Education reform may give grades to parents

Turnabout is fair play.

With the nationwide emphasis on education reform, so much of it directed at teacher performance, one important aspect of childhood learning is left lying fallow: parents. How a child performs in school depends as much on the child's home life as anything else. Lack of adequate sleep, nutrition, or a supportive, loving environment can frustrate efforts by teachers and students in the classroom.

So one Florida lawmaker has an interesting proposal: Grade the parents.

If Republican Rep. Kelli Stargel's bill becomes law, families of Florida's public school children in kindergarten through third grade will get a teacher-imposed grade of "satisfactory," "unsatisfactory," or "needs improvement" on their children's report cards. The criteria include such basics as getting the child to school on time and making sure homework is completed. Stargel, an attorney, serves on education committees and is a mother of five.

Needless to say the bill is getting mixed reviews.

"We have student accountability, we have teacher accountability, and we have administration accountability," Stargel told CNN. "This was the missing link, which was, look at the parent and making sure the parents are held accountable."

No one seems to be disputing the importance of home support, but critics say it may strain parent-teacher relations and that parents who don't care won't be made to by a teacher's "unsatisfactory" mark. Others say that may be true in some cases, but in others the parents simply may not be aware of problems or how much difference they can make, and will step it up once they realize it.

The grading system would be based on three criteria in Florida's House Bill 255:

* A child should be at school on time, had a good night's sleep, and have eaten a meal.

* A child should have homework done and be prepared for exams.

* There should be regular communication between the parent and teacher.

The idea is creative but not new. Responding to No Child Left Behind, a Philadelphia school district issued parent "grades" in 2003, also with mixed responses. Citing a "cycle of blame," some teachers said they felt uneasy judging parents negatively, or feared things might worsen between them. After modifying the program, the district now has a "home support checklist" on student report cards through eighth grade, with a request for parents to contact teachers regarding specific checklist items.

At minimum, acknowledging the role of home life in education is useful. While it's true that some parents simply don't care enough, most likely do; the checklist or some other springboard to productive and open discussion could only help students succeed.

Isn't that the goal of all sides?

Sholeh Patrick is a mom, attorney, and columnist for the Hagadone News Network. E-mail sholehjo@hotmail.com.