Daily Blog Challenge Day 64/365
During a recent Satchat (#satchat) the topic was homework and if schools should get rid of it all together. The issue of homework is a touchy subject for many educators and this chat brought together many different view points. You can find my opinion on homework here (will be posting soon).
During this chat, I was reminded that there is another factor at the root of almost all education issues. This issue (in my opinion) is why education reform is failing. The issue no one wants to discuss is Child Poverty. For being a civilized country, the United States has a very high rate of Child Poverty.
Until we fix this issue, other reforms will only be a band-aid on our problems. How can I expect my students to learn if they are hungry, scared, homeless or one of the other countless challenges many children face? Children need to have their basic needs met before they can mentally focus on school.
I realize this is a huge challenge and I cannot offer a magic bullet to fix everything, but I think we need to be more honest about the problem. Testing, new curriculum or more schooling are not going to fix this issue. Students level of support at home and their access to technology and information greatly impact their ability to learn. Parents have the ability to both give their child great advantages and put them at a disadvantage compared to their peers.
Reform will not work (in my opinion) until we children are safe and healthy. Schools can do a lot to help level the playing field, but we cannot truly control the home environment.
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