Education requires guardian who values learning
Trenton parents have another group of people to blame for their children’s inability to succeed or conform to social parameters — teachers.
An interesting Trentonian article that investigated city youth issues, particularly safety, education and hope, delivered a teen perspective that cast a significant number of teachers as uncaring. Mind you, interviews with youth included the presence of an adult or parent.
“When asked to estimate the percentage (of teachers) who don’t seem to care about the students in their school, the majority of the teens said approximately 70-75 percent of teachers seem like they don’t want to be there,” the Trentonian reported.
Under such oversight, it’s doubtful that any student would stand and accuse his or her parent of significantly reducing their attempt to secure any kind of future via education despite the fact that people everywhere within the access to internet service know unequivocally that parents, guardians and other adult overseers matter most in the raising up of children.
A village? Perhaps. But what occurs inside homes under the direction of parents matters more than what Ms. Mathers thinks, say or does. And, should her role as teacher fall below requirements then parents do have a say in the identification of deficiencies.
Teachers? Love most of them as they attempt to correct years of mismanagement, especially regarding social behaviors, and still have ample time to reach objectives of their lesson plans. Man, if we extend this list of defendants any longer then we might have to acquiesce that parents matter.
My parents had eighth-grade education success but they knew that school would win in any long distance life challenges. A personal circle includes friendships with many second-generation Italian and Latino friends with parents infused with a similar knowledge about learning and the tremendous payout of education.
Mrs. Conrad, a fourth-grade white teacher at Winslow Elementary School, could have just let the young black boy employ excuses, yet, instead she offered support that connected with my parents desires that education existed as an investment.
Not a day of school missed that year, plus, a report card that displayed straight As matched against one of the most demanding teachers ever produced on the face of Mother Earth. Success occurred on the foundation of a love for reading with comprehension which establishes the foundation for educational success.
The Trentonian article noted that “through last week when this newspaper interviewed current law enforcement leaders, cops had apprehended 426 juveniles in 2018 for alleged offenses ranging from aggravated assault to truancy or curfew violation. Officials say a “very small percentage” of them were charged with serious crimes, and that most were released back to a parent or guardian.”
“Students said some teachers will remain persistent in trying to convince a kid to stay out of trouble. But if they realize their advice is not improving behaviors, “they just give up.” ...I think that’s why a lot of people say teachers don’t care either,” a student said.
Teens estimated 60-70 percent of students seem to not take school seriously. One teen described negativity as their greatest challenge living in the capital city.
Negativity? My idea of negativity is waking up with chains and shackles on your wrists or arms and some guy smacks a whip or puts you to work picking cotton under the hot Georgia sun.
Some slaves learned to read under those circumstances then found success. If young people only knew that being an educated slave represented a risk of life then they would understand that education must matter.
Many people of all colors, races and ethnic backgrounds reading this column will testify that good parents, who set the bar high, made all the difference in the world.
The Parker family lost a mother and father early in life which allowed a sister, Patricia, to make the ultimate save of her siblings.
Patricia Parker served as a teacher for approximately 35 years, first in the classroom and then as an administrator. Teachers matter but they need our support and all necessary materials, especially parental engagement, to help in the production of success.