After reading a Washington Post article about a failing school in Mississippi, The Daily Grind reacts to some particularly vexing excerpts. In noting NCLB’s failure to secure quality teachers, as well as teacher difficulties in managing the classroom, he insists a crucial factor has been omitted from the discussion:
…My first thought was not about how NCLB has failed to get high quality teachers into low performing schools. Instead, my thought was, whose kids are these?
He expresses frustration with how critics are quick to blame teachers and schools for low student achievement, but seem reluctant to hold parents accountable for attitudes and behaviors that impede learning.
Why won’t we ever take on poor parenting?
Instead of punishing schools – and yes, some need to be punished – why not punish parents who don’t teach their children how to act with civility.