How Do We Really Begin To Leave No Child Behind?
By Chris Janotta February 1, 2012 4:05 pm
A politician running for office was recently asked how she would make sure that all parents are involved in their children’s education. While she admitted parental involvement is a huge factor in one’s educational success, she also admitted she had no idea how–or even if–parents could be forced to be involved.
Ignoring the fact that it is a sad commentary on society that some parents would have to be forced to be involved, I tend to agree with with the politician. However, it made me start thinking, and I thought about a possible solution.
What if some teachers were hired to work only in the evenings making home visits to some of the children who need the most help at home? Or perhaps future teachers could do this as part of an internship. By going into the homes to work with students, they would not only be helping students, but they would also be modeling for parents just what it takes from them to help their children be successful. Some parents do want to be involved; they just don’t know how to do so. For them, this may be all it takes to help them become an integral part of their children’s learning process.
Other parents might never become involved, but the students themselves will experience what it’s like to have a culture of learning in their own homes. This, in turn, will hopefully be passed on to future generations eventually eliminating–or at least lessening–the need for teachers to intervene as much.
While I know there are many factors involved in such a proposal–a lack of financing, safety concerns, the willingness of parents to let teachers into their homes–there are plenty of creative people who can come up with ways to make these factors less of an impact.
As far as financing, for example, college students studying to be teachers could elect to participate in such a program in exchange for a tuition credit. Students are continually looking for ways to keep up with the rising costs of college tuition; this would be one way to do so. There are also many current teachers who still owe money on student loans; perhaps they could participate in this program as a way to gain relief from that debt. I know I would definitely be willing!
Once financing is taken care of, safety concerns can be addressed. Anybody willing to visit students at home would know beforehand exactly what they were getting themselves into, and my guess is most of them would perform the job even if there were risks involved. However, in order to alleviate some of the possible safety concerns, perhaps local law enforcement or even churches (which often have a good relationship with the community) could partner with the schools to help create an environment condusive to teaching and learning.
The last barrier to this program, the willingness of parents to let teachers into their homes, might be less of a factor than many imagine. Most parents hold their children’s teachers in high regard and would hopefully welcome them into their homes with open arms. Those who don’t might be open to bringing their children to a local community center, church, or library to meet with the teachers. And for those who just can’t be swayed, perhaps others more creative than me could come up with a solution. As I said, there are many creative people with brilliant minds just waiting to solve some of the problems facing the education system; they are just waiting for someone to ask them for their help.
While I know this solution isn’t perfect, and I am sure there are about a million factors I didn’t think of, the point is that something needs to be done to start helping every child attain the education he or she deserves. While teachers work as hard as possible in the class room to help their students, for some of them, this just isn’t enough.
The problem with leaving no child behind isn’t the concept–teachers hope that every single one of their students is successful The problem is that nobody ever figured out just how to do it. Isn’t it time we start to figure that out?
- Comments
- 16
Terri McCormick - Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 07:00 pm GMT -4
Brilliant out-of-the-box thinking. We need to do more of this kind of problem solving in education.
Really? - Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 07:04 pm GMT -4
If they’re going to a community center, why not just have them go to school ? And who, exactly, is going to want to go from house to house like a salesman, with the way teachers are being treated by the public? Deprived of collective bargaining rights and unable to control basic things such as classroom sizes, I don’t know anyone who would knock on the door of a person who wants the teacher’s healthcare and benefits to be taken away- simply because they, themselves, did not get a job with such opportunities. The “I don’t have so you shouldn’t have either” mentality is a bit difficult to understand.
nancy beaster - Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 08:06 pm GMT -4
Sounds like a good plan to me….we NEED to involve parents more, that’s for sure!!
Chris Janotta - Monday, February 6th, 2012 06:57 pm GMT -4
To “Really,”
I agree with you one hundred percent as far as teachers being treated unfairly, and I am a strong advocate for teachers getting the credit, resources, pay, and benefits they deserve. However, I also see many of my students struggle because there is nobody at home who helps them. Just about everybody would agree this is a major factor in any child’s education, and one teachers cannot control. Yet we are the ones always asked to do more in order to overcome the factors we have no influence over–furthermore, many of us are evaluated based on student performance when there are so many of these outside factors that affect that performance.
Because of this, I merely posed an idea that might help the situation. I admitted that this plan is by no means perfect and many hurdles would need to be overcome in order for it to work. But I think teachers need to not only advocate for what is right with regards to public educationt and fight against that which is wrong but also to begin brainstorming solutions for the many issues public school students and teachers face.
I had hoped that my suggestion would lead to further brainstorming instead of criticism, but perhaps many teachers are so defensive at this point it’s hard not to be cynical. On the other hand, I hope there are just as many teachers out there–or even more–who are willing to share their crazy, out-of-the-box ideas with the hope that one of them just might be the spark that public education needs to create a flame that will lead us out of these dark ages we are currently in.
So how about it…who has an idea they’d like to share? If you’d like to email it to me at sosmtm2010@gmail.com, I’d love to share them all with the public in my next blog. Please let me know if you’d like to remain anonymous–thanks!
Mitch Hettinger - Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 01:01 pm GMT -4
Chris: I liked your article. Thinking outside of the box is a good thing to get the discussion started. My question or concern is, why think outside the box when the solution is right there inside the box. We got all bent out of shape with NCLB, and rightly so, for those that saw the law as it was…a way to destroy public education from the inside out, using America’s children to do the dirty work. It was a callous, ignorant, and deceitful law that our Congress rubber-stamped because Kennedy and Biden saw the dollar signs that were promised, but once signed, never showed up. It decimated urban schools first because nobody who doesn’t work in urban schools don’t care about urban schools. Once NCLB started decimating the top suburban schools, then the level of the fuss was raised to “hissy fit” level and now we talk about about eliminating. But, that’s not the problem now that we pretty much beat this green-eyed monster back. Now we want parents involved. Why? Parent’s have to work, both parents have to work. Let me rephrase that. They don’t both have to work, but the generation of adults, today, want everything yesterday, so there is no other option but to have mom and dad working full-time jobs and allowing the child care center to raise our kids. Middle-class kids are suffering at the hands of not having their parents just like upper-class kids suffer at the hands of not being raised by their parents. Same problem, different circumstances, same results. Parents need to raise their kids, not the village. Parents need to be involved, but not interfering. Parents need to discipline and control their children, not be their biggest bestest buddies, and then advocate for their poor decisions and anti-social behavior. This is problem of the child not raised by parents but rather by child care or by boarding schools. Check out the social problems of the upper class’s children…..drugs, alcohol, anti-social behavior. Check out the social problems of middle class children…drugs, alcohol, anti-social behavior. For all the ranting about class warfare, the middle class has taken on the traits of the upper class…get your money and send your kids off for someone else to raise…and viola…the same problems. I, being at the ripe age of 56, grew up in an era where my parents were my boss, not my friends, my teachers were my captain and ruled the classroom like the captain of a ship. My parents were involved in my education. They new where I was, when I was, and why I was. They provided me with a place at home to learn and do my work. Work, by the way, has become this generations most foul educational 4-letter word. There were expectations and responsibilities to be met, lines drawn in the sand which I dare not cross for FEAR of the consequences, and I was to be seen and not heard unless upon request. The classroom was not a free for all of undisciplined, anti-social children who know they have all the adults in their hip pocket and can advocate their way of trouble by bring the lawyer along. I once got jacked up against the wall by my 5th grade teacher for reading the menu and not being in my seat when the bell rang. My parents were involved, but they did not interfere. They were in my teacher’s corner, and my classroom was orderly and a proper place to learn. I learned my skills of classroom management from my experiences, not from any college textbook. I learned how to deal with my students and my 2 children by my dealing with my students and my children, not somebody else. Our profession needs to advocate to get our classroom control back, to get the word consequences back into our professional vernacular, and we to stop being our students and children’s friends. That one attribute is the biggest mistake we make as adults. My children, ages 26 and 23, are now my friends as well as my kids. But then again, they were raised by their parents, not the village, or the school. They went to school with the skills to adapt, cope, and deal with people. That is not today’s MO. We need to go back to we know does work. That is how we will fix the problem. The solution is right there in the box.
Stanley - Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 08:01 pm GMT -4
You rock. I agree completely with you. I keep saying that parents need to be parents, not their kid’s best friends. Administrators are so afraid of parents that they don’t do a whole lot about the problems with students the teachers bring to them. Also, they are worried about their “referral, detention, and suspension” numbers, because of ADA. I have been in education 17 years. It is a very different world now. I spend more time disciplining than teaching. The response I get from most, not all parents is, move their seat….who is talking to them? My child wouldn’t do that…I know him and he never says that…Or, I am told to let them know when it happens again (and I do) and still nothing is addressed. Some of these kids are from divorced parents, foster homes, group homes, abusive homes and maybe tossed around alot. This behavior was learned somewhere. I grew up like you, respecting and knowing not to cross the lines with my teachers….because my parents would do a whole lot worse to me if I didn’t. I also knew that I was there to learn and was expected to do just that. Kids today think school is just for “fun.” Even some administrators have asked me if I make my lessons “fun”. The problem is parents have had weak role models themselves, and think that giving kids what they want makes them “like” them. Every year I ask my students who do they aspire to be like? I always get answers like, “my mom, my dad, Kobe Bryant, Shakira”….blah blah blah to which I always say, “Aspire to be better than all of those, even your parents would want that.” My role models were presidents and great leaders, not actors, entertainers, sportsters, or singers. And, as nice as it sounds, not my parents. I knew they wanted greater. One more question: why is it that parents don’t know how to help their kids?
Nadine Kirby - Monday, February 6th, 2012 07:52 pm GMT -4
I think you have come up with a few really great ideas Chris , as always you think outside the box ! Ofcourse, I am not a teacher but a parent who would welcome a teacher into my home should my son need the help!! But then again I am one of the ones who is very involved with my sons education : )
Maria - Monday, February 6th, 2012 08:32 pm GMT -4
Math nights, reading nights, Dr. Seuss night! All these “event nights” with a component that is for educating the parent in the school’s methodology, I believe are helpful. I was in a school once that sent all of us staff into the surrounding neighborhoods during part of our pre-school planning days. Our purpose was to connect positively with the kids, their parents, caregivers, and family – as well as to remind them of the upcoming school year!
teachermomnj - Monday, February 6th, 2012 09:31 pm GMT -4
I was just discussing with a team member of mine that we want to do workshops for the parents. Not quite going into the home, but definitely showing the parents how best to help their kids
AuntieBarb - Monday, February 6th, 2012 10:33 pm GMT -4
The benefit of a community centre or a home visit is that it is less threatening. Some of our parents have had very negative school experiences and find coming onto the school grounds to be terrifying. Whatever works, I say.
Chris - Thursday, February 9th, 2012 10:57 pm GMT -4
I would like to add that I am a parent of a child that has a hard time sometimes with his homework. I have a hard time understanding the curriculum and do not have a masters degree in education. The kids now a days are being taught in my eyes a different curriculum that most parents like me that want to be involved cannot help in certain areas. My husband and I stress to the school that my son needs a teacher that can provide extra time to help him become stronger in his weak areas. Having my sons teacher or a college student to come into my home is more than welcomed. I think as a parent most parents that have a understanding of what their child would benefit from would consider something like this. I am so for it. I hope all schools can implement something like this. So my son can be in the comfort of his home with that special person that comes in his home to assist where needed. Awesome!
NJM - Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 03:06 pm GMT -4
Some children have problems because their home environment is not safe or adequate. How could/should this be addressed? I am not in favor of sending a college intern into a crack neighborhood, as some of the students in our school system have to do. It is neither safe for them nor the student, and I can assure you that homework is the least of their concerns. What about neighborhood after school study centers. Multiple students in the same neighborhood could be helped at once, and this could be done in a certified safe environment (local church or library)
Zachary Rupp - Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 07:31 pm GMT -4
Chris- I like where you were going with this article, and the responses it has elicited. In total support of home visits, I also have to acknowledge a reality that come from a colleague recently was that as a child, they were visited by a very respected teacher, but it changed their relationship with that teacher and shame set-in due to an unspoken/unknown boundary of that child that was crossed, because the child wanted to be in control of what other thought of him, and not knowing the reality of his home life. This is just caution for consideration to teacher embarking on home visits that you should ALWAYS allow the student to weigh-in ahead of time and for you to provide options/alternatives to meet in a “neutral” zone. Another opportunity for student voice to be heard. Great discussion!
Zachary Rupp - Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 07:40 pm GMT -4
Also- Thinking outside the box, I wonder who has been able to turn their school INTO a community center. I am wondering about surveying the parents to see what their interests and needs are, then providing that during hours available to them (parenting classes, hobby development, language/literacy classes, etc… for other aspects of community engagement, so that the neighborhood school is for everyone, especially in “under-served” populations, but also can be empowering for parents because they could also be the teachers for each other and/or also the students could be teachers of areas that are identified, so that it completes the learning process as well as progress to leading, and making education truly cooperative for all… ‘pie in the sky’, I know, but that’s what this if for, right?
Heather - Saturday, February 18th, 2012 07:11 pm GMT -4
Perhaps the problem is also that those who have the resources to invest in there child’s education do not completely understand what it is like to not have that luxury.
Working poor parents may be working two jobs or odd shifts (as many min wage jobs do) and thus, arent as able to, for example:
–read with there child at night
–have internet access
–have time or $$ to put their child in sports or enrichment programs
–communicate well with the school due to language
I am not wanting to be pessimistic because I know there are many great ways to encourage parents to become involved in their child’s education but I’m just saying that we need to keep in mind that many parents are simply doing the BEST they can with the resources they have available to them. I believe afterschool programs that offer focused one-on-one tutoring are a great investment of school $$$ and many times these are able to be staffed by pre-service teachers at a low cost.
Michelle Cody - Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 07:37 pm GMT -4
Great thinking Chris. Working at a chapter school, teachers here have gone on homevisits. It has always worked out well for me. The administrations usually set aside $ for 10 hours of visiting in a school year. Once I explained, I was always welcome.