My mother did not enthusiastically anticipate her four children
returning to school. It is my memory that over Labor Day weekend she
would lament the fact of us starting a new school year. (The school year
in the fifties typically began the week after Labor Day and finished by
mid-June.)

I have yet to meet up with a Mom or Dad who shared my mother‚s sense of
loss that we would be away from her for significant hours over the
course of 180 days. Which is not to say that my mother devalued public
education. Far from it.

Both my parents were and still are strong advocates for public schools
and paying the requisite taxes to support the institution. Even now,
more than 40 years since their last child finished high scool, my
parents express they are happy to pay taxes that support public
education.

Parents could assist greatly in garnering financial support for school
funding by recognizing the tremenduous value our schools provide.
Writing state legislators to raise teacher salaries, supporting the arts
in education and electing candidates who have shown they do more than
give lip service to funding public education is a good first effort.

Just as essential is sending children to school each day with the
understanding that education is not an entitlement. Education cannot be
delivered to the home doorstep like a pizza! Rather education must be
sought after and pursued with rigorous commitment and a desire to
learn. Parents need to clearly indicate interest in their child's
academic success by finding out from each child what happened in school
and what effort is required for achievement and mastery of content.

Finally, it is the responsibility of the child to do the necessary work
of school: studying, homework, learning the basics and turning in the
required work. However, it is the responsibility of the parent to
create a positive learning environment in the home. This includes
turning off the TV, sending a child to school who is properly rested,
dressed and nourished, and with the unequivocal understanding that
teachers are professionals to be respected and esteemed.

You will not only gift your child and her/his teachers by so-doing.
You will also make our community more viable, our state more competitive
and our nation a better place to live.