Teachers, Teach the Parents Well

For the most part, parents trust the schools to educate their children to become wholesome, productive and democratic citizens. Beyond that, they expect little more. Few parents expect teachers to develop character in their children - or the values of honesty, trust and tolerance. Although most of know that many parents ignore the fact that their children are not angels and the school must somehow change that.

Years ago, and I mean YEARS AGO, schooling was simplistic. The three "Rs" and that was it. No major panoply or smorgasbord of extracurricular activities, courses and field trips. Just seat of the pants instruction right down the middle. You passed or you failed. No incomplete grades. No social promotion. No pressure from mom or dad on the school to make everything all right. It was cut to the chase and get with the program. The teacher ruled. The principal ruled. The school board made policy and paid the bills. The parents supported the schools and the classroom teacher.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Children are still taught in some of the same school buildings their parents were taught in. Some of the children are still taught by the same teachers who taught their parents. Cafeteria food is still cafeteria food. And homework is still homework. Has anything changed, you ask? A lot has changed!

For one thing, children are more independent or at least want more independence. Courses are more varied and engaging. Teachers are younger (actually, it just seems that way to us veterans) and better trained. Extracurricular activities have proliferated along with various outside organizations supporting music, athletics and more. More cars on campus and more disposable money in the pockets of teenagers. And more testing than anytime in the past. However the biggest change others and I have noticed is in the realm of parent involvement. Both good and not so good. The good part of parent involvement is parents wanting to assist their children to achieve, to love learning, to feel safe and to spread their wings by participating in sports, school plays, and other extracurricular activities. In other words, a partnering with the schools and teachers for the child's education.

Perhaps it was the free wheeling 60s and 70s that gave parents the impetus to challenge authority. Maybe it was malpractice or malfeasance on the part of some teachers. Maybe it was fear of not getting the break that other children are thought to have been given?. Or maybe plain and simple arrogance and bullying to exact leverage for a selfish purpose. Any and all the foregoing reasons are plausible.

Some parents today are quick to accuse the teacher of damaging the child's self esteem by marking a poorly written paper with red circles and crossed out misspelled words. Yes, and some parent advocates have capitulated to these insane attacks by changing the color of criticism from red to purple. Also, these same parents are quick to chastise the teacher for assigning a detention for misbehavior in the absence of "concrete proof" of such inappropriate actions. Still others fault the teacher for not having taught the material that their child was tested on and did not do well. Parents have even taken simple detentions to the level of the Board of Education in order to seek "justice". In some cases, boards of education have caved in under legal pressures from the parents all in the name of salvaging their child's reputation and self esteem.

Our educational system is not under assault from non-western nations or even other western nations, home schooling, Educational Testing Service, private schools, Washington bureaucrats, or cafeteria food. The real threat is from self-serving parents and social institutions that insinuate that schools should be everything to everyone. The public education system is under assault. While mandates of testing, health and safety are passed by our legislatures, little is given in the way of financial support to augment the budgets of school systems.

One person caught in the middle of this and the one innocent person in this game of place the blame is on the front lines daily and needs every citizen and parent's support including administrators and boards of education. It is the lowly classroom teacher. Lowly, not in a pejorative sense, but in the sense of powerlessness in this great challenge of education. Parents today are ill advised to rush to judgment on matters of schooling. Your child's teacher, in many cases, is also a parent like yourself. However, they are also the one person trained in giving your child the education for which you prize and pay dearly. Allow them to do their job. Praise them for their efforts. If you disagree with the teacher, follow the chain of command and calmly and intelligently discuss your concern with the teacher. Attend meetings of the board of education to learn more about the many facets, challenges and endeavors of public education. And remember, your child's teacher chose their profession. The profession did not choose them. They are in it for a reason and the reason is not for financial gain. They have the right stuff so that your children will too.