"There is no reason to despair because this is the most exciting time in education reform since we first identified some of the problems over thirty years ago," says Jonathan Alter, best-selling author and award-winning journalist for Newsweek. Here, Alter shares three ideas for ways to ensure a quality education for your children and we've added a few more suggestions.
1. Talk to Your Teachers
"Participation can take many forms," says Alter. "It's a movement for accountability. Real standards." Teachers should be paid for outstanding performance and removed from the classroom for poor performance, he says. Get tips on how to make the most of your parent-teacher conference. And visit Oprah.com for 38 Easy Ways to Get Involved in the Classroom.
"Participation can take many forms
It's a movement for accountability.
Real standards."
2. Do What's Best for Kids, Not for Adults
"When I was researching my book, The Promise, about President Obama, I learned of a meeting between President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan..." In the meeting, Alter says, Obama described his two education policy principles: Do what helps children, not adult interest groups, and don't put a stick in anybody's eye. "I think if you're motivated by the film to take action, abide by the first principle and ignore the second. Don't refrain from some very tough but necessary confrontations."
3. Make a Teacher's Job Easier
"Help teachers who don't have the same materials necessary to give their kids the same chance affluent kids get -- go to DonorsChoose.org. They are redefining the way people can engage in philanthropy," says Alter. When you get thank-you notes and photographs from the classroom, you realize how you've really made a difference. "It's very fulfilling and gratifying, and allows people who watched the movie to ease some feelings of helplessness."
4. Adopt a Classroom
Do you know a great teacher whose classroom you would like to support? If you know of a specific teacher or a school that you would like to help, you can make a 100% tax-deductible donation through the Adopt-A-Classroom program. Every school is the United States is listed at AdoptAClassroom.org. If you don’t have a teacher in mind, you can find a classroom to adopt using criteria such as grade level or subject type. 100% is passed through to the classroom in order to purchase much-needed supplies that help create a vibrant learning environment.
Learn more about the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
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