Keep Your Nose Clean

The system is corrupt, and I really don't know if it will ever get any better. I'm talking about the school system. Things I hear, things I see, I thought that if enough people from up north or out west moved here, eventually our schools will have to show improvement. Now I don't really feel that way. They will always have back scratchers no matter what. I don't think that if you kids goes to this school as opposed to that school his/her education will be that much different. I think the most important educational thing you can do is provide your kids with support. Know what they are doing, help if possible, make sure they are doing homework, make sure they are ready. If you do that, your child will succeed.

That is the best advice I can give. Not that joining your kids SIC or PTO is going to make a difference, because it really isn't. Focus on what you can change, not the test scores for the whole grade or school, but your individual child's strengths and weaknesses. I know that sounds somewhat hokey but it is true. If you know your kid struggles in math then it may make sense to make sure he/she is doing his/her homework and monitor his/her grade a bit more closely. Talk to the teacher, I'm sure they would like to talk to you.

I think I am too close with my wife being a teacher to other teachers to do much of anything. You may hear some under currents of this or that, but you or I can't really change that. Just make sure your kid is doing all that can be done, the rest will take care of itself.