School Disenchantment

In the fall, my kids will both be in school. This is both happy and sad. It means they're growing up, and therefore, means a little more freedom for me. But in the past two years since a new principal has been placed in the school, things have gone downhill. Scores are dropping, behavior is deteriorating and the teachers are unhappy. Ten of the best teachers in the school are leaving, which leaves this principal desperate to fill many vacancies. Truthfully, I'm nervous. In my opinion, she needs to leave. She has removed every improvement the school has achieved. I truly don't see how the ground that has been lost can be made up any time soon. So what do we, as parents, do? I know I will have to be a lot closer to my kids' classrooms next year, being more aware of the kids who are disruptive of the class and firmly insist that discipline be escalated. One child in my oldest boys class this year couldn't even sit in a group with the other kids. His desk was next to his teacher. One day in Art, he splashed paint on my son's shirt. We were told to inform the administration. We did. I followed up to ask if the issue had been addressed. I was assured it had been but I was not privy to the details. Hmmm... The child wasn't even asked to apologize. How is that right?

I volunteered in another teacher's math class. Each week I saw the same kids with the same behavior; throwing things, breaking pencils, having verbal outbursts, yet there they were, week after week. Notes and calls went home but no change was seen. In my mind, these kids are suffering and deserve better than they are being given by the school. Why weren't the roots of the problems identified so they could be addressed by the right people? Granted, I'm speaking of kids other than my own, so I have no way of knowing details of their lives. I can only guess that these kids who were so angry, rarely wore clean clothes and didn't have basic school supplies, had some problems at home. Where is the duty we have to these kids, all the kids, to ensure they are receiving the best education they can get?

I guess as I see it, it's my job to advocate for as many kids as I can, troubled and happy. In the coming school year, as I said, I plan to be a lot closer to the classrooms and establish a close relationship with the teachers. I don't think teachers feel like parents have their best interest in mind. We blame them for everything that goes wrong with our kids, but how often do we praise them for all they do right? The closer we are, the more comfortable our teachers will be in talking to us and getting us involved in the issues that are plaguing the school. When we know the issues, it is then that we can challenge the administration to take the appropriate steps to support the teachers and the kids.

It never occured to me that sending my kids to school would involve so much work on my part. Homework is one thing. It's easy to check a math worksheet and quiz a kid on an upcoming test. Challenging principals who are doing nothing to support anyone in their buildings, except themselves is work. I believe I'm up for it.