NewsOK
Norman Waldroop, Edmond
Published: October 30, 2010
Oklahoma schools are underfunded, but throwing unaffordable sums of money at education through State Question 744 won't by itself bring up state grade averages. Learning is the transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. Students have to be ready and willing to learn. Many aren't. Parents must continually encourage and reward good grades and discourage bad grades. Many don't.
Incentives for both underachieving students and their parents must be a part of the overall strategy to improve grades. Schools should reward (not automatically grant) the privilege to participate in sports, special school events and even recess to those who earn it. Many schools already base sports eligibility on maintaining grades, but the bar is set too low. Recess privileges should be based on academic performance as well. Study halls for underachievers should be mandatory during recess and should be considered for before and after school.
Parents of underachieving students should be assessed a property tax surcharge when their children fail to make good grades because those children place an avoidable burden on the education system now and, too often, on various social services later. Only when students and their parents are properly motivated will our grades significantly improve.
Norman Waldroop, Edmond
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Posted on
Sat, October 30, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski