Filed under: //www.bvblackspin.com/category/news/” rel=”tag”>News, //www.bvblackspin.com/category/politics/” rel=”tag”>Politics
The late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis famously said, “If we fail as parents, nothing else we do really matters.”
If the controversial efforts of Florida State Rep. Kelli Stargel are successful, not only will nothing else matter, parents will receive a report card documenting their ineptitude. Stargel introduced a bill that requires public school teachers to grade the parents of students in kindergarten through the third grade as either “satisfactory,” “unsatisfactory” or “needs improvement.” The grade will be documented on the student’s report card.
“We have student accountability, we have teacher accountability and we have administration accountability, the GOP legislator said. “This was the missing link, which was, look at the parent and making sure the parents are held accountable.”
In the late 1990s, the implementation of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) stirred discontent throughout communities across the state as it ushered in an era of renewed accountability.
However, critics didn’t see it that way, voicing their valid concerns that teachers were being distracted from vital lessons to ensure that students were passing standardized tests.
While many parents are seething over the bill, it is apparent that teachers constantly under attack for the low performance of their students are feeling a sense of vindication.
“This is the real world,” says kindergarten teacher Theresa Hill. “You don’t always get a superior rating if you’re not doing a superior job. That’s life. We grade our children based on their performance. Why should the parents be any different?”
While there are many educators who agree with Stargel’s bill, there are others who find it frivolous and without merit.
Steve Perry, a CNN education contributor and founder of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Conn., believes the proposed legislation is an exercise in futility:
“There is nothing in any teacher’s training that would put them in a position to be able to effectively judge the parenting of one of their student’s parents,” Perry argued. “If getting a bad grade was the impetus for people doing things right, then I would have an entire school of kids getting As.”
Stargel sits on several education legislative committees, and as the mother of five, believes she understands the importance of parental involvement and that some parents are just not aware of the necessity of their influence:
“I think a lot of parents understand that is something that is critical,” she said. “On the other hand, you have some parents that don’t realize they are not providing the needs.”
The grading system is based on three criteria written into the legislation:
o. A child should be at school on time, prepared to learn after a good night’s sleep and have eaten a meal.
o. A child should have the homework done and prepared for examinations.
o. There should be regular communication between the parent and teacher.
“Those three things are key to a quality education,” Stargel said.
While I completely agree that parents need to be held accountable for their children’s education, Stargel is minimizing extenuating circumstances that may affect the parents’ lives as well.
There are many parents who are negligent and deserve to be evaluated for their lack of concern. Education has lost its importance in many of our communities and in our nation as a whole. Parents must clearly take control of their children’s future and stop shifting blame to those who could never be as vested in their success.
The abhorrent state of our public school systems, however, must also be taken into account.
The Republican Party has historically slashed funds for various education programs, job training, as well as encouraged the use of private-school vouchers, instead of utilizing those funds for the improvement of public schools.
It has voted against health care reform, in favor of cutting social services and mental health programs, and is doing its best //www.bvblackspin.com/2011/01/26/santorum-and-sharpton-have-heated-debated-on-foxs-hannity-show/” >to control the reproductive organs of women while voting against sex education in schools.
Rep. Stargel rightfully agrees that a child should be well-fed, yet belongs to a party that wants to cut //www.fns.usda.gov/snap/” >SNAP benefits.
Stargel rightfully believes that children should have a good night’s sleep, yet he belongs to a party that wants Section 8 defunded.
Stargel rightfully believes that our children’s education is a collaborative effort, yet belongs to a party that would rather see education spending cut and military spending increased.
There is a well-accepted axiom that states, “If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem.” The fact that the sponsor of the bill is a member of the Good Ole Party makes her lose credibility in my eyes.
Before Stargel attempts to chastise parents for their lack of involvement, she should look in the mirror and re-evaluate why she is a member of a party that is anti-government on all things financial or altruistic but strives to be omnipresent when legislating family responsibility and morality.
It may seem far-fetched, but maybe, just maybe, a fair tax system, quality health care, integrated job creation, and affordable housing and education would go a long way to ensuring that parents are healthy enough — mentally, physically, and emotionally — to better care for their children. To think for one moment that there will be an overwhelming shift in parental involvement just because they receive an “unsatisfactory” grade on a report card is extremely narrow-minded.
As a mother of two young sons, I would never blame my child’s teacher for his lack of progress. If a parent knows that their child’s school is inadequate or that the teacher is unqualified, then those hurdles must definitely be faced. Ultimately, though, our children’s success or failure rests on our shoulders, exactly where it should be. So while I completely agree with Stargel’s stance, I am vehemently opposed to her methods.
There has to be a triangular approach as it pertains to education: Government, educators and parents must communicate, strategize and implement innovative ideas to ensure the success of our children; we are only as strong as our weakest link. When neither parents nor teachers are equipped to excel in a challenging environment, a “needs improvement” grade on either part will potentially generate nothing but hostility and resentment.
At the heart of the matter, sadly getting lost in the heated rhetoric, are our children.
Our children, who depend on us for shelter, for comfort and for the chance to succeed in a rapidly growing global society, have many chips stacked against them. There are thousands of children who are homeless, starving, abused and abandoned. As a country, we are failing them, so, we are all accountable. Even you, Rep. Stargel.
And it’s past time we started acting like it.
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