms.
My wish for health isn’t just about improving access to care; it’s also empowering people to take better care of themselves. Children and families need to learn better health habits earlier in life to prevent obesity and other issues that can lead to more serious conditions. We have to help people learn how to be advocates for themselves and their children in obtaining care. And finally, as we think about healthier children and families, our focus should be on the effective integration of primary health care and behavioral health. We know from numerous national studies that there is a direct correlation between the lack of primary health care and mental health problems.
A Wish to Reduce Crime Committed Against and Among Children and Young People
Too many children in our region grow up in communities where the sound of gunfire is normalized, where far too many of their friends and relatives are murdered before their 18th birthday, where drug dealers stand on the street corner luring young people away from school and onto the streets. We must support gang prevention programs and other youth programs that work to provide young people with positive alternatives to what they may see around them. We have to teach young people social and problem solving skills so they can find means other than violence to deal with pain, anger, boredom, and self-doubt.
A Wish for Inclusivity: Embracing and Adapting to Shifting Demographics
The Greater Washington Region is changing. Instead of erecting barriers between ourselves, I hope we instead find ways to acknowledge and recognize our common humanity while at the same time learning about and from our differences. We must not fear how our region and its people are changing. We must welcome newcomers as we have in the past, tapping into their talents and energies. We should never forget that the strength of our country is in our diversity, in all of its dimensions.
A Wish for Increased Economic Opportunity
The fulfillment of my next wish—that more people in our region will have chance to lift themselves out of poverty and contribute their talents to our region and our society—is intimately tied to my first four wishes. People can’t find meaningful work if they don’t receive the education and training to develop skills. They can’t contribute fully if they are sick. It’s hard to stay on a positive track when violence and crime are all around you. And if we erect barriers to people who are different from us, we don’t give them an opportunity to participate fully in our society.
A Wish That Politicians Put Children and Families First
My last wish is that, in this election year, our politicians and candidates make children’s and family issues a national priority. I hope that they are able to move beyond rhetoric to develop smart and sensible policies that really serve children and families. In today’s more challenging economic environment, there will be belt-tightening and all too often services and programs for children and families are among the first casualties. Unfortunately, children don’t have powerful lobbies, they aren’t big contributors to campaigns, and they don’t have a vote. But we must never forget that they are our future. They will be our workforce, they will be our taxpayers. We simply can’t afford to leave any more children behind. The baby boomers are retiring and the next generations are smaller. We need every mind, every pair of hands to give every person in this region an opportunity for a rich, happy, and healthy life.
Some of you might say that I am a hopeless dreamer; that fulfilling all of these wishes is next to impossible. But I’ve seen the commitment of VPP’s investment partners who have developed practical solutions to many of the challenges I’ve discussed. These organizations are making a positive impact. And I’ve seen the commitment among our investors to bring to bear their talents and resources to support our investment partners as well as to journey with us as we explore bold, new approaches to tackle what seem to be intractable problems. I do believe that wishes can come true but we all have to have the will—political and moral—to work together to make it happen.
- Carol Thompson Cole
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