Why should parents get actively involved in their children’s education?

My name is William Thompson and I am a product of Jefferson High School York, Alamance College Graham, Gaston College Gastonia, Sacred Heart College, Belmont, Mid Atlantic College, Rock Hill, and Emmanuel Bible College.

I am retired from Daimler Trucks North America after 25 years in supervision and a retired Baptist minister after 47 years.

This is a heart filled cry for parents to take an active interest in the education of their children. Help your child with his or her future today.

I want to say my quality of life has been one that has allowed me to enjoy a wonder life journey. I owe it all to my faith in God and seeking to obtain an education that would fuel the journey.

Without my faith I would have settle for a lesser life journey. I wanted to share not my faith today which is strong and rooted in God but why I think education matters.

Education fosters decision making skills and critical thinking. Children who attend school are taught about values, morals, and ways to solve problems. With the ability to make important decisions and consider all possibilities, children will no doubt be more successful in their personal and professional lives.

The more education you acquire, the higher your income is likely to be and the less likely you are to experience unemployment. A study in 2017 shows a comparison. Weekly earning power………..

Less than a high school diploma             $520

High school diploma, no college              $712

Some college, no degree                              $774

Associate degree                                           $836

Bachelor’s degree                                         $1173

Master’s degree                                             $1401

Although education is not a guarantee that a child will not end up in prison but statistic show that it is an indicator. Neither is church affiliation will keep a child out of prison.

The most recent report conducted nationally by the U.S. Department of Justice about the educational backgrounds of prisoners was in 2003. This national report states that of all incarcerated citizens in the United States; about 65 percent had not received a high school diploma, with just over 41 percent having dropped out and 23 percent obtaining a GED. Almost 23 percent had obtained just a high school diploma and 13 percent had gotten a postsecondary education.

Education has been proving to be a better lane out of poverty than putting all hope in a NFL or NBA career.

Words to live by………

IF AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS UPON A RANDOM, EPISODE STORY STRUCTURE FOR MEMORY PATTERNS, LIVES IN AN UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT, AND HAS NOT DEVELOPED THE ABILITY TO PLAN, THEN …….

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT PLAN, HE/SHE CANNOT PREDICT.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT PREDICT, HE/ SHE CANNOT IDENTIFY CAUSE AND EFFECT.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT IDENTIFY CAUSE AND EFFECT, HE/ SHE CANNOT IDENTIFY CONSEQUENCE.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT IDENTIFY CONSEQUENCE, HE/ SHE CANNOT CONTROL IMPULSIVITY.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT CONTROL IMPUSITIVITY, HE/ SHE HAS AN INCLINATION TOWARD CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.

Parents there is nothing in this world we love more than our children, so now is the time to get involved in their future by help them complete an education cycle.

Step one is graduate high school with all the tools to be prepared to live life to the fullest.

Throughout my life I have had great journey to serve and I give God all the glory:

• Board of Directors Patrick Senior Center in Kings Mountain
• Foundation of Carolinas – Cleveland County
• First and third vice-moderator of the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association.
• Moderator of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association for four years.
• The Cleveland County DSS board of Directors
• Cleveland County Board of Elections
• Board of Directors for Communities in Schools
• Board of Directors United Way of Cleveland County
• Board of Directors Hospice of Cleveland County
• We Build People for Christ
• Board of Director for the State of NC DSS and President
• Board of Directors Cleveland County YMCA
• Board of Directors for the Alliance of Health Cleveland County 
• Obesity Prevention Advisory Council,
• Board of Trustees Cleveland Community College of Shelby, North Carolina
• Board of Directors Minority Health Council of Cleveland County
• The Jesus Video project of Cleveland County
• The Children of Cleveland County
• The Homelessness Task Force of Cleveland County
• Earthen Vessels of Kings Mountain
• Board for C.O.R.E. of Cleveland County
• President of Kings Mountain Crisis Ministry