Parent Accountability

The final missing piece of accountability clearly rests upon the parent. Without parents help, both students and teachers will be faced with an almost insurmountable task-educating our children and preparing them for the 21st century. There is no doubt that teachers, without reservation, depend upon each and every parent to assist them in both maintaining discipline and ensuring that our children are prepared for school daily. It is only through this joint effort between parents and teachers that we as a nation can ensure our generation of children will be prepared for this century.

Unfortunately, in many homes, many parents are not holding up their end of the agreement. Parents must insist and demand that their love ones do their homework, come to school prepared, get a good night's sleep and be functionally ready for school the next day. All too often, as a teacher, I see many children coming to school without adequate school supplies, sleepy, and homework not even attempted. Parents, we as teachers, need your help because we cannot do it all alone. We are all in this together and we sincerely need your help. The accountability piece is where parents must take charge and be held accountable for their children learning just as well as the teacher. However, this is not the case.

Many parents feel that all of the instruction and guidance must come from the school and this type of reasoning is farthest from the truth. The average child is in school for approximately six and a half hours daily and as I mentioned in one of my previous articles, the remainder of the day which is about seventeen and a half hours more, teachers have no control of the children at that point. This is why parental support is so dearly needed. With parents shouldering a portion of the responsibility alongside students and teachers, there is no doubt in my mind that our kids will be performing at their optimum performance and the arduous task of instructing our children will be just a little more easier and bearable. Don't you agree? If our students are to transition into responsible young adults, then there is no question that parents and teachers must do all that is necessary for our children to succeed. Parents represent the other piece of the puzzle that is needed to ensure completion. Once teachers, parents and students work together in unison like the cogs of a wheel finely tuned, true success will be realized for our children. Then one may say that accountability is everyone's job and with this combined effort, the issue of who is accountable will no longer exist. We are all accountable--teachers, parents, and students!!

Student Accountability

There has been much talk about teacher accountability which is definitely important in the nurturing of our children but on the same token, how about student accountability? With both of these entities (teachers and students) working in unison like the parts of an engine, our nations education goals and dreams will be realized. Students must likewise be held accountable!! As a teacher, on a daily basis, I see no responsibility on the part of my students and even the ones that I see traveling from class to class. Many of these students come to school late, no supplies such as paper and pencil, improperly dressed, and many of them sleep in class or busily listening to their ipods or texting messages to their friends. As a result, much of the instruction given by the teacher is missed in these classes. In addition, when teachers direct these students to put away their cell phones or ipods, many of these students immediately develop an attitude and all the teacher is trying to refocus them and get them back on task or the matter at hand and that is receiving the basic instruction that they need to pass their Standards of Learning exams. (SOL).

If our nation is to continue to remain a superpower, some type of student accountability must be expected on the part of our students. Students are required to come to class and ready to learn and as mentioned earlier stay focus in classes. Students as well as their teachers must share this sense of responsibility, however this is not happening. Too much emphasis is placed upon the teacher which I feel is truly unfair. How about the students? Yes, as mentioned in my previous blog, teacher accountability is of utmost importance but how are we to ensure that our students also are delegated some degree of responsibility. How can a teacher be held fully accountable for a student once they leave school at the end of the school day?

Students are in school approximately 6 1/2 hours a day. The other 17 1/2 hours of that day, many of these students are basically out of their realm of control unless they stay back after school for activities such as band practice, sport events, or after school tutoring to name a few after school events. The large majority of the students not staying back after school are in many cases wandering the streets or doing whatever they desire and many times parents do not have any knowledge regarding their where abouts. Unfortunately, a percentage of these students are staying out all hours of the night, partying, no parental supervision, and sadly in many cases, they are raising themselves. What's going on? They must be held accountable for their education and that is the bottom line. It is totally unrealistic to make scapegoats out of many excellent teachers when some level of accountability should be expected from our students. I have seen many fine teachers literally walk out of their classrooms simply because of many students attitudes and refusals to make any effort to complete classroom work. Believe me, teachers are truly in the "trenches" and this is the reality of the situation.

Lastly, in my next blog, I will talk about parental responsibility which is the missing link in the accountability issue. We are all in this together. Isn't this true? Any comments or replies will be greatly appreciated.

Teacher Accountability

Yes, I am in full agreement that there should be accountability for teachers who are teaching our children. Unfortunately, there are some teachers who are incompetent and these type of teachers need to be scrutnized carefully and why not, they are entrusted with teaching our children. As parents of our children, we expect no less from all of our teachers. If they are ill prepared and irresponsible, they definitely should be removed from education.

However, I do have one concern regarding accountability for teachers. Yes, they will be held accountable but how about the parents of our students. Teachers cannot do it all. Students are in class approximately 6-6 1/2 hours per day, Monday to Friday. After these students leave school, teachers do not have additional contact with them until the following day. It is at this point where parental involvement is so important. Parents must ensure that their children are regularly doing their homework, getting a good nights sleep, eating right, and reducing the amount of television time. I say this because I, myself, am a teacher, and daily I see all of the previously mentioned issues occurring in my classes. Students are tired, not focus, hungry, and some have even told me that they regularly stay up all hours of the night watching television or playing video games, sometimes until two or three o'clock in the morning. How can anyone expect their children to succeed in school with them not being properly prepared each school day? For me, as a teacher, this has become a daily battle and we need all parents help to redirect our children.

Undue emphasis has been placed upon all school personnel that our children be prepared for the 21st century and a solid education is at the top of the agenda. But we need all parents help to work with teachers and other school personnel which will definitely assist us as a teacher, parent, and finally a community to realize our goals of educating our children in this century. Parents should likewise be held to some sense of accountability and with parents working alongside with teachers, all of our dreams and aspirations for our children will be realized. Yet, I do not see this happening in many of my classes and speaking to my colleagues, they also report the same problems-namely no parental responsibility or involvement. Believe me, as teachers, we need all parents assistance in educating our children ensuring they will become productive citizens in our society, and not become liabilities. Speaking for my colleagues, I know that most of us are regularly making phone calls, holding conferences with our students, and constantly keeping parents aware of different issues that may affect their children. Personally, I do not feel some parents are holding up to their end of the agreement where teachers and parents work closely together in educating our future leaders of our country, namely the United States of America. Believe me, all parents help is dearly needed and now!! With teachers and parents working together, we both will be accountable for our children and ensure that our country will continue to reign as a great world power. I solicit all parents, guardians, and anyone else deeply involved in the upbringing of our children to please work closely with your childrens teachers. We truly need your help and support!