You probably noticed by now that there is an underlying theme throughout most of my articles on education and education reform. It is the African saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I am striving desperately in these articles to illustrate the point that the effectiveness of educating a child in the classroom depends on many ingredients, including the life styles of their parents before conception; the quality of life and the emphasis on early literacy in the home in the child’s pre-first-grade years; parental involvement in their learning during pre-K through 12 and beyond; and the moral, social, and emotional support and guidance given to the child before, during and after school. None of these ingredients, however, can be separated from the larger additives like food, shelter, clothing, safety, and the overall health and welfare of the household and community in which the child resides.
Everyone involved in the decision-making process ― especially law makers, whose policies determine jobs, entitlements, school funding, after-school programs, community outreach programs, early intervention programs, child protection programs. . . need to be cognizant of the impact of these factors on children’s achievements. They need to be vigilant in their efforts to ensure that their support for these programs help parents to send their children to school ready to learn and achieve. Moreover, they need to become aware that the causes that affect a child’s self-perception, self-confidence, self-esteem, and achievement do not begin when a child enters the school building in the morning and ends when the child departs at the end of the school day. Most students, who are failing in school, are facing daily struggles concerning food, shelter, clothing, safety, moral and social issues, and family and community problems ― before and after school. It is virtually impossible and down-right unfair to hold a classroom teacher totally accountable for the accomplishment of these students when many ―if not most, of the variables determining the students’ achievements are external to the teacher’s control.
Yes, every teacher should strive to provide every student with the best level of quality instructions at all times, but this can only be done ― for all students, when law makers, caretakers, teachers, and everyone involve in protecting the health and welfare of children act in concert with each other.
By
James A. Porter
