The debate over the fate of public education has grown exponentially over the last decade. As with anything else, there are a plethora of opinions as to the cause of the problem and just what to do to solve it. More money? Less money? Blame the teachers? The students? The parents? We have to stop blaming everyone else and become more involved in our children’s scholastic lives. It’s up to us to make sure that our children get an education. So if we’re doing our part and it still isn’t enough, what then?
More money definitely wouldn’t hurt. At this point though, I’m not sure it’s enough. There’s an old adage about plugging a leak in the Hoover dam with bubble gum. It’ll hold, but not for long. Money will bring more into the education system. The question is, more of what? Books? Computers? Hiring more teachers sounds great. Looks great on paper too. The problem is that needing more teachers is just one aspect of a bigger problem. We need more good teachers.
There are a lot of fantastic teachers out there. Teachers who do far more than just educate, they inspire. They enrich the lives of their students. Just about every student has at least one teacher that left an indelible mark on not only their scholastic lives but became a piece of the core that makes them who they are. That’s who our children need more of. Unfortunately, those teachers are few and far between.
It’s not that it’s difficult to identify a teacher that is not performing at an acceptable level for their students. Most parents involved in their child’s education who have encountered such a teacher, generally pass a warning on for future classes. So, we know who they are. It’s what can be done about the problem after a ‘bad teacher’ has been identified. In most cases, sometimes because of tenure or union involvement, it is extremely difficult to get rid of these teachers. So what then?
Just because a child isn’t getting the education they need at school, doesn’t mean they can’t get it at home. A parent’s job is to educate. Even when a child starts school, the parent’s primary job is still to educate. So educate. Be involved. At the end of the day, it’s your child. If you’re involved at school and you educate at home, chances are, more money won’t matter. They’ll be getting the best education they could ask for, because their parent became their teacher.
