The Importance of Parental Involvement

Parent Involvement in Education by Kathleen Cotton and Karen Reed Wikelund
The research overwhelmingly demonstrates that parent involvement in children's learning is positively related to achievement. Further, the research shows that the more intensively parents are involved in their children's learning, the more beneficial are the achievement effects. This holds true for all types of parent involvement in children's learning and for all types and ages of students.

Most intelligent people would garner from this that we need to encourage parents to be more involved in their children's education.

Parental Involvement

The Community Education Support Foundation, Inc. organization in Meridian places much of its efforts in seeking information concerning facts are obtained through research. Research overwhelmingly demonstrates that parent involvement in children’s learning is positively related to achievement. Further, the research shows that the more intensively parents are involved in their children’s learning, the more beneficial are the achievement effects. This holds true for all types of parent involvement in children’s learning and for all types and ages of students. Looking more closely at the research, there are strong indications that the most effective forms of parent involvement are those which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities in the home.

This sounds like an argument for homeschooling.

5 Millon For Pre-Kindergarten

They haven't fully funded MAEP (Mississippi Adequate Education Program) ever, but now they want to provide pre-kindergarten to 4 year olds, at tax payer expense.

When legislators convene in January, they will have new opportunities to improve school readiness for kindergartners. Gov. Haley Barbour has proposed a 5 million, three-part early childhood initiative and Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds has proposed pilot state-funded pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-old children. Both initiatives would improve the accessibility and quality of early care and education in our state.

It seems the money would be better spent on the children already in the system. K-12th grade, community colleges and our state universities should not be short changed in order for 4 year olds to go to pre-K. And this is probably the reason why there is a push to fund pre-K

Today more than 60 percent of Mississippi women with children under kindergarten age are in the work force.

Why should my tax money go to provide these women with free day care? Men and women who choose to have children should be the ones responsible for caring for them, not the taxpayers of Mississippi.

Parental Involvement

Principled Discovery has an interesting post Parental involvement in the tween years . She makes some excellent points.

Unfortunately, many of these after-school programs are increasingly viewed as "opportunities" for children, rather than the glorified babysitting service that they really are.

It's really sad that "family time" isn't viewed as an opportunity anymore. I have noticed among my friends that more and more their children are being dropped off somewhere so Mom & Dad can have some free time after the kids get home from public school. Usually with the prefix that such and such is such a wonderful opportunity for little Joe or Sue. Children need their parents, tweens especially need to spend time with their families. Honestly can't that game of bridge, night at the casino etc. wait until the children are grown?