Honor rolls show best side of education

It's too easy to focus on those things that are negative or bother us in some way. We talk about crime in our community but rarely make mention most of our neighbors never commit a single infraction, not even a speeding ticket.

That's the way it is with schools. When urban districts -- and a few outstate ones as well -- struggle to deliver a meaningful education, there is a tendency to cast all of America's education as a failure.

But that's simply not so. In fact, schools in our area have hundreds of success stories to tell, but only a few reports of failures. This fact was starkly apparent last week when the Southeast Missourian published four pages -- four pages! -- of school honor rolls. There, in smallish type, where hundreds upon hundreds of names of students who are doing well in their studies and getting the most of their educational opportunities they are given.

Students, teachers, administrators and parents are rightfully proud of all those names. The rest of us should be too.