The summer finally arrived and my students are either at the beach or at a summer job. If it is early in the afternoon many of them are probably still asleep. Educators use this time away from their students to work on how they can make the next school exceptional. This is also the time parents should get involved with their children's education because many new policies are being developed that will directly influence the success of their children.
One of the most important programs that should be built in all schools should confront the problem of bullying. If a school does not have a clear plan to face this problem, parents should get involved to make sure the school is proactive instead of reactive. Across this nation many of our young children are being bullied to the point they contemplate suicide or even successfully do it. In the past bullying meant having a smaller child or a child that is different from the others being bullied at school. Internet programs like FACEBOOK bring bullying into their homes. Parents have to keep a watch over their children so their home remains a safe sanctuary. If you would like to read more of what cyber-bullying can do please review, http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/.
Following how the schools defend their students against bullying, parents should insist their school have programs in the late elementary and early middle school years that teache the child both the correct use of these computer programs and what misuse can do. Programs like FACEBOOK will not go away. Too many organizations and people use this program to communicate with people around the world. To put one's head in the sand by attempting to block the multiple communication programs exasperates the problem. As a teacher I know of many students who become depressed and even leave their local school because their school and even the law state there is nothing they can do.
During the summer months parents should ask their schools how its teachers are told to teach mathematics and English curricula. Too many 'new and improved' modern techniques are being used that eliminate basic systems that have our children memorize multiplication tables and learn how to structure a sentence by mapping out words. I see many of my students enter my chemistry class not knowing how to multiply numbers without the use of a calculator. Some administrators state these new systems eliminate the pressure on our students in mathematics and English classes. Maybe this is so but when they reach the high school the pressure is increased because of a lack of these important skills.
Parents should get involved in how their child is being evaluated. Does the school use a standard system of letters and/or numbers? Is your school evolving into a technical system that evaluates according to proficiency? If the student does not reach proficiency in a lesson is your child being asked to continue with the lesson until they become proficient? This sounds like an good plan but how will the teacher continue with their students while reviewing past lessons with students who continue to not be proficient. I am not stating this is a bad means of evaluation. I just don't know how a teacher could follow this procedure and continue to advance their other students toward new lessons.
There are certain routines in our school systems that make little sense. As parents we all know younger children like to get up early and teenage students have a tendency to wake up late. Why do most of our school systems have the older children attend school earlier than the elementary students? I have asked this question for a long time because I see many of my high school students enter my classroom half asleep. The Department of Education states that more study on this subject should be entertained if schools are to change schedules. I wonder why they don't ask the teachers?
It is important parents check to see if summer assignments were given to their children. Many schools have reading and mathematic programs that make it easier for their students to transition from one level to the next. The assignments are usually short and given in intervals. The problem is many of our students after the long summer break have to be re-taught what was taught before they can begin a new level. This wastes too much time. In reality summer vacations are becoming shortened every year with some warm weather districts eliminating it completely.
The summer finally arrived and my students are either at the beach or at a summer job. This is the time of year when parents should become more involved with their schools and their programs. It is an established fact students do better in school when the parent gets involved with their education. Even though the summer break has arrived parental involvement should never go on vacation.
Jim Fabiano is a teacher and writer living in York, Maine
Maine Publisher's Association Best weekly column award for 2004
Recipient of Theodore William Richards Award for excellence in teaching secondary school science for 2007.
Email Jim: james.fabiano60@gmail.com
