Three cheers for Illinois Rep. Peter Roskam (“Money alone won’t solve school woes,” Voice, April 17). Doing something about the priorities of families will absolutely help. As a public school teacher I’m constantly being put in the position of being parent, social worker, counselor and nurse in addition to the job I get paid to do. How can I be expected to do all of this and more for 28 students a day when many parents can’t do these things for their own two or three?
I challenge parents to spend just 15 minutes a night with their children–talking, reading together or doing homework. In fact, if they would spend even half as much time, effort and money on school matters as they do on their children’s soccer and baseball, they would be amazed with the results.
