Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Tyree Irving came to the meeting of the Voters League of Itta Bena to spread a message of the value of the role parents play in educating young people.
Irving, formerly Itta Bena’s city attorney who also had a private practice in Greenwood, returned to Leflore County to offer advice to prevent youth from ending up in trouble on Tuesday night at the Brazil Center in Itta Bena.
“When I started as a judge, I was not prepared to see just how much crime happens in this state,” Irving said. “Much of it is drug-based, but not all of it.”
He told the Voters League that the key to raising children to stay out of trouble is not within the child. It is the responsibility of the parent.
“Many young parents haven’t had the proper training to be parents,” Irving said. “If you can’t give the children proper guidance, what can you expect from them?”
He said that part of the problem is teachers who aren’t dedicated to their work, and parents that don’t support the teachers who are.
“In my day, parents were supportive of the teachers,” he said. “And, many of the teachers, not all, don’t have the same (amount of) commitment that teachers had then.”
He said education is important to the long-term behavior of children.
“Education is about security, not immediate gratification,” Irving said. “What education does is provide a level of security for you.”
James Alexander, principal of Leflore County High School, said educating students in all facets of life creates a better student, a better adult and a better community.
“We have to start educating students not just in math, sciences, reading and social scienes,” Alexander said. “We provide that at the school, but it’s up to parents to add to that by educating them with experiences.”
He said it is the job of the entire community to raise a child.
“The way we can do this is to do it together,” Alexander said. “If one of us fail, we all fail.”
