Since Reagan was in office the focus this country has had on education has been centered on improving teacher performance. But the statistics have shown that grading teacher performance by testing students has had little positive impact on student performance. I have always believed that this is because teaching to the test doesn't allow teachers to use their observation skills to tailor their teaching to reach their students' individual needs.
I have also observed over the years that the involved students that work hard at school and perform at a high level have involved parents. This means being nosey and not accepting a response of "good" when you ask your children about their school day, helping with school work, being sure assignments are done and making sure your child gets to school on time, well rested and well fed.
Read this article on student performance and think about whether we should start holding parents accountable for their children's school performance and stop bashing the teachers when a child is failing. I'm not saying that there aren't poor teachers that should be removed from schools, but we must recognize that there are poor parents that should be pushed and taught to support their children.
So, support your teachers by reinforcing their teaching at home. I am one of those old fashioned parents that punishes my daughter at home if she has been punished at school. This tells her that school is not a remote part of her life, but an active part of our family life.
God bless,
Pam
All boils down to responsibility. Most parents have the view that they are paying for that education so that's the extent of their involvement. But it's obvious that more money doesn't equal better education. Until parents realize that it's THEIR responsibility to teach their children, and not the State, this decline will continue.
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