This is what is left of my teenage son’s bike helmet after he was struck by a car while biking two weeks ago.

He went back to his DCPS high school this week, head and body intact–unlike his helmet, which most likely saved his life because he was wearing it.

In DC, we talk a lot about test scores as measures of public education.

But I think this helmet is much more useful in that regard than any test score.

After all, my son’s DC public school teachers and parents taught him to always wear a bike helmet while biking. His DC public school teachers and parents taught him the rules of the road. And his DC public school teachers and parents taught him how to read maps, so he could explore our urban turf on foot, bus, train, and bike.

Education is important–we need to treat it that way, especially with DC’s most vulnerable kids.