Teenagers are not lazy

The letter to the editor from this bright young student appeared in the Northwest Herald.
Thank you to Emily for the heads up I will be sure to encourage my daughter to attend Civil Air Patrol when she is older.

The response below is to a letter to the Editor titled Too Many Lazy Kids which appeared in the Northwest Herald. The sad part is that Ray Mathis is a District 156 employee. Good teachers motivate, bad teachers give excuses. A summer must watch is a movie called Stand and Deliver about a teacher named Jaime Escalante. Mr. Escalante was able to educate and motivate a group of poor hispanic students that others thought could not be educated. Mr. Mathis's attitude in his letter to the editor is a major problem that plagues our public schools. Tenure protects people like Mathis not allowing school districts to hire more people like Mr. Escalante.

Teenagers are not lazy


[published on Sun, Jun 11, 2006]
To the Editor:

As a teenager, I would like to defend myself. Some adults say that we are being lazy and irresponsible, but adults are just as lazy perhaps by believing that they have done enough and the future is up to us.

I attend the Civil Air Patrol, where you will find teenagers who are smart, dedicated and respectful – the best group of people you ever will meet. I've gone to the McHenry County Composite Squadron for a little more than two years and working with the cadets has changed my life.

I am a much better person and leader now than I was three years ago. I have gone to encampments where it is all run by cadets and will tell you now: No one was being lazy at those encampments. The cadets are incredibly tough and eager for the challenge and leadership experience.

The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization and the auxiliary of the Air Force. Visit www.ilcap.org to learn more. This is a wonderful program where there are good examples of kids from 12 to 21 years of age. Before you make a hard generalization about teenagers go, to one of the meetings.


Emily Medina

Harvard

For more on Jamie Escalante you may want to read Jaime Escalante: Sensational Teacher by Ann Byers