The Biggest Problem in American Education - The Parents

Or at least that is what the results of one poll suggest:

Blaming teachers for low test scores, poor graduation rates and the other ills of American schools has been popular lately, but a new survey wags a finger closer to home.

An Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education found that 68 percent of adults believe parents deserve heavy blame for what's wrong with the U.S. education system — more than teachers, school administrators, the government or teachers unions.

I would have to say, as an educator, that I wholeheartedly agree with the result of this poll.  I have been a teacher for 16 years and I can say that there are way more requirements and expectations of me, and all teachers, now than there were when I first started teaching.  Talking with retired teachers, I see a pattern.  They agree with that and say that teaching is less about teaching nowadays and more like a business.  Many teachers are getting out early because of it. 

Anyway, I digress for a second.  Getting back to the fact that there is way more pressure and expectations put on teachers today does not mean this a bad thing, but it is important to note. Yes, we choose some stupid curricula or fads sometimes (CRISS and fuzzy math as examples), but even those stupid curricula don't matter when your kid doesn't do his work or come to school or gets in trouble all the time.  You can have a school with the best teachers in the world in every classroom and if they students don't show up or just don't care and put no effort into their studies, then it doesn't matter.  They will fail.  So don't put all of it on the teacher.  Parents need to stand up and take responsibility!

A friend of mine recently told me that he thinks every child should be homeschooled.  There, they would learn things such as manners, politeness, respect, appropriate language, etc.   Then he said that once they have learned these things at home, then the kids could be sent back to public schools. 

Problem is, many of the kids in today's schools will not learn those things at home.  I hear more and more kids cussing not only in school, but in stores with their parents!  Many kids are not learning any manners or social skills at home.  That puts an extra burden on teachers since they inevitably have to try and correct a students bad behavior that is a cause of lack of good parenting.

Schools are a microcosm of the families and communities from which their students are drawn. Some schools are able to overcome genuine deficits created by dysfunctional families and communities, but the majority are not. We in the the education field should keep trying to improve our craft and educate all children--that's what we get paid to do--but it would be wonderful if it weren't such an uphill climb sometimes. 

Imagine if the parents would be supportive of the schools and teachers.  Imagine if the parents would push their kids to get good grades and behave well in class.  Imagine if the parents would actually sit down with their kids each night and ask them how their school day went and what their homework is.  Imagine if all parents actually cared about their child's education!!!

It would be a type of teacher Utopia!  Alas, it is only a dream.  A dream that will probably never come to fruition, but I can pray!