Jalen Rose, former NBA basketball star and current basketball analyst, penned an inspiring blog that underscores the need for parental choice in education:
I do not want to dash the hopes of any child’s dream of becoming an athlete, but the easiest way to obtain a better education and a successful future shouldn’t be attached only to athletic endeavors. …
Our education system needs reform. The graduation rate for African-American youth is 47 percent – that’s 31 percentage points lower than the national average. An athletic scholarship shouldn’t be the best opportunity to receive a quality education. That’s why I’ve teamed up with the American Federation for Children and become an advocate for educational choice. Parents should have more options and students should be able to attend a quality school that meets their needs.
My passion for quality educational options also led me to start the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy. Founded in 2011, we partner with the University of Detroit Mercy to provide college courses to upper level students.
Few students manage to attend college on sports scholarships, and even fewer ever turn pro. Rose wants to change those odds, and that’s why his school has committed to an 85 percent high school graduation rate, college-going rate, and college complete rate.
Now there’s a winning strategy.