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Home Is Key To Education

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 18, 2009

America's educational system is a mess. We have students slipping through the cracks, failing to perform and flat out getting through without possessing the basic knowledge they need to succeed. It has become a tradition of sorts for each new president to address this issue with a nationalized plan for reform. I usually don't agree with very much that comes out on the national level, dictating to the masses, but sometimes I actually do.

Last week, President Barack Obama gave a preliminary introduction to this plan to turn America's educational ship around. I agreed wholeheartedly with many of his points. I know - this doesn't happen very often with me. But, darn it, when the guy makes sense, he deserves some credit. I am a fair person, or at least I try to be.

President Obama touted a lot of very good, commonsense ideas about education. First off, (and don't tell my daughters), his idea to lengthen the school year is a good one. I'm all for long vacations, but our kids don't need months off to recoup from a school year. I've seen first-hand that this seems to hurt more than help as much of the knowledge they've gained from one year slips away on long sunny days. When they return to class, the first few weeks are wasted on reviews and getting them back up to speed. While I'd love to hear exactly how this is going to be funded in every school district in the country, I do like the idea.

I even support a few other points he made. Charter schools that work should continue. New ideas for them should be explored. If it's working, why fix it? On paying higher salaries to teachers who truly inspire their students to excel, bravo!

President Obama also seems to clearly understand that schools are not a panacea. For children to get the best possible start, parents have to take responsibility.

"No government policy will make any difference unless we also hold ourselves more accountable as parents -- because government, no matter how wise or efficient, cannot turn off the TV or put away the video games," Obama said in his speech. "Teachers, no matter how dedicated or effective, cannot make sure your child leaves for school on time and does their homework when they get back at night. These are things only a parent can do. These are things that our parents must do."

He is absolutely right. The ultimate success or failure of our children lies in our hands. The real control over how well or how poorly children do is found on the local level.

The only problem is President Obama didn't go far enough. Not only is it imperative for parents to step up to the plate, but they should be supported by government in doing so. By this, I mean, our local school districts, which are more accessible to parents, should be given more control over what takes place in their own classrooms. After all, a president in Washington or a governor in Tallahassee cannot, in all honesty, understand what happens in the trenches of Pasco County. The teachers, administrators, parents and students can. They need more authority and backing to respond to needs that are evident.

Rather than having to satisfy state and national mandates that have turned them into paper pushers and standardized test preparers more than instructors, our educators need to be in their classrooms teaching the basics, inspiring thought and supporting children on the mission to excel. As parents, we need to make our children's education priority No. 1. If these things combine, America's educational star will rise.

Sherri Lonon is the editor of In The Loop

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