WENATCHEE, WA--(Marketwire - July 22, 2010) - Two things that are getting tougher for kids to get in America: A place to live and an education.
According to a study by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, an average of 3 in 10 high school students don't reach graduation, with that rate reaching half in some areas of the country. Combine that with the report by the National Center on Family Homelessness that found more than 1.5 million children were without a home, and it's not difficult to see a stark trend.
But Leon McKinney, a lifelong educator from a rural area of Washington, wants to do something about that. He has taken stories from his three decades of teaching kids and turned them into a book, "Heroes and Hope" (www.heroesandhopebook.com), that he is now selling, with 90 percent of the proceeds going toward education funding for kids, and the other 10 percent going to Habitat for Humanity.
"I want to help people live better lives in the midst of difficult times," he said. "Throughout my more than two decades as a teacher, I have tried to make a difference for kids and families through some principles that have stood the test of time. Over the years, I've amassed a wealth of stories that seem to resonate with people, and so I wanted to share these stories with others to help them find vision and inspiration, but I didn't want it to be some kind of vanity exercise. I wanted it to mean something."
He's not sure how much his book will raise, but he's hoping the value of awareness will mean more than the dollar signs involved.
"It's tough to admit that we're struggling, as a country," he said. "In 1996, the high school graduation rate was 66.4 percent, and nearly 14 years later, we've edged it up to 69.2 percent. That's 14 years, and not even three full percentage points. We can do better."
About Leon McKinney
Leon McKinney earned a BA in Education and a Masters in Music Education from Central Washington State University. After teaching music for four years at Pateros schools, he taught for 21 Years at Eastmont High School and served as the Director of Music for the Eastmont Schools.
Contact Information:
Rachel Friedman
Rachel@newsandexperts.com