Bill, Melinda Gates turn attention toward poverty in America

Education is... Money is not... Two of my closest friends are high school teachers. One teaches in an inner city school in Arizona. The other teaches in a rural school in northern Michigan. They do not know each other (no collusion or group think). They both think the single biggest factor in scholastic achievement is parental involvement and attitude toward education. Extremely high correlation. Kids whose parents value education, are involved in the school and monitor homework, do well; despite household income, parental marital status, parental education level , parental intellectual acuity, parental ethnicity, peer group associations, intellectual capacity (within the norm) and any other variable you want to bring up.

Kids whose parents have a bad attitude toward education or are uninterested, are far less likely to achieve more than minimal standards. Those that do are often found to have some adult role model who is filling the mentorship role. Furthermore, they have seen huge swings in academic performance when the household parental dynamic changes, and an adult with a positive and involved attitude toward education enters the scene; step-Mom, step-Dad, significantly older step sibling. Kids, under age 12-13, whose household parental dynamic takes a turn for the worse in regards to attitude toward education, almost invariably lose their way.

The friend who teaches in Arizona goes further; she believes that the addition of a firm, but kind, adult male role model who values and is involved in a child's education can salvage virtually anyone with two or three years of high school left no matter how dysfunctional their relationship with the public schools and the education system has been.

Anyone besides me see the in this? A big rich liberal that surely supports the NEA leading the effort. Let me offer a simple low cost solution, go to the countries that top the list in student performance, decertify the NEA and eliminate the Department of Education, fund states on a per student basis for those attending public education institutions. States can be held accountable by the voter when performance is substandard.

Sgt Wayne Wood because it's so liberal there. he he he Okay...Parental involvement is a MUST...and is the key. Unfortunately, most inner city schools or schools in the more impoverished neighborhoods tend to have parents who do not get involved. If there is a way to get these parents more involved, there would be much improvement for these kids and their education...also, it's important for the parents to make sure home work is done and discipline is instilled at home...and I would guess that 1 or 2 out of 10 might have parents who make sure the home work is done...