GRADE INFLATION IS OPIUM FOR MOTHERS

 GRADE INFLATION IS OPIUM FOR MOTHERS

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

 

Before the 1950s most mothers did not work outside the home. Their main job was to raise the children while the husband was the provider, bringing the money home to pay the bills, buy the goods, and pay for the necessary services. Both fathers and mothers had full time responsibilities although usually the man worked outside the home. 

 

After the fantastic victory of WWII, most military men were raring to go to work, to establish a wholesome family, and create a positive lifestyle for their future. Betty Crocker was the symbol for wholesome women becoming productive housewives and mothers in the home rather than competing with men in the workplace. 

 

Almost 75 years later much has changed. Females have been “liberated” by entering the work force. They have been promoted to many high paying positions as well as many positions that were once dominated by men.  With skyrocketing divorce rates, many women had to take occupations outside of the home to maintain the lifestyle that the husband had originally provided for the family.

 

At this point in the 2020s, divorce is a reality to even more women. Even when the father is present, many mothers work to supplement the family income to increase their financial quality of life. This means there might be no parent home to greet and care for the children when they come home from school (latchkey kids). It is difficult to handle all the daily obligations of a mother as well as the demands of a professional position. Working parents need a break to relax when they get home and have little time or patience to discuss each child’s school experience, homework, and test scores. 

 

Another reality is it is difficult to be granted an appointment with their children’s teachers or with school administrators. Most of these questions about their child’s academics and social progress are u answered on the report card, although without any details in this one-way communication from school to parents. The report card with specific grades and positive or negative remarks too often creates a false impression for the parent’s uncertainty about being conscientious parents.  

 

If their children’s in-school report shows them as straight A students with impeccable behavior, it puts a “feather in the parent’s cap.” The parent’s concern of not knowing what is happening with their child at school is now settled and removes their fear of being a noninvolved parent. 

 

The mother is immediately relieved of guilt for not taking the time to learn what the child is doing in school. They know they should have asked and discussed their child’s progress each day.  The glowing report card removes all the guilt from the parents for not being in close contact with the child’s daily behavior and learning. 

 

According to administrators in government schools, parent teacher meetings are too time consuming to accomplish with the shortage of teachers and administrators. The best answer therefore to parents and school administrators who lack time to meet is the one-way communication of the report cards and special rewards.

 

The guilt of not doing more of a conscientious job as a parent is wiped out by these official school awards and accolades. The general recognition of the student and inflated grades is sufficient for parents to feel comfortable concerning their child’s education. It eliminated all the parent’s remorse and guilt for not understanding what the child is learning. 

 

Being placed on the principal’s list and other special honors are often an attempt to cover up the child’s lack of learning and achievement. This inflated report card and principal’s list are a fraud. The grades and remarks are nothing more than a “happy drug” for parents but destructive to the student’s possible future academic achievements. 

 

Any inflated positive feedback is like any drug that creates a mirage that everything is great. This mirage gradually caves in on the parent as they realize their child did not get the guidance and consequences needed to keep the child on the straight and narrow path. Eventually the student’s evaluation demonstrates he is functioning several years behind.

 

Less than accurate feedback is a policy that has long term negative results for students and eventually the parents. The student and the parents can temporarily feel satisfied with their child’s education.  When the false drug of high grades and mastery of subject matter is exposed, the truth of the victimization of another student and parents become undeniable. 

 

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers and blogs, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and the latest book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglioblogspot.com.

 

 

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PARENTS HAVE AWAKENED AND MUST STAY AWAKE

 PARENTS HAVE AWAKENED AND MUST STAY AWAKE

By Domenick J. Maglio, PhD. Traditional Realist

 

Modern parents live a hectic lifestyle, often with both parents working at full time positions. Also, parents have a busy social life with peers outside the family. There is often insufficient time to devote to their children.

 

Children spend more awake time in school than they do at home. Too often parents pick up their child from an afterschool activity as late as possible.  The meal is most often take-out from a restaurant or other quick meal option but is rarely homemade. In our modern demanding lifestyle, time is at a premium. 

 

 

After dinner the child might share how their day went with the parent. Too often the discussion is brief with the child only saying that their days was OK, or not much new. There are few school reports about the child except report cards that rarely let the parents really know how the child is faring.  Any report for the most part is positive and academic report cards are average or above. There are rarely parent-teacher conferences due to time constraints of parents and administration. Often the meeting between school personnel and parents excludes academics and focuses instead on negative behavior.

 

Many education experts argue that the covid-pandemic opened the eyes especially of the mothers who became aware that their children’s assignments were below the parent’s expectations for the level of the child.  The online education and teacher interaction with their child was shocking. The covid experience was a wake-up call to most parents. 

 

Government schools have drastically changed from local neighborhood ones to large, factory buildings that are difficult to enter. Staff stability has evaporated with the increase in social mobility. Juvenile crime has skyrocketed as family instability rises. Yet in middle class affluent areas, unlike ghetto schools, they believe their schools are radically different and superior.  The parents in these upscale neighborhoods are informed by the press and the public relations department of the school that their schools are outstanding, according to press releases. The children’s report cards with high grades attempt to confirm that their children are outstanding academic students.

 

Additionally, the parents’ harried lifestyle makes it difficult to visit the child’s school. The school officials are unable to meet the parents’ schedule. The parents rarely can enter the school and have direct contact with the teacher or see their child working in their classroom. 

 

Many more parents have woken up to their child’s plight.  They are demanding to meet with their child’s teacher and are not backing down. They are asking pointed question. Some parents have even gone a step further to join the school board or regularly attend meetings, instead of being treated as a child and told what the school board is going do. Indeed, parents are demanding more specific changes in the curriculum and classroom practices. Parents are becoming active participants again in creating and maintaining a quality school. 

 

Parents can no longer hide behind ignorance of their children’s time spent in school. Videos posted by students and teachers have shown the perverseness of some teachers and chaos in the classroom. Parents realize that much of their child’s academics are way below the level the parents were exposed to at the grade level.

 

Good things can be inspired by unfortunate events like the covid pandemic. The incredible positive result of this influenza period in our lives was it opened our eyes to government schools. We learned the necessity of parental involvement in government or any school. Parents need to keep inspiring educators to do their job with the best interest of the students in mind, not their own. 

 

All parents should stand together as one by informing government personnel that children belong to the parents, not to the teachers. It does not matter that teachers have a higher level of education. This may just mean that the teachers have been exposed to double speak, questionable psychology, and educational disinformation. 

 

Parents were there when the child was born, nursed them through serious illness, taught them how to behave in many situations. There is no doubt parents have long term experiences with their child from birth through adulthood while a teacher will learn how the child functions with their peers in a school setting during a certain short time period. The parent sees their child in multiple situations throughout their life. 

 

Parents are obviously the primary guardian and deserve the respect of teachers. The parents of the pupil are a vital part of their child’s education and are invaluable for their success in life.

 

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers and blogs, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and the latest book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglioblogspot.com.