Parents are vital to their children's education

While out for a brief Sunday afternoon shopping binge, I couldn't help but notice the "Back to School" sections were in full display.

My kids are long out of the educational environment, so I pay much less attention to the school calendar.

But the reality for thousands of kids and parents is that the summer break is drawing closer to an end and in just a few short weeks, the school routine begins anew.

When the school session ended in May, the brouhaha in many school districts centered on the Common Core curriculum that has generated ample discussion.

And rest assured, that controversial new teaching approach will still generate debate. Though I am not nearly as well versed on Common Core as I should be, I can tell you this: It is not as good as proponents would have you believe, and it's not as bad as opponents predict.

Many school districts will start the year with new technology, i.e., iPads, computer tablets, etc., that are designed to bring learning to a different platform. Regardless of the education delivery system, it still boils down to students grasping lessons that will guide them through their careers and lives.

The question of new buildings for many districts will bring more discussion on bond issues and referendums to replace or upgrade facilities built long before today's parents were in the classroom.

School uniforms and alternative schools are two more changes that districts will face as the calendar rolls around to September.

All in all, the school year provides challenges on every front from inadequate funding to overcrowding in some cases.

And think for a moment about the school districts that will be forced to handle an influx of new non-English speaking students currently streaming across our southern border.

At the core of all of these changes remains the central best tool in education -- a strong home environment that puts a premium on education and respect.

The other changes are petty compared to the advantage provided to students who come to school prepared to learn with a support system at home that provides the tools and encouragement to succeed.

In society, we dance around the glaring fact that students too often fail to succeed because there is no reinforcement in their homes on the value of education.

We talk about different teaching methods and different technology. We try to break down barriers with school uniforms, and we separate those who want to learn from those who don't.

But the single greatest reason for success or failure comes from the home, and yet we will always fail to mandate responsibility among some parents.

That failure of responsibility at home is the ingredient always missing from the success rate of far too many students.

It's impossible to calculate the cost to society from the failure of parents to hold high expectations for their children in the classroom. But you can be assured, this societal cost is much more than raw dollars and cents.

Countless wasted lives begin when education is viewed as a mandated requirement and not a golden opportunity.

If we could only change the parental attitude in some cases, we could change the world.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.