I was hanging out at Twitter this morning and a little tweet went flying by that caught my eye.
It was for an article that was published here.
It was the title that caught my attention.
It read “Detroit Schools Offer New Class: Working at Walmart“
At first glance I thought surely this can’t be for real. I mean it must just be one of those headlines that are created to catch a readers attention. So of course it caught mine and I clicked through and began to read. I was instantly filled with many emotions. Anger, compassion, embarrassment, frustration, and more.
Here is a perfect example of how a big corporation feeds off of the weak.
I went to Detroit Public Schools for most of my education.
The teachers were amazing encouragers who reminded us daily that the world was ours. That regardless of our current situations we could rise up out of the poverty we lived in everyday and BE something! They drilled it into us all the time, and I believed it to be true. It never occurred to me that maybe the rest of the world might be looking at us with pity, believing we were going to stay in the poverty we were born into.
A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste was the message that was plastered all over the hallway walls. You couldn’t get away from the message. And I am glad now that I couldn’t.
But what now?
What message is this sending these kids? The very best you can hope for is a job at Walmart? I am not knocking anyone who works at Walmart. The point that I am trying to make is that if this is the very best they can attain to be, then where is the hope?
On the surface this may look like a great trade off for both the students and Walmart.
But to me the message is very clear. You live in poverty, and you will stay there while Walmart continues to gobble up everything in its path. To me this is a new low for Walmart. Maybe instead they need to offer Walmart classes to the parents of these student.
Hmmm… now that sounds like a perfect trade off to me.
You can read the Detroit Free Press article on this here.
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All I can honestly say is WOW.
Wow. That's really bad. I don't see anything wrong with working at Wal-Mart but when you're in school you're suppose to be encouraged to do more….
Good grief! So much for Reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic!
I agree. Being in school obviously is to be educated. However, I also feel there is the "inspiration" factor that is missing. Inspire to be more. Inspire to aspire to something bigger. When the message is, let's take you "out" of the school (away from books, classes, learning, etc.) to put you in Walmart, it's telling these students that education isn't as important as "just" working.
Thank you for sharing this!
I don't see anything wrong with it. They are encouraging you to get off your butt and get a job instead of doing some co-op within the school where you get paid under minimum wage since you are working for the school and you are able to put this job on your resume when you decide to change jobs. While in high school you are not going to get a job other than working in a fast food place or in a store of some type, unless you know someone who can get you in somewhere. You can't work in a shop until you are 18 and most offices are not going to hire someone in high school. In today's world, you have to take what you can get and if your first job is at Wal-Mart, you should be happy no matter if you are a high school student or a high school graduate.
With that being said, it's better that they are helping you get into a job rather than giving you a class such as Bowling like they did in the lat 80's. Yes, that's right, DPS used to allow students to leave the school grounds to go bowling and they got credit for it!
I also went to Detroit schools for all but 3 years of schooling and I had a completely different experience than you did. Mine was HORRIBLE. The teachers DID NOT care whether you were in class or learning.
I dont think its bad. I think its realistic. You can start at any job and work you way up and out, if that is what you want. I have worked as a maid in hotels, in fast food restaurants, at a flea market and it was by hard work and determination that allowed me to grow, realize I wanted to graduate college, and move into a career instead of a job.
The fact is that we have millions of jobs in this world and not every person is or even wants to be, a CEO.
After I read the article, I wanted to say that they are offering job training to after school students. It doesnt appear to me they are prepping them for a lifetime at $6 an hour, but rather offering a way to formally begin into the workforce. What jobs do high school students have anyway? My Dh worked at McDonalds and I worked at Baskin Robbins when we were 16. I can assure you it didnt prepare me for a life of being "subservient", but rather a life of knowing exactly what I wanted.
~Trisha
I think this could be a good way to show your kids you have to work for what you want. As long as they understand this is a stepping stone and you still have to continue schooling etc, but it gives them a productive way to earn a little pocket money without Mom and Dad having to foot the bill.
Kas
Lots of different opinions here. I don't know where I sit with this, but my first thought would be what i've always tried to encourage my girls to do.. is this what God wants you to do.
I think way to many times people think our kids need to be out working as soon as they can. Yes it teaches them responsibilty, but so does being responsible for things around the house.
I don't want my girls under some other man/woman's authority until God so leads. I've seen kids get jobs early on and fall out of church and youthgroup type things because the all mighty dollar is more important..
That's just my thoughts..
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