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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (246131)	3/2/2014 1:24:22 PM
From: bentway	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 542148

"I know there's lots of stuff out there about no one home and the like but I haven't seen any really good studies that show how parenting is different between that time period and now and how that correlates to differing student performances." I don't know even one married couple with children where the wife is a stay at home mom. Both parents work full time. But then, I don't know anyone as wealthy as the Romneys. When I was in school, almost every family had a mom that stayed home - a homemaker. Dad brought home the bacon. I see that as being the cause of the "failure" of modern education, but it's never put out there by any pol or the press.

To: JohnM who wrote (246131)	3/2/2014 1:30:31 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542148

I have data. Almost all my honors students come from in tact homes (some years 100% of them do)- how do I know? I call and talk to my parents. I deliver work to homes when kids are sick. If a student wins an award over the summer I drive it over to their house. If a kid leaves clothing or sports equipment in my class I deliver it home. Of course I call first- but people are happy (and amazed) to see a teacher do this- and I like to see where my students are coming from- it helps me understand them, so it's win win. Almost all my poor performing students come from one parent homes. When I surveyed my seniors (back when they gave me all the failing seniors) I asked how many of them brought a lunch from home- one girl did- and her mother made it for her. She had the highest grade, had two parents, and had ended up in the class by mistake. None of the other students ever brought lunches- in fact, many of them said their parents rarely ate with them. Some said they never ate dinner with the family. This is a sea change from my day- when kids went home to eat a family dinner- and the few who didn't were so dysfunctional they were a rarity. It's a hot button issue- but I hope someone is studying it. Because not being around to parent is as bad as being a bad parent, and in some ways might be worse. At least a dysfunctional adult is still a symbolic adult- and kids might be good just because they believe the adult might say something even if they wouldn't. Having no adult around leaves a vacuum which can be filled with bad behavior- and often will be.