I am looking for the schools who once were considered "top 10" found on the "President's List" or who were considered "Distinguished," but all I find are schools that have been extinguished, closed down, and left standing vacant. Parents are frustrated at purchasing homes in the areas where these most sought after school districts meant they were going to pay inflated housing costs and higher taxes, but the parents were willing to make such sacrifices in order for their children to get "the best" education available.
Yesterday, I heard something that sent me wondering down a familiar rabbit-path - Students were given a PASSING GRADE for 2020 and educators are calling it a "wash." This is where the rabbits began hopping madly. What about the students who need an SAT score for college entry? What about the student who has ambitions of attending school on a scholarship? Was this also the case with university students and does their degree program diplomas get stamped with the thumbs-up emoji for achievement? How do these schools rate in scores now? How would parents rate their transitions to Remote Learning, support for students who are failing, and parent/teacher collaboration? How can we sweep under the rug the systemic failures that continue to plague public schools who are teaching less and less the skills necessary to succeed in life?
I've heard children are failing classes now at 60% failure rate. I can only imagine how many more are being given a "passing grade" even though their grades fell dramatically from pre-pandemic standards. In my opinion it is very sad that parents are receiving threatening letters telling them they MUST have their child "in class" (via zoom) or they will be charged with failure to provide an education to their child. How can schools threaten parents when the schools are failing to provide those same children an education? I also have heard that Charter Schools are being told they will not be compensated for parents who want their children to leave the public school system in search of a better option. I think this is abuse of the children and one of the main reasons students are failing, depressed, anxious, and committing suicide. THEY ARE NOT THE PROBLEM! They have not asked for this, they have no power, and they have no solutions. Parents have the power and can come up with solutions even when school districts can't. What did we do when there was no Internet? How did children learn where there were no schools? What options for in-person learning are still available? These are all questions that are easily answered, if you are willing to look, able to ask, and desire to seek change.
Don't let your children suffer anymore. Take authority over your children's lives. Be responsible for giving them options to succeed. Stop letting them fail rather than take action to help them. Be proactive and not reactive. You will always care more about your child's success than anyone else. Be the parent they need and what they need will be realized.