Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g2ENpau08486; Thu, 14 Mar 2002 18:51:36 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 18:51:36 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <89.14f28839.29c29099@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: LVAALBION@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:874] RE: Concern about federal support for X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 7.0 for Windows US sub 118 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_89.14f28839.29c29099_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 4887 Lines: 91 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I wanted to respond to Sylvan that what Ted said was true. I have been involved with a teen parenting program for a few years now. We do keep the teen parent focus, but now allow older parents in. There is great need out there. I know of poor parents who have the time to campaign for the free lunches, sports programs, etc. Yet to ask them to take the time to read with their children, it seems incomprehensible. Yeah, I agree, not everyone can be with their children in school all of the time. However, even a little time spent daily with their children will make great strides in improving education. It will even make the job of the teachers easier by creating children who enjoy reading. Bonnie > > Sylvan asks below, where are the parents of the children? I wish I knew so > I could tell them how important it is not to come to parents night but to > be > at school all of the time, building a relationship of learning with their > children. We spend hours making sure they have sports, dance, and other > social stuff. Too bad we don't spend the same amount of time making sure > they have a good education. > > Well, cool. Unfortunately, many parents don't have that luxury, as they are working full-time just to make ends meet. Most teachers actually do need to get paid for what we are doing, as we have families to feed, too. Doesn't mean we don't care about the education of our children, just that we find that other needs have to come first. I guess I worry that schools don't see themselves as also needing to consider parents' needs. But how can you educate a child when the parent isn't involved and supportive? And how can parents be involved and supportive when they don't know what a school system even is and how it works? When they can't figure out anything about this homework because they never learned that stuff in school? When their own experiences in school were either so limited or so cruel, or both, that all they want to do is to stay away? The model you describe may work well for middle-class families. I don't see how it could work for poor families.
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