Okay, enough of the teacher bashing – it’s really not their fault. We have all heard the horror stories of poor teachers and yes I admit they do exist but in much smaller numbers than good teachers. Every profession has good and bad examples; it is just a fact of life.

So, if we want to change our school systems what is the strongest group of individuals we could approach to do that?

Government? No, they are definitely part of the problem and have proven time and time again that throwing money at the problem is not a solution. Kind of like throwing ‘you know what’ at a wall and see what sticks.

School Boards and trustees? No, they answer to the government. This in and of itself should be obvious as many are politically motivated.

School Administrations? Getting warmer but still ‘no’ as they ultimately answer to the Board.

Teachers? Now you are getting warmer as these individuals come in large numbers and can be a HUGE ally. They are the ones in the classroom with your child and they are the ones who sit across the desk from you at parent teacher conferences.

Parents? BINGO!!!! It will be parents who begin the push for educational change.  Parents if they can organize and if they can bring teachers on side have the best chance of making the positive, significant difference that is required for effective and productive educational change.

Notice I said change and not reform? You cannot reform something that is fundamentally broken. After all, if the wheels on the bus are broken – you don’t reform them.

Stay tuned for further blogs on this topic.  Also, check out our video blogs – coming to a computer screen near you.