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Bill Bosher
Richmond Times Dispatch
(Reprinted with Permission)
September 10, 2000
With camcorders focused, children dressed, backpacks filled,
and buses rolling, school begins again. Everyone “gears
up” for this exciting time of the year. Despite the reality
that the 1.2 million school-age children in Virginia come
from 30 percent of the homes, opening day of school is a significant
event for the entire community. Yes, 70 percent of the homes
in Virginia do not have any school-age children. Even though
parental involvement is critical to the success of students
in school, the majority “owners” are people who
hear about schools only through television, newspapers, radio,
neighbors, churches, clubs, and the convenience store. Their
voices are raised frequently at public hearings, volunteer
activities, senior-citizen groups, AARP meetings, and . .
. the ballot box.
While the good old days were not as good as we remember them
to have been, they provided principles and values that are
the foundation for today’s institutions. The generation of
warriors, money-savers, and intact families, being joined
quickly by baby boomers, has a story to tell - and an investment
to protect. Fundamental to its ethic is the belief that hard
work pays off.
AS PARENTS and professional educators, we need constantly
to make our children aware of the advantages of an education.
Compulsory attendance laws in Virginia require that young
people attend school. There are, of course, exceptions for
home schooling, tutorial, and bona fide religious purposes.
Attendance is a right, but an education is a privilege. To
earn an education, then, requires one fundamental ingredient:
hard work.
The Center on Education Policy in Washington, D.C. (ctredpol@ctredpol.org)
has posted a paper under the title, “Tell Your Children
- It Pays to Study Hard!” In the education-reform efforts
across the country, little discussion is taking place regarding
the most important factor in academic achievement - student
effort. This article, however, points to several studies and
articles that drive home the point that personal success seldom
comes without a significant investment of time and energy.
In addition to providing statistics regarding the economic
advantages of getting a good education, the policy center
paper also offers recommendations for parents as they advise
their children.
Encourage your children to take challenging courses in middle
and high school.
Make clear that school is the No. 1 priority for young people.
Look at your own beliefs about achievement and the messages
you send.
Encourage and supervise your children’s studies at home.
Become involved with your teen-ager’s school activities.
Help to create a society that values academic achievement.
WHILE emphasizing that no matter what friends may say, “The
person who will have the most impact on your future is you,”
there is also a message for students:
If you complete more years of education, you’ll earn more
money and be better prepared for a career that interests you.
If you learn a lot while you’re in high school or college,
you’ll probably earn more money than someone with the same
diploma or degree who didn’t learn as much.
If you take challenging courses in middle and high school,
you’ll be more likely to attend college and complete a degree.
If you’re going directly from high school to work, you’ll
be better qualified for a good job with opportunities for
raises and promotions.
STUDENTS who do not shy away from tough courses may have
a lower GPA (grade point average) but a better education with
all of its benefits. Parents who stay involved with their
young person’s school experiences may have to forfeit more
time from other activities, but the payoff for their children
is usually significant.
The Center on Education Policy provides a final insight through
the work of Harold Stevenson and James W. Stigler in The Learning
Gap. Mothers in Japan or Taiwan believe that student effort
plays a much greater role than innate ability in determining
student success in school. American mothers tend to believe
that some have it and some don’t. Their chil- dren reflected
the same attitudes.
Having read these studies in the early ’90s, I find it still
amazing that there has been little public discussion about
the importance of hard work in increasing student achievement.
Perhaps as the school year begins, those discussions should
start at home. The majority “owners” would expect
no less.
Bill Bosher, a 2000 Commentary Columnist, is executive director
of the Commonwealth Educational Institute at VCU.
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