Bonney Lake Times Column

[Juanita Doyon <Jedoyon@AOL.COM>]

2/14/01
Support Your Local School-- Public School Parenting in the Age of
Accountability
by Juanita Doyon

Parents are responsible for the education and well being of their children.
When we fully accept that responsibility, we protect our rights and the
educational rights of our children and our local schools.  Right now, there
are some heavy-handed state and national reforms being applied to our local
public schools and the children and families they serve, all in the name of
"accountability."  I question the wisdom of the state's intended use of the
WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) test scores of children to
hold administrators and teachers accountable.  The plan for monetary rewards
to schools with increased test scores would seem an invitation to corruption
and abuse in the administrator/teacher/student/parent balance of power.  In a
climate of educational "standards," it is most important to remember that
there is no such thing as a "standard" child.

Honesty, patience, respect and humor-- staples of the parent/school
relationship.  School employees are people, just like parents and kids.  Not
every teacher deserves the "Golden Apple Award," but then, "Parent of the
Year" is not a trophy I've seen on too many mantles either.  The challenge is
to do the best we can with what we are given to work with.  This can seem a
daunting task, especially in a politically driven era of educational jargon
and changing curriculum.  Attempting to help with 3rd grade math homework can
cause tension headaches!  Yet it is important for parents to understand 3rd
grade math homework and 6th grade writing projects and 8th grade culture fair
demonstrations.  The more involved we are in the educational lives of our
children, the better their chances of success in school and in life.  Parents
and schools who communicate and work together ensure the best learning
opportunities for children.

Often, parents are unaware of the changes that have taken place in public
schools since they were students themselves, until the first parent/teacher
conference reads more like a stock report than a report card.  Charts and
graphs and rubrics-- oh, my!  If we can somehow come away still feeling like
the parent, rather than the 1st grader, I suppose we've won the day-- but do
we know the score?

Most teachers do a good job of moderating assignments and curriculum to fit
the students in their class and challenge them just enough to learn at their
best.  But parents should be the final quality control managers for
schoolwork.  After all, we are the closest thing to an expert on the
personality and ability our own child, and our schools should respect us for
this-- if we approach them with reason and remember that our child isn't the
only student in the school.

So, what do we do if we don't understand the story problems on the growth
rate of breadfruit in the Fiji Islands or the 7 traits of successful writing
or the multiple WASL prompts of the evening?  We speak up and ask!  Then,
when we understand things well enough to have an opinion about them, we share
that opinion, whether it agrees with the teacher or the school or the
district or the state or not.  Chances are, if something seems inappropriate
to us as parents, it is inappropriate for our kids as students and the adults
in their schools as teachers.  If two hour, nightly, 2nd grade homework and
whining time is putting a crimp in your family Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
and popcorn time, it is reasonable and right to let it be known you're mad as
heck and you're not going to do it anymore-- and neither is your child.
Childhood is too short to spend crying over math problems and spelling
sentences for any more than 30 minutes a night in 2nd grade.  This should be
the first rule of homework in any school handbook!  But it will take many
reasonable, well informed, caring parents to get it there.

Words to the wise parent:

Stop believing everything the government and media tell you about public
education.
Look at your neighborhood school and decide what they are doing right.  Help
to fix what is wrong.
Listen to kids and parents and teachers.  Find out what you can do to help
your kids and others be successful in school and in life.

WASL, COM (Certificate of Mastery),  OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction), A+ (Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission),
Legislative Education Committees--  Public education in Washington State is a
vast and complicated system.  Our state public schools serve just over one
million students.  Our 296 school districts are varied in economics and
diverse in population.  In our state's eagerness to "improve learning" and
"raise standards" the individual child is sometimes lost in the shuffle.
This leaves parents and teachers to sort it all out for the good of the
children in their care.  Support your LOCAL school!

Juanita Doyon
Washington State FairTest Coordinator
Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction 2004
Jedoyon@aol.com
http://www.rereformed.com