This is regarding the report that 694 Illinois schools that are being sanctioned because of students who are lagging behind academically (“Top suburb schools hit by `No Child’ sanctions,” Page 1, Aug. 18): Certainly schools should be held accountable if their educational practices are lax.
I suspect, however, that the state is blaming the wrong party for these children’s failures.
The only differences between kids who get ahead and kids who don’t are parents who insist on good study habits.
Here’s a better idea:
If your child gets an F on his report card, the state will fine you $50.
That money will go into escrow, and you don’t get it back until your child brings his grade up.
Radical?
Perhaps, but I am confident we would see children’s grades rise dramatically if parents were held accountable for their children’s school performance.
