3 of 6

No

Write now Article Tools

There is no "HOOK"! What it is is Accountability. It is an accountability that is a privilege and a responsibility and which is non-dismissible. It is an accountability that is carried by teachers, school boards, parents, society and the children themselves. All are accountable. Low performing children and schools are the reflections of that accountability not being carried by each of these parties nor by the whole.

Parents are accountable to their children and informally are teachers to their children. There is no getting around this. Teachers and school boards are accountable to the children and their parents formally. And society is accountable to all of them and vs.

The thing is that there are a number of elements at play here. The first has to do with the context that encompasses such intangibles' as values, priorities, and the corresponding commitments we hold for our children as individuals, and to society as a whole.

These very real intangibles in turn get established as standards. Then it is these standards that get translated into the systems we create and use to carry out our values, priorities, commitments to our children and society, in this case, the educational system' and the family system.

Within both arenas, intangible and tangibles, everybody has the active role of accountability: society, school boards, teachers, parents and the children. [Now whether or not the accountability is acknowledged and followed through on or one disingenuously resigns from it there in lies the problem. But as the wise have said, "Where there is a will there is a way".]

Each party, be it said, does come at the issue of education from a different focus, yet all are accountable to each otherfor the child. Each must dutifully play out their roles. If they do then simultaneously they will dovetail together for the ultimate demonstration of successthey will live out life as valued, fulfilled, contributing members of human society now and as the future...and isn't that the real purpose of Education'?
.

This can get sticky sometimes but nonetheless it necessitates everyone to remember from their heart with their clear mind that teachers are accountable to teach, school boards are accountable to govern and support the teachers, parents and teachers are accountable partners to raise their children into becoming satisfied, valuable members of society and that society must stand unwaveringly for its future which is our children.

Learn more about this author, Marina Read.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Low-performing schools: Does encouraging parents to play a more active role in their children's education take school boards and teachers off the hook??
We want to hear your view. Write now!