Y’all, I really need a little help here. I participated in an education focus group earlier this week, and I’ve been asked to get some input from YOU on the follow-up questions I’m going to post below. I know I have a lot of silent readers here (HELLO!), but this time I really need you to speak up and answer these two questions in the comments. Okay?
Here goes:
What does it take (or what WOULD it take) to motivate you to take action on an educational issue? This can be on a local, state, or national level.
Have you ever worked together with the larger school community, including educators and other parents, to creat change in your school and/or school district? If so, would you share a bit about the effort and impact?
Y’all, please don’t make me look bad. 🙂 They are actually PAYING me for this and I don’t want to come up empty. Thanks!
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I got involved in changing the food at my daughter’s school. It was an important issue to me personally and I felt compelled to get involved. It was great working with other parents in the community and more difficult to work with the school that resisted change. However, if you are able to advocate with respect and patience sometimes real change can happen. We were successful in improving the school food program!!
Good for you, Allison! Thanks for commenting.
Question #1 – for me to get involved, the issue(s) needs to touch home. It needs to impact my child’s education at the local level.
Question #2 – I can’t think of anything, but I do believe it takes a large group to make any impact and you have to be willing to be in it for the long haul. So many layers of bueracracy (sp?) and politics to wade through. Like the old adage says, “The squeaky wheel gets the job done.” Or something like that! An example is the large number of Knox County teachers who are speaking out against current evaluation system and common core curriculum. I’m not sure a lot has come from it yet, but they have the momentum and will need to continue long term.
Hope this helps!
I thought of your posts on common core when I was in the focus group! Thanks for commenting!
No.1 – I am 73 and have no young children, but I am interested in school issues. I believe teachers who use their own incentives in order to make lessons interesting and understandable should be rewarded appropriately. I believe school children should have better dress codes and stricter discipline. Teachers should not have to be afraid of their pupils. I realize that parents today do not do as our parents of the 1950’s, but something needs changing so that bullies do not run the school. No. 2 – some years ago my niece’s little girl was receiving spankings st school. She had a deformity involving her kidneys and was not supposed to be hit on her back. I helped my niece compose a letter to the school board and the principal describing her condition and her doctor’s orders regarding it. As a result, spanking in that school was stopped. When there is communication re: specific things which need changing, sometimes it works. We all need to work together and our suggestions need to be honored, whether or not we have children in the schools. Older people like me grew up with ironclad rules and we are still here-it didn’t kill us.
Thanks, Mary. I think EVERYONE should be interested in education, kids or no kids.
I believe it is wrong to socially promote kids if it still exists. I have seen teen and adults who are illiterate because of that belief. Also more classroom assistants are needed to deal with inattentive children as well as unruly kids who distract receptive children. I am almost 71 so my kids are grown but I have young grand
children. If bullying or fighting was an issue I would love to promote anger management, assertiveness skills and conflict resolution skills.
Social promotion is pretty much the rule once you get past the early grades. Classroom aides are a big help and one of the things that is good about parochial vs. private schools. I was advised by a kindergarten teacher to send my child to private school if possible for that very reason.
At this point in my life it would take an issue that touched my family on a personal (and local) level. I have not taken part in creating any large changes. Having my own children, with their own needs, limits the amount of time and energy I have to spend on issues not directly affecting them. There just isn’t enough time to go around.
Thanks for commenting, Nikki. I totally agree with this. You have to advocate for your own children above all.
My daughter is 4, and just entering preschool in the fall so I haven’t experienced it yet. However, my parents were involved, and I know I will be interested and involved too. It won’t take much to get me involved. If there is something haywire in the local school system I’ll dive into the fray.
Good for you! And thanks for joining the conversation.