No (bleep!) Sherlock!

[PLC1]

Read to your kids!

Do it while they're little.

IN recent years, we’ve been treated to reams of op-ed articles about how we need better teachers in our public schools and, if only the teachers’ unions would go away, our kids would score like Singapore’s on the big international tests. There’s no question that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a student’s achievement, and we need to recruit, train and reward more such teachers. But here’s what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Parents more focused on their children’s education can also make a huge difference in a student’s achievement.

The performance advantage among students whose parents read to them in their early school years is evident regardless of the family’s socioeconomic background.

The three biggest problems with reading comprehension are vocabulary, vocabulary, and vocabulary, in that order. Reading to kids and talking to them while they're still preschoolers makes a huge difference in their reading ability later on. Moreover, if Mom and Dad read, then reading must be important. School must be important, too, if Mom and Dad think it is important.

This deserves to be in the Mr. Obviousman thread, were there one, yet we forget how important parenting really is.

 

[dogtowner]

no argument here.

we dont need to recruit or train good teachers, they are available and trained by their universities. we could consider rewarding them better but we mainly need to stop rewarding/protecting poor ones. teacher unions have caused this problem. we could easily reward teachers by dialing back central planning and other needless and expensive overhead and allowing the schools to do what they best. I know a lot of terrific teachers who quit teaching due to pointless interference from central planning.

but even if we did all that (and we should regardless) unless kids start having parentS who inspire and require good students we will change the outcomes not one bit.

 

[PLC1]

no argument here.

we dont need to recruit or train good teachers, they are available and trained by their universities. we could consider rewarding them better but we mainly need to stop rewarding/protecting poor ones. teacher unions have caused this problem. we could easily reward teachers by dialing back central planning and other needless and expensive overhead and allowing the schools to do what they best. I know a lot of terrific teachers who quit teaching due to pointless interference from central planning.

but even if we did all that (and we should regardless) unless kids start having parentS who inspire and require good students we will change the outcomes not one bit.

You have it 99% right.

It's not the teacher's unions who are in favor of central planning. Other than that, you've hit the nail on the head. I especially like the "parentS" capital letter.

Most kids used to have two parents. Now, it's acceptable for single moms to have babies, and for parents to divorce on a whim. Selfishness is what it is.

 

[dogtowner]

You have it 99% right.

It's not the teacher's unions who are in favor of central planning. Other than that, you've hit the nail on the head. I especially like the "parentS" capital letter.

Most kids used to have two parents. Now, it's acceptable for single moms to have babies, and for parents to divorce on a whim. Selfishness is what it is.

sorry I did not intend to blame central planning on unions, thats strictly political. you could argue that unions and political are intertwined but that is a marriage of convenience.

there are always exceptions of course but its not hard to see the impact of parentS on student achievement. even more stark when you factor in parental involvement in their childrens lives on any level (well excepting beating the crap out of them).

 

[Dr.Who]

Yes the parents are to blame for much of the problem.

The dirty little secret. US test scores are bad mostly because of a minority of school districts that bring down the average. In those districts both the parents and the teachers suck.

 

[dogtowner]

Yes the parents are to blame for much of the problem.

The dirty little secret. US test scores are bad mostly because of a minority of school districts that bring down the average. In those districts both the parents and the teachers suck.

and all too often its parent (singular).

my kid finds it very frustrating the numbers of kids who couldn't care less who are screwing it up for not just themselves but others. really looking forward to college next year.

 

[Arbopa]

It is unfortunate that it would be unconstitutional to require testing before people were allowed to have kids. There is loads of bad parenting out there.

My kids have always been avid readers and I am glad for that.

 

[Gipper]

I think it is misguided to blame parents for kids failing in school. America has ALWAYS had bad parents and this will never change.

However what has changed are many of our p-schools no longer educate and sadly this has been going for a long time. Many inner city school districts have graduated generations of illiterate kids. It was not this way prior to. The p-schools demanded the kids learn and most did. Discipline was strict and children even in poor areas got an education comparable to rich areas. I have many family members who grew up in rural TN from the 20's to the 50's who were dirt poor . But, they got a good education from the p-schools and improved their lot considerably. This unfortunately does not occur much any more and all thanks to liberalism.