- Importance of Community Engagement in School Improvement
- Importance of Collaboration in School Improvement
- Teachers, Unions and School Improvement
- Charter Schools and Systemic Reform
- Successful Traditional Public Schools
However, this film did make me keep questioning two critical pointsthat should have been touched on more. It was obvious, in most cases, that each student the film followed had a single parent supporting them, and in most cases they did make sure to identify that they were highly involved in their education, finding them tutors or personally working with their child. This hits me very close to home. Hold that thought.
Here's what I am "for" in regards to education. I am for collaboration - parents, teachers, public, private, corporate, non-profit. We are all in this together, let's support our children. I am for teacher and institutional accountability. I think this is an ethical, moral obligation to our future and to ourselves. I am for merit pay increases for teachers. Tenure should be a privilege, not a given. I believe in addressing and correcting inequalities in all systems for the betterment of society, supporting public schools with resources, and community involvement, which involves us actually acting, with schools, outside of our homes, away from laptops and televisions, with actual people.... So, if you're just talking about the problems, but not acting, then please get a clue.
A great person who is making a difference is my brother-in-law, Geoff. He started a tutoring program at his local church. You don't have to go to the church. You don't have to believe in God. You don't have to pay for the services. You just have to bring your child in, and in return, give back. Geoff isn't getting paid. In fact, he's recruited our nephew, Max, who will be 10 this year, to also start tutoring younger children. Not only has this helped other kids, it has taught Max about being a role model, about giving back, and it has also helped his grades and self-confidence.
This is where I circle back to the single parent thought. I am the product of a single parent. I am the product of my mom's choices. Under her roof, I lived by her rules and respected her wishes. She was my pillar of support. My parents did not go to college. My parents did not pay for my college. They both chose a different path during different times under different circumstances. Unfortunately, that only made it harder for their children.
While my mom pushed me as much as she could, and that didn't take much given my drive and ambition, I would have failed if it weren't for the amazing teachers that I admired, Mrs. Whitenack - my math teacher, Mr. Blaha - my honors history teacher, Mrs. Singer - my honors English teacher, Mrs. Rothermich - my theater teacher, and Mr. Reeves - my choir teacher. Without these pillars, I wouldn't have gone to college. They were all guides, resources, sages pointing me in hopefully a positive direction.
But what about those kids who don't have the personal drive and ambition? What about the kids who have ADD and no support from their parent(s)? Is it The Catcher in the Rye in me that wants to save people? How do we provide structure, support, and super people to help those who need help helping themselves?
One of the most agonizing pains that keeps me awake at night is knowing that without a college education or an accredited trade school certification in today's world, you are automatically at a disadvantage. The statistics that paint a horrible future for those who don't invest in an education is painful to say the least,, both for the individual and for the everyday tax payer. What stresses me out more than anything is seeing those closest to me, who for whatever reason, not start and finish a trade school or college career.
Today, one of my customers shared a video montage narrated by Henry Rollins called "Young Person".
It's about coming from meager beginnings, picking yourself up, and driving with as much passion and gusto as you have inside you to survive and succeed. What if someone from a single parent household - say between the ages of 21 and 35 - still needs more structure and support, both emotionally and financially, but you can't step in anymore? I am agonizing over this.
While Waiting for "Superman" hardly covered the topics of parents as educators and being from a single parent situation, there needs to be another chapter covered on young adults who fell out of the system, didn't do well in the system, or can't keep up with the system. I know there are resources out there for adults who are trying to get ahead. I know it's a personal choice for many who choose not to go to school. But I also know that as a society, if you choose to do less than best or even nothing, then inevitably it just hurts us all, most importantly, our future children.
We need more Geoffs. We need more pillars. We need more super people wanting to coach, lead, inspire, and teach. Inspire the drive in someone, and maybe it will inspire you. I just signed up to volunteer through the United Way in St. Louis. You can too!
