Stop Blaming Parents for School Failure

In my recent letter to the editor of The Advocate, I expressed my concern that the Baker School Board demonstrated its concern for protecting the jobs of teachers in schools that are under performing over pursuing other school options for parents such as charter schools.  The most common rebuttal that I have read on comments to the online version (http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion/1274059-123/letter-fire-bad-teachers-and.html) focus on blaming parents and the students themselves as the primary problems for struggling schools.  

As the parent of three college graduates who all attended college on academic scholarships, I will never undervalue the critical role that parents play in the academic achievement of their children.  This includes actively and persistently seeking out the best options to educate them (I know from personal experience of not liking my local option for a school to send my children).  

Ultimately, every man and women stands before our Creator to take full personal responsibility for their life.  However, to use that principle to defend under performing teachers and lay blame on parents and students goes against the commandment that we love our neighbor as ourselves and expectation to help those less fortunate.  

One comment (from the username "bluedogdemocrat") mentioned poverty, society, and even race as other factors besides the teachers that can hinder school performance. Yet there are many examples of high performing schools (traditional public and public charter) in under-served communities facing all of those factors including poor parental involvement, poverty, and high minority areas.  It is the teachers, and more so, the school leadership that are determined to be innovative and relentless in finding solutions to overcoming barriers who are able to succeed in this situation.  It is not the leaders and teachers who assume that parents do not care to be more involved, but those who form cooperative relationships with parents to help them learn to be better involved in their child's education, and not just blame them for what they are not doing to support their child's education.  

If the charter school is not doing that, pull the charter.  If the traditional public school is not doing that, give parents another option.