PARENTS SPEAK OUT ON THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Should schools be providing general life skills such as getting along with other peo-
ple, being good citizens and learning about different jobs and careers? Parents are
of two minds; some call for "back to basics," while others demand a broader educa-
tion.
"Get back to the basics." (Mother of 11th grade boy)
~
". . . More time on teaching the basics, math, Eng., etc.; less on social interaction pro-
grams." (Father of 8th grade girl)
~
"Teach more about the real world and less about trying to pass that test to make them,
the school district, the state and fed. governments look better."
(Mother of 10th grade boy)
~
"More hands on, realistic education; less reliant on just book learning."
(Mother of 5th grade girl)
~
"Help get them ready for jobs in what they would like to do, educate them in that job
that they are thinking of doing for a living." (Mother of 12th grade boy)
Some Parents Are More Critical of the Schools Than Others
One factor that appears to play a role in parents assigning poor marks is their feelings
of alienation from their child's school. Parents with a high level of school alien-
ation--those who believe that what they think doesn't count very much at their child's
school and that they are left out of things going on at their child's school -- report
that their child's school has a "C" average, while unalienated parents give their child's
school a "B+." Parents with high levels of school alienation are toughest on their
schools' quality of education in terms of preparing their teens to be good citizens
("C-") and knowing how to solve problems ("C-") (Exhibit 1.8).
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