by Robert Lamber

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2008

You bet they do! Parents....What are you thinking?

I beg all of you that love your children to stop looking for people to blame and excuses regarding the education of your child. We all know that education is a cooperative effort between the school, the parent and the child. We also know that mistakes are made because nothing is perfect. However, take this expression to heart, The buck stops here', because it's the home where true education begins and ends!

You can rake over the coals' the school administrators, your school board, the principal, your child's teachers, the PTA's and even the school lunch staff for serving French fries instead of broccoli. Believe me, you can find a bit of fault in all of them for some irresponsible act that has affected your child's social and educational growth in school. As parents we blame teacher unions, pay scales, poor administrators, ridiculous requirements and countless other detractions, but fail to look in the mirror. The truth be told, and if you are honest with yourself, no one but no one is more responsible than the parents for the educational achievement or failure of their child.

Let me present a case to you. I am the spouse of an elementary school teacher, who is as dedicated a teacher as you will meet. She deals with 20+ different personalities a day, everyday and works through forgotten assignments, inappropriate behavior, short attention spans and a multitude of other factors that children bring with them to class. She is handed curriculum changes in mid year, schedules parent/teacher conferences, attends staff meetings before and after school, must go back to school for continuing education credits, and reads in the papers every week or so, what great benefits they have and how overpaid they are. But through it all, she loves what she does and manages to control as best she can the environment in her classroom to help educate the children in her charge.

Do I seem in favor of teachers? Sure I am prejudice, because I see the sides of teaching most people do not. Everyday she comes home and talks about her day. The good, the bad and the ugly. I guess it helps her to deal with all that went on during her 6- hours on her feet. I give her enormous credit to do what she does day in and day out and still have a love for teaching.

But lately she has run into an ever-growing problem dealing with a generation of parents who for some unknown reason have forgotten the value and significance that teachers bring to the maturity

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