SheKnows.com has an interesting topic, Should Teachers Grade the Parents? Up for discussion today. It seems a Florida Law Maker has proposed teachers grade parents on their involvement in their student’s education and this grade would appear on the report card.
I am opposed to the law proposed by a Florida lawmaker requiring teachers to grade parents on their participation in their child’s education and that grade appearing on the child’s report card.
As the mother to six amazing children, I see first-hand how my participation in my child’s education impacts them. It gives them balance, opportunity and better grades. It instills in the child the importance of doing their best, exceeding any expectations they had upon themselves and opens the world of exploration.
My grade as a parent is on their report card. It is reflective of my efforts based on how much effort I put forth to help them with their spelling. The sleep I deprived myself to help them finish their Science Project. It is displayed in their citizenship based on how much respect I showed them and demanded they show to others.
I walk my children to the bus stop every morning. I engage with their peers, and so often I hear that they were chosen for the spelling bee, but their mom and dad didn’t have time to help them study. I witness these children rising above their challenges and “making the grade” for themselves. Their parents do not deserve credit for their child’s success, nor should these children be punished for their parents’ choice to be uninvolved.
Forums on the internet debate whether volunteering should be made mandatory in our schools; the excuses run amuck and our jobs are more important than even 20 minutes a week. While I am opposed to making volunteering mandatory (quite the oxymoron; don’t you agree?) I think it enlightens this discussion presented.
Our children and how they evolve and what they become are our grades. It’s written on a far more permanent and meaningful medium than a report card…it’s embedded into the person my child is and is destined to become. This medium cannot be thrown away. It cannot be ignored. It reflects our relationship and the values we celebrate.
When my firstborn graduated High School, he hugged me and said, “I did it, Mom. I graduated. I didn’t drop out. That was never an option.” While he will never be a doctor or a lawyer, careers I never dreamed he would be, he is a very well balanced, compassionate young man who understands grit. He sets goals and sees them through. He takes on additional responsibility and rises to help others cross their finish line. He is my grade as a parent. I accept this and feel it is in proportion to the effort and manner I invested into his education.