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Not all children have YOU as their parent :) Seriously, parents matter. That's why it bugs me when parents are used as an excuse for underperforming students.

by unabst 11y ago

Not all children have YOU as their parent :) Seriously, parents matter. That's why it bugs me when parents are used as an excuse for underperforming students. As difficult as it may be, schools must take full responsibility for their students, and not share it with their parents. That is the ONLY way those students will get what they need.

miranda_rights 11y ago
I agree. I've always thought that "preparation" for the vocabulary and critical reading for the SATs starts in early high school or in middle school. Sitting down and memorizing ~200 new words that you hope will be on the exam isn't as helpful or effective as simply growing up in a home where college educated parents use "SAT" words in daily conversation. I say "simply" because the children who do have that advantage gain it merely by absorbing what's around them, in comparison to other children who don't have that advantage.
dragonwriter 11y ago
> That's why it bugs me when parents are used as an excuse for underperforming students. As difficult as it may be, schools must take full responsibility for their students, and not share it with their parents. Responsibility must come with authority. As schools cannot legally take full authority over students, and must share it with parents, it is impossible for them to take full responsibility. I think there is a good argument that society ought to consider means to mitigate disadvantages due to parenting, and consider the extent and circumstances in which greater intervention is appropriate, that's a discussion which goes far beyond the schools to broader policy questions, and which I can't see ever being resolved in favor of general and total community responsibility -- and thus authority -- unshared with parents, whether via the schools or any other mechanism. As such, I think talk of schools taking unshared responsibility for outcomes is overly simplistic and ill-considered.

by unabst 11y ago

miranda_rights 11y ago

I agree. I've always thought that "preparation" for the vocabulary and critical reading for the SATs starts in early high school or in middle school. Sitting down and memorizing ~200 new words that you hope will be on the exam isn't as helpful or effective as simply growing up in a home where college educated parents use "SAT" words in daily conversation. I say "simply" because the children who do have that advantage gain it merely by absorbing what's around them, in comparison to other children who don't have that advantage.

dragonwriter 11y ago

> That's why it bugs me when parents are used as an excuse for underperforming students. As difficult as it may be, schools must take full responsibility for their students, and not share it with their parents. Responsibility must come with authority. As schools cannot legally take full authority over students, and must share it with parents, it is impossible for them to take full responsibility. I think there is a good argument that society ought to consider means to mitigate disadvantages due to parenting, and consider the extent and circumstances in which greater intervention is appropriate, that's a discussion which goes far beyond the schools to broader policy questions, and which I can't see ever being resolved in favor of general and total community responsibility -- and thus authority -- unshared with parents, whether via the schools or any other mechanism. As such, I think talk of schools taking unshared responsibility for outcomes is overly simplistic and ill-considered.