Mind the gap

This morning, I stood up in front of 53 parents and explained, for some three years into their child’s education at the secondary level, how we calculate grades. This was the first time being at our school for a handful of parents. One said she didn’t know her son was failing his classes last year until he brought home his report card in June.

When I was in school, there were open houses and parent-teacher conferences and calls home when someone was in danger of failing a class.

Here it’s hard for me to understand the gap between the house and the school. My parents were involved. More so than most. And I know that. But it was their nagging (as I thought of it at the time) about my schoolwork and consistent involvement in my education that cultivated the work ethic I have today.

But I don’t blame them. I don’t blame my students’ parents for their children’s performance at school. It’s not that they didn’t want to be involved with their child’s education. It’s that they didn’t know they were supposed to be involved with their child’s education.