Should We Be Outraged When Officials Steal from Children?

Children are the most precious thing a nation can foster. They are the way of the future in that when raised right can compete against the world by improving our nation and strengthening our economy. As a protected class, they are vulnerable to all types of schemes and predatory actions. As Carolyn Starkey-Darden, from the Detroit Public School System taught us, when it comes to greed few things are to sacred to take advantage of.

She submitted fraudulent payment in the amount of $1.275 million between 2005 and 2012 for tutoring services the children never received within the Detroit Public School System. To make matters worse, 12 educators, were also found to be part of the fraud. Carolyn will spend 18 months in prison for her actions but the damage will carry on. 

It is frightening that educators, who have devoted their lives to helping children could be swayed to steal from them for their own personal enrichment. Prosecutors may have been able to make a case but there was likely other things going on that were not caught and uncovered. A system that needs support and overview.

At the end of the day, we as a nation have a responsibility to protect our children from the unfair actions of others. We are not always a society that is bent on knowing the fundamental difference between right and wrong. There will always be a few who will take advantage of the system and we have to do better understanding our root values. 

Our future economy and business must have well developed education systems to foster our brightest minds to produce. While our education system is clunky and in need of a revamp from the industrial age to the technology age we cannot afford to drain any more resources from it. Our national competitiveness relies heavily on the products of education and limiting that in any way can damage our futures in ways that some educators may not understand.