I have spent my entire adult life involved in education in some form or another. Therefore, I would like to express my thoughts about education in general.
I firmly believe that it is the fundamental right of every child to receive an excellent education, whether he or she resides in a wealthy community or in a community that is more blue collar.
I do not approve of large class sizes. When I began my teaching career, it was not uncommon to have 30 students in a classroom. Our most pressing behavior problems were gum chewing and running in the hallways.
Children, for the most part, came from a home environment where Mom was a homemaker and Dad worked. Times have changed. It is our duty to change with those times.
Today’s students arrive at school with needs that must be addressed in a more individualized format.
Smaller class sizes are needed for every child’s needs to be addressed.
Additionally, I believe that full-day kindergarten is paramount in today’s society.
Most children are ready for the challenge of attending a full day of schooling, and based on our rising standards to compete globally, we need to offer a comprehensive education beginning in kindergarten.
Many children have attended preschool or day care for a number of years already. Statistics show that the most important years for learning are the early years of schooling, between kindergarten and 3rd grade.
It is absolutely essential to provide a full day of kindergarten.
As far as the CMT and CAPT tests — we must improve as a district. We must continue to support teachers and hold educators accountable for recognizing our students’ needs and move to address them. We must use the data from these standardized tests to improve individualized instruction for all learners.
When test scores improve, the community benefits as home values increase, attracting new families and businesses. This is another reason why we need to invest in our childrens’ education.
I believe that more after-school clubs should be provided to include interested students. When a student is involved in an activity, that student is less likely to be problematic.
I believe that we need to encourage parental involvement in the PTA/PTO at their child’s school, as well as encouraging attendance at Board of Education meetings to vocalize concerns.
Lastly, we must have community support for our children. Education is fundamental, but when we as a community let our children down by not supporting education, where do they turn when they cannot succeed? They inevitably go down the wrong path.
As a small community, the task is more difficult.
Regardless, it must be done.Our children are our future. We have to invest in them now and offer them the best education they can get. And we as educators, officials, politicians, lawyers, doctors and blue-collar workers must recognize that if we don’t succeed in educating our youth, we won’t have failed just our children, we as a community will have failed.
The writer is a Democrat running for Derby mayor.
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