In today's NYTimes,
Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Show.
One reason for the growing gap in achievement, researchers say, could be that wealthy parents invest more time and money than ever before in their children (in weekend sports, ballet, music lessons, math tutors, and in overall involvement in their children’s schools) ...
“The pattern of privileged families today is intensive cultivation,” said Dr. Furstenberg, a professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tell
me about it!
I have always said that a fair school system should be providing an education that did not require parental involvement in any way (other than feeding and clothing the kids, and maybe purchasing some supplies). That would mean that the actual teaching would have to be done at school and homework would have to be that which a student could do without help. Then if a student's parents work nights, or are on drugs, or don't speak English well enough to help, or think kids should do their own work, or whatever, that's not being taken out on the student.
ReplyDeleteCynthia, I completely agree. That's why I think homework should not be assigned until kids are old enough to handle it themselves. I can't believe we've gotten to the point where homework is routinely assigned in kindergarten!
ReplyDeleteCynthia -- I agree, too! And not just because it's good for kids with uninvolved parents, but because it allows all the kids to develop independence.
ReplyDeleteYou mean so they can write their own college essays and go to their own job interviews?
ReplyDeleteLOL -- radical as that may sound!
ReplyDelete