Changing the narrative

The current narrative blames individuals for being poor, dropping out of school, and/or going to prison.  We need to change the narrative to focus on broken systems that need to be fixed. This is the only way to dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline as well as ensure that every child can reach his or her full potential.  Too many children grow up in environments filled with trauma, violence and/or poverty. Under these circumstances, without proper interventions and support services, how is a young child supposed to achieve academic success or a prosperous and healthy future?