Almost every analysis of education ends up criticizing parents.
Parents don't care. They're ignorant. They won't talk to their kids. They won't read to their kids. They won't teach their kids. They fight teachers instead of helping them. Parents are the problem.
I asked a minister in my building if parents were really so bad. He quickly responded: "Fifty-fifty."
Okay, let's work with that. The criticism is half true and half hype.
With regard to the hype, what you're actually hearing is a cop-out and cover-up. The Education Establishment rarely accepts responsibility for its many failures. It's easier to blame powerless parents. (Here's a better idea: let's blame the people actually in charge--the Education Establishment.)
With regard to the half that's true, let's consider what might be done to make parents more helpful. Maybe they just need some pointers. Hey, parents, do these simple things and your kids will be more successful in school and in life.
What follows is a short list of five suggestions for use by schools, religious organizations, community groups, etc. Put this list on websites, newsletters, programs, flyers, anywhere there is some empty space.
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Parents Involved In Education-- Answer all your child's questions. (Ask if there are any more questions.)-- Teach your child something new every day, something factual and basic that everyone needs to know. Use a story in the newspaper, news on the TV, or something a child says. Information that might be obvious to you as an adult is not obvious to a kid.-- Read to your child every day if possible. Have the child sitting next to you so you can explain how reading works. (If you cannot read, it's very important to be honest about this and to take steps to learn to read.)-- Encourage your child to have a positive outlook on school and education. Stress that it will be fun. There will be new friends to meet and interesting new things to do. -- If at all possible, support teachers and schools unless they are doing something clearly wrong.(Provided by Improve-Education.org / Bruce Deitrick Price)-----------------------------------------------------------
This is List 1.0. How could it be better?
I see early intervention in all subjects becoming more crucial. Public schools use Whole Word, Reform Math, and many other gimmicks that don't work. I'm afraid that Common Core Curriculum is just going to lock in lots of bad ideas. The best defense is a good educational offense. (For things to teach to young kids, see "START EARLY"--
http://www.improve-education.org/id88.ht....