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It isn't poverty. It's a family issue. I teach at a school where 99% of the students are on free or reduced lunch. 60% of the students are hispanic, 30% black, and 10% other. When we have parent night, every single Asian and white student I have has a parent who shows up. I'm serious about that. A little over half of my kids who are hispanic have a parent show up (even if they can't speak English and are worried that they won't understand). I would say about 10% of my African-American kids have a parent show up. This does not include when we request a conference because of failing grades or behavior issues. I have been told before that, "I can't make it up there for that idiot". These kids are 13-15 years old. Of course it is no surprise that the kids who have a parent who cares about their grades, checks their homework agenda at night, and expects their student to do well, are the kids that have a higher reading level and tend to make better grades.
Am I saying that Asian and white kids have better parents? Of course not. But I am saying that parent involvement is the number one factor in child success. I have students whose parents dropped out of middle school in another country and are basically illiterate themselves. However, if those same parents insist that their child attend school each day and come for tutoring then that child tends to succeed.
I believe that schools can always do better. It would be a sad state of affairs indeed if educators became complacent and just accepted how things are. However, I also believe that expecting a teacher who spends a few hours a day with a kid for just 9 months of their life to somehow undo a lack of parenting is ridiculous.
And let me add one more thing. Something that we can do is become mentors. Anyone who worries about this should get on the phone tomorrow and call their local Boys and Girls club, Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter, or even the school itself and ask how he/she can become a mentor. This is a problem that requires a solution of time, not money.
Last edited by ccr4tigers; 11-09-2010 at 06:03 PM..
Reason: typo
It isn't poverty. It's a family issue. I teach at a school where 99% of the students are on free or reduced lunch. 60% of the students are hispanic, 30% black, and 10% other. When we have parent night, every single Asian and white student I have has a parent who shows up. I'm serious about that. A little over half of my kids who are hispanic have a parent show up (even if they can't speak English and are worried that they won't understand). I would say about 10% of my African-American kids have a parent show up. This does not include when we request a conference because of failing grades or behavior issues. I have been told before that, "I can't make it up there for that idiot". These kids are 13-15 years old. Of course it is no surprise that the kids who have a parent who cares about their grades, checks their homework agenda at night, and expects their student to do well, are the kids that have a higher reading level and tend to make better grades.
Am I saying that Asian and white kids have better parents? Of course not. But I am saying that parent involvement is the number one factor in child success. I have students whose parents dropped out of middle school in another country and are basically illiterate themselves. However, if those same parents insist that their child attend school each day and come for tutoring then that child tends to succeed.
I believe that schools can always do better. It would be a sad state of affairs indeed if educators became complacent and just accepted how things are. However, I also believe that expecting a teacher who spends a few hours a day with a kid for just 9 months of their life to somehow undo a lack of parenting is ridiculous.
I agree with you, of course. There is no disputing the correlation of parental involvement with academic success. Study after study shows this. But it should be obvious to all of us by now that some parents simply are not up to the job of parenting -- at least in part, in many cases, because their own parents did such a poor job or raising them to take responsibility for learning.
It's not enough any more , though, for us to simply throw these kids away, or abandon them to the streets, drugs, and crime. The numbers are of failing, aimless, and deeply troubled kids is growing.
Shouldn't our society as a whole be more concerned with this wholesale abandonment of young minority kids, especially boys? If we continue to place all of the responsiblity for this epidemic of failure and hopelessness on educators, aren't we doomed to even higher rates of violence, crime, and poverty?
We need a comprehensive national vision and commitment to do something about this substantial number of our citizens whom we wasting, just when -- in a time of increased global competition in the areas of skilled workers and thinkers -- we need them most.
And who says that we are throwing kids away!? I am sorry but the teachers I work with who tutor for free in the mornings, at night, and on the weekends are not throwing anyone away. Neither are the teachers that teach classes to the parents during the evenings, trying to get parents in the school.
I am making the point that I don't have any clue what to do, and I am great teacher (I am, frankly) and I work with one of the best principals I have ever met. And while we see success, we also see failures. I have been mentoring a kid for three years and watched him get arrested last week for pulling a gun on a rival gang member in his "hood". He is brilliant...brilliant! And my heart is broken.
So, i guess I am saying, instead of always pointing the finger at the teachers who spend the second largest amount of their time with these kids, why doesn't someone come up with a plan.
Or like I said. Stop pondering. I have an answer. Mentor a kid. People need to take time out of their day to spend time with a kid. When I am with the kids I am teaching the required state curriculum that I have to teach in order to keep my job and to ensure that they pass the state standardized tests. I do not get the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with 150+ 8th graders about their life, their home, and their struggles. Kids need someone that they can just vent to.
It isn't poverty. It's a family issue. I teach at a school where 99% of the students are on free or reduced lunch. 60% of the students are hispanic, 30% black, and 10% other. When we have parent night, every single Asian and white student I have has a parent who shows up. I'm serious about that. A little over half of my kids who are hispanic have a parent show up (even if they can't speak English and are worried that they won't understand). I would say about 10% of my African-American kids have a parent show up. This does not include when we request a conference because of failing grades or behavior issues. I have been told before that, "I can't make it up there for that idiot". These kids are 13-15 years old. Of course it is no surprise that the kids who have a parent who cares about their grades, checks their homework agenda at night, and expects their student to do well, are the kids that have a higher reading level and tend to make better grades.
Am I saying that Asian and white kids have better parents? Of course not. But I am saying that parent involvement is the number one factor in child success. I have students whose parents dropped out of middle school in another country and are basically illiterate themselves. However, if those same parents insist that their child attend school each day and come for tutoring then that child tends to succeed.
I believe that schools can always do better. It would be a sad state of affairs indeed if educators became complacent and just accepted how things are. However, I also believe that expecting a teacher who spends a few hours a day with a kid for just 9 months of their life to somehow undo a lack of parenting is ridiculous.
um, i see your point but it would be a lot better if the kids could actually learn something during school, not just after school, eh? for goodness sake, they are there ALL day, yet they aren't learning anything. interesting.
homework and parent involvement is one thing but there are a lot of issues at schools as to the inefficiency of time usage to actually teach something solid, worthwhile and fundamental. some of them are that children are allowed to disrupt class, inefficient teachers as well as not letting kids proceed at their own pace etc.
in short, lots of inefficiency and stupidity in the school system.
I taught school for a year with little parental involvement. It's very typical to see teachers blamed when students perform poorly. I had kids in my classes shuffled between parents in different cities, kids whose parents beat the crap out of them, kids who lived with extended family members because their parents were all strung out. Of course, they performed poorly. They didn't want to talk to a teacher either. They wanted a friend.
I agree with ccr. Mentoring is what's needed. Of course, it's just easier to blame the teachers.
I taught school for a year with little parental involvement. It's very typical to see teachers blamed when students perform poorly. I had kids in my classes shuffled between parents in different cities, kids whose parents beat the crap out of them, kids who lived with extended family members because their parents were all strung out. Of course, they performed poorly. They didn't want to talk to a teacher either. They wanted a friend.
I agree with ccr. Mentoring is what's needed. Of course, it's just easier to blame the teachers.
of course people who have serious issues are not going to be in the right conducive state mentally, emotionally or even physiologically to learn or even pay attention/concentrate.
unfortunately, that is not something that schools can fix (at this time) and it's not their responsibility or the teacher. BUT it may be possible as people start to care more as a community and make schools also a haven for students and places of supporting and nurturing children when there or at least try to create that atmosphere as reasonably as possible, not just a cold place to learn.
i should know as i was one of those kids but i self-taught myself when i got older and was able to deal with and get away from the abuse. i don't like to use the word dysfunctional because it was functional for outside observers but the means was damaging. i'm one of those who fell through the cracks or a could have been. when i look back, it would have helped or been at least a comfort if people showed me more kindness at school (because i was abused at home) or at least the school a civil or sane place to learn but most people don't care. i had nobody. people like me know how cruel and cold the world really is. what was even more aggravating is not only did i have to deal with drama at home but then i had to deal with drama at school. the same crazy/insane atmosphere was in both places. it's very stressful, agitating and not good for learning in that mental and physical state.
i did notice though the faults of the school systems though and the ones i already cited as far as being hostile places or disruptive. i went to several schools and a few were good but most were not and it had much to do with the students as well as teachers which create the school atmosphere.
it's disturbing and an insult to society to say but the truth is many kids are from bad and in some cases, downright evil families (of all races). the truth is not everyone is meant to make it. there will be fallout or failure. this is a reflection of problems of society and the people in it. what happens in school is a symptom. this is the real reason for society's problems; human immorality, vice or sinful nature.
I think the racial gap in test scores reflects the sad & dysfunctional state of the African American family here in the 21st century. Over half of all black children live in single parent households, while nearly 10% of black males between 20 and 34 are convicts serving prison sentences. It's no wonder that black kids are the least prepared to study & achieve in scholastics.
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