Family
We propose to increase funding for a number of programs which have proven their ability to have an impact on children's education, and which provide support for single-parent families.
Background
The family is perhaps the primary element in the educational equation. If the parents take the time to read to children before they start school, teachers will have a better product to work with. If parents stress the value of an education, children will be more likely to want to learn. Conversely, if parents yell at their children for asking questions, the children will stop seeking out information. If the home life is violent, a child will have problems concentrating on school.
It is the move away from the traditional family which is, arguably, the driving force behind the collapse of our educational system. Our model of education was based on the ideal of a traditional family in which the father worked while the mother stayed home to take care of the children. This arrangement allowed parents the time needed to take an active part in their children's education. Now, however an increasing number of families are headed by a single woman, and even in many of the two-parent families both parents work. For the single parent especially, the pressure of making ends meet hampers participation in the school system, and many times even keeps the parent from doing such things reading to his or her children on a regular basis. Parents are often unable to take an active part in the educational process.
It is the reality of this situation which dictates our response: we must provide support for the single parent family. Thus we propose to direct desegregation funds toward a number of programs which have proven their effectiveness,and which meet the needs of the single parent family: Parents as Teachers, Head Start, and Latch Key programs.
Next: Parents as Teachers