How can we as parents change the way K-12 school has turned into what it is today?

Question

Some things I would like for you to think about:

1. School Violence

2. Children being violent outside of school.

3. School clothes: How our kids dress

4. Drugs

5. Weapons.

6. Teenage Pregnancy.

7. Obesity

Now that you have thought about these how can we as Parents change them. What can we do to ensure that our children are not in environments with these things in them? How can we change the way schools are if other parents don't care? I want my kids in a secure environment in school and I know I am teaching my kids the difference between right and wrong but how can I ensure that other parents are teaching their kids this. If these parents that won't teach their kids this at home and won't let the school's teach them this then how can we let them go to school with our kids? Should we not make it against the law for parents to not teach their kids discipline and the difference between right and wrong? How can we punish the parents that don't care what their kids do?

Answer 1

Bottom line....  Go to the school board meetings, actually go to vote on the school board members.  Dont wait until you have a child there, start now.  And dont forget about your other local offices.  They effect this too.

Donate money or time to programs that help educate people about these issues, that help make programs available for these people so that they have the resources and the means to teach these things at home, so that they have the money to feed their children healthy food.  

Get involved with safety watch programs in your neighborhoods so that kids actually feel safe enough that they dont think they have to carry a weapon.  

Get involved, get involved, get involved.  Its the only way to get change.

Answer 2

If you are that concerned, get involved. Become a community leader. Become a teacher, principal, PTA member. Put your concerns out there and do something about it. If you don't, your just as bad as the parents that do not care.

Answer 3

midnightmoon hit the nail on the head get involved get other people involved

Answer 4

The simple answer is. You cant.

Parenting is hard. I honestly believe my mother did an excellent job. She tried her hardest to make sure I was healthy, happy and safe. As a young child she read to me, encouraged me to be active yet academic.

As I grew older, I'm talking between the ages of 7-13 she started teaching me write from wrong. Not showing me. Please recognize the difference. I was NEVER told what is right, what is wrong. Mum used to talk to me about a situation, somewhere in the world, and ask me "What do you think?".

I've always been taught to have an open mind, and so I would tell her. I had free reign to choose what was right and wrong. Most of the time, with situations such as bulling and war I was quick to say it was wrong, because I believe I was merely emulating the opinion of those around me. However, through having done this as my own opinion, it helped solidify my beliefs, my thoughts and the way I treat people. It got to a stage for me, at age about 12, where it clicked. I figured out that if people doing this to other people is wrong, then I shouldn't do it either.

Through my teenage years, I got a fair bit more freedom. Not heaps, and by no means was I "let loose". But I was allowed to explore the world around me. I was allowed to choose my own friends, read what I wanted to read and have my own access to my own internet on my own computer. This helped me to learn a great many things, and fostered my interests in IT. All throughout high school, the parental pestered me to go into science, but never once forced me. I was told "I think you should do this, but ultimately, you will be working for a long time, and you should be happy in what you do".

I think because of the way I was raised, and because of me being slowly introduced to these matters, and being able to form a well guided opinion, I was able to avoid them all. I think that all the bad things we see in schools and teenage life today will only continue to get worse. Why? Because of parents that don't care.

Look at it like this, and some people MAY disagree with me, but I think I'm right. I believe that from bad parents, will come bad kids. Sometimes, however, they become good kids. Kids generally go their own direction. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. The worst offenders, however, come from parents who just don't care. Parents who don't care about their kids are the worst society offenders. Because when their kids grow up, chances are, their kids are going to mix in with a bad bunch. And without a helping, guiding hand, the kids are going to fall off the rails, and probably stay off.

There are exceptions, of coarse, but thats what usually happens.

So, in summary, I think the best way for you to have a positive impact on teenage life, you need to raise good, aware, intelligent and assertive teenagers, who will take control of bad situations, and produce good ones.

Also, getting them into Scouts or Venturers isn't a bad idea :P

Axe

Answer 5

Get involved in schools PTA and board meetings as someone else suggested- however, I must tell you, as unfortunate as it is, we are only responsible to teaching our children right from wrong- even in private and religious based schools there will be children parents who do not feel the same way you or I feel about our children, their lives and their education.  Also I know the best of parents whose children may still wind up on drugs, or get pregnant. We would have to take our children out of the world if we did not want them in this "environment".  Unfortunately the world is like this-  don't know if you are a Christian or not.  I am , and I can tell you that we live in this world, but we don't have to be of this world.  We can help influence our children, and also possibly others, but we cannot make them be what we desire them to be.

Answer 6

Most children involved in these activities have absent parents. We need to make sure we do our job and see to it that others do to. Also, there are alot of single mothers struggling. We need largescale demand of father involvement.