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.
LSTD 1243-103 Comp II Blog – Unit One extra credit response to Jennifer Bloodworth's blog
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
I immensely enjoyed reading your blog. I truly believe this is one of the major failings of education (and parenting) today. As with the internet and video games, parents these days seem to be taking a more "hands-off" route than they did when I was growing up. There seems to be this overwhelming, growing feeling that society (or gadgets) is responsible for raising children and not the parents.
Responsibility for the health and well-being of the children you bring into this world is first and foremost the parent's responsibility. The way to deal with your child not having good teachers is to compensate for that at home, as well as trying to improve the system by being involved. As with voting, I do not believe you have a right to sit back and complain unless you attempt to foster a change.
It is a sad statement that more and more of parents today need this reminder. Thank you for posting such a thought-provoking blog. I did not see any major issues that need correcting. Nice work!
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteWow! You hit the nail on the head. I agree that teaching starts at home and ends at home. This is a never ending journey,their education, that we take with our children. We are the first teachers and will most likely be their last, they learn from us!
I agree that due to unions, the bad teachers are aloud to remain. But the question is where they always bad, or are they burned out by years of educational and uninvolved parenting abuse? It is said to say, but not everyone shares our passion of educating our children. I have run the gamut of individuals who feel that it is a public schools job to provide the education. The downfall is that a specific teacher may start out with dreams and goals of making a difference but when they are faced with teaching, parenting, potty-training, providing discipline, and most importantly love, they too sometimes get drained and lose sight of their first love, teaching our children.
While financial cut backs and downsizing have drained some of our teachers, I see that one of the biggest problems are the parents who don't parent and teach at home. They expect someone else to do their job. How sad that a super-fantastic teacher has bottomed out and has no enthusiasm left for their job, because of the losses they see in the everyday family.
It is up to everyone of us to parent and teach our children and not leave it all up to the educator. Thank god for the educators with the Patience of Job, Grace and Goodness of God, and metabolism of the Olympic athlete!
Great blog, it was fantastic and really hit home!