by Kate Willoughby Hall, concerned parent and CEO of Richmondmom.com
One tweet about the recent buzz with Henrico County Schools considering uniforms (which I whole-heartedly support) led to the discovery of a local blog of VCU educator and parent Jon Becker. This was followed by a host of questions I began asking about our schools and what our kids need that they surely aren’t receiving.
Jon’s concerns surely mirror many of our own: we’ve given our children every advantage to be prepared for school, but what about the other children who don’t have the same support at home?
Like Jon’s family, we read to our kids and have since they were infants, have rich discussions, take them to as many enrichment activities as we can afford such as The Science Museum, The Children’s Museum, parks and zoos, and play games together. We challenge all of our kids by asking them questions requiring critical thought, and set high expectations for them. We’re fortunate to have the tools to do this, and feel it’s our duty to give him everything he can to be a success.
Jon’s blog covers educational topics that I wasn’t aware of previously–or at least I didn’t know the technical names of them–such as “The Manufactured Crisis” a book examining the point that schools aren’t just catering to the wealthy children who have advantages. He also recommends year-round schooling and transforming schools into community centers where children have access to educational materials long after the bell rings: both are fascinating ideas.
After beginning this article and drafting it to make a trip around the corner to my eight-year-old’s school, I’m thrilled to share that he placed into the accelerated program where he’ll be given instruction and enrichment programs twice per week outside the classroom.
Earning this honor is no doubt due to what he’s been exposed to at home in conjunction with challenges given at school. While I’m thankful for the instruction and social education that school provides, it’s certainly not enough to provide a child with tools to excel in the real world–of this I have no doubt.
We are the only ones who can give our kids the much-needed education they need emotionally, socially, and educationally to ensure they are successful in the world–we can’t blame the schools.
What do you think? What works for you and your children, or what would you like to see change?
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