I’ve been working in education for a few years now and one thing has become painfully obvious. There are a large number of students who do not perform well because of their home environment. This is a huge problem. The bureaucracy of the education system forces administrators to test these children and place them in either SPED or other special programs designed for extra teaching. These programs are great, but they will not work if the home environment hasn’t instilled respect, discipline, and general rules on behavior. Basically, lack of support at home is to blame when capable students do not perform. Guidance could never address this issue unless there was some evidence of abuse, and so they test the children and knowingly waste countless dollars throwing money at a parenting issue. It is also my position that some “learning disabilities” are a direct result of a poor home environment.

      Currently, the education system creates programs that adapt to the problems being created by both parents who do not properly raise their children and society. So, instead of addressing the problem, we’re making it acceptable for the parents to have no responsibility, and adapting or developing programs to make it easier for them. Even if these parents become the voting majority, this will not make it right. We must do something to fix this corrosive problem.

      I intend to develop and implement a mandatory parenting program run through hospitals by doctors, psychologists, child development specialists, and behavior specialists. If you want your child to attend public schools, you have to participate in this program. Doing this will take the offensive message of “you’re a bad parent” and replace it with “this is all part of having a child”. People don’t like being told how to raise their children, but they’ll be less likely to be offended by doctors and specialists giving them actual information on what to expect and how to appropriately respond to parenting issues.

      The program itself will be very comprehensive and will be available for parents and/or their children up until age eighteen. Besides teaching you how to approach pregnancy and how to best prepare yourself for your newborn, the program will have many off shoots. Some programs may be appropriate for both the parent and the child. Programs will address a wide variety of topics and go into great detail. Instead of listing my ideas in a paragraph, I have attached a list of pertinent topics.

      I know that this is a vast undertaking and will take many more hours of consideration and feedback to reach its full potential. However, the benefits in the success of this program will be so far reaching, it will benefit society as a whole. Therefore, any effort that is necessary to make this program a reality should be put forth.

Being a single mom

Being a single dad

Divorced or getting divorced and its impact on the family

Young parents

Being a parent Vs. Being a friend (pros and cons)

Being a foster/adoptive parent/child

Being a role model

New marriages, new siblings, new parents

Sibling relationships (new brother/sister)

Death (its effects on the family/child psyche)

Timely child development

Early teaching to lifelong learning (joy of) and clinical evidence

Early reading (clinical evidence)

Preparedness for school/homework

Attention problems and how to help

Limiting TV and other media distractions

Structuring productive activities

Higher education

Patience

Respect

Discipline

Communication

Stress

Expectations

Nutrition and Exercise

Curbing behaviors

Changes in behaviors

Depression

Drugs and alcohol

Lying

Anger

Violent tendencies

Yelling

Fighting/verbal

Argumentative (how to communicate with an obstinate child)