The Writing is On the Wall–

I attended a business meeting in Manhattan the other day to make a very interesting discovery:  owners of companies too busy to sit down at the desk to compose their own column hire “ghost bloggers” to write material for them…kind of like speech writers for the President!  Okay, so maybe the rest of you already realized that—but for me, it was just a bit offsetting, and I’m going to explain why….

As an educator, one of our biggest efforts is to make sure that students not only conduct their own research but compose their own thoughts.  In many schools, students must write an “Honor Code” statement on every exam and assignment (like at Poly Prep Country Day School) attesting to the fact that their work is the result of their own effort.  If students don’t follow certain standards of etiquette by giving credit to other authors and/or sources, schools call it plagiarism, and whether this “scholastic sin” is deemed either unintentional or not, this “academic crime” can be the cause of an Advisory Committee or Honor Council deciding that a student is severely punished or even dismissed from that school.  Plainly put, it’s a big deal—so big that there are services which schools purchase to scan the Internet and make sure that students have not gleaned ideas and/or expressions from outside influences….

So imagine my surprise to hear that highly educated and accomplished individuals are “borrowing” someone else’s work—without giving credit?  It astounded me…but I’m still easily amazed by many things.  At any rate, what this news tells a larger educational audience is several important things:

First of all, your child’s voice has never been more important.  The women in this meeting talked about trying to find the right “spark” from writers to reflect the passion and purpose of their business ventures.  Style and expression may become the next “fashion trend” in our modern culture—not on the runway, but through words.  I applaud the etiquette modeled in Oprah’s magazine for her “a-Ha ! Moment” which features life-changing revelations from various personalities and celebrities.  While the first-person narration on this page reflects the unique experience of each individual pictured, at the bottom of this ‘personal column’ are the key words, “—As told to … ” with the writer’s name provided.  And it is my hope that others will notice this example of excellence modeled by Oprah’s editors and start giving credit to the voices of real writers.

The second valuable lesson is that old-school grammar isn’t exactly outdated, afterall.  In this fast-paced age of texting and tweating, it’s easy to see that people have taken some “short-cuts” in certain forms of communication.  But if a student can’t write coming out of college, his or her chances of getting their first job may be quite difficult, as a lot of companies are asking and expecting their employees to “spread the good word”—written well.  So sharpen those composition skills, because they will pay off, literally.

Third, make sure that your child is learning to generate and investigate her curiosity through exploring innovative and interesting ideas.  Many of the businesswomen in the room said that it irks them to have to “create possibilities” to reflect their company’s vision and mission.  Some eventually decide to write a list of key issues for their ghost writers to explore, but the best blogger is the one who can generate his own directions and connections.

So—the long and short of it?  The writing (as they say—) is on the wall.  What your child is learning in school REALLY MATTERS, especially when it comes to individual expression.  You may conclude from this column that, if your son or daughter struggles in this area of expertise, he or she can just “hire someone” to help promote the PR of their future business.  That may indeed be so, eventually.  But I have a little clue for you….While I did not earn an MBA, I did major in English—and I’m completely convinced that one reason why my business is surviving in a double-dipping recession (located in one of the most competitive cities in the world) is because I write my own monthly newsletter, compose all of the content on my website, draft persuasive emails, and create credible brochures that share a compelling story.  Due to my dedication to excellence in writing, I am now featured on blogs with the Waldorf Hub, NYC Private Schools, Noomii Life Coaching, and the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Someday, maybe I’ll even get to writing that best-selling book…but that’s for another column!