Ever since the pandemic in 2020, I have had continuous thoughts about Are Teachers Teaching Your Children How to Fish?
My youngest grandson was affected during his senior year in High School, as I witnessed what was happening from High School to College.
Although he has graduated from college, I often wonder about how the education system is being challenged while the administration is dismantling various parts of it.
The Plan to Abolish the Education Department—One Year Later | NEA
Bills axing the Education Department introduced by GOP lawmakers
I have personally visited the Board of Education before the pandemic and am thinking very hard about seeing them again to get a better understanding.
One piece of advice that I received is to understand which schools are invested in getting their teachers National Board Certified.
I’m aware that there are “Five Core Propositions” that describe what teachers should know and be able to do.
Proposition 1: Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
Proposition 2: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
Proposition 3: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
Proposition 4: Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
Proposition 5: Teachers are members of learning communities
The National Board certification process is designed to collect standards-based evidence of accomplished practice. In all 25 certificate areas, candidates are required to complete four components.
COMPONENT 1: Content Knowledge.
COMPONENT 2: Differentiation in Instruction.
COMPONENT 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment.
COMPONENT 4: Effective and Reflective Practitioner.
Maybe it’s because I have a master’s in education with a concentration on Instructional Technology that all this bothers me when it comes to education.
I always get a kick out of watching kids work at the cash register when pennies were in use or when the machine was out of order. Many of them could not add or subtract without pulling out their phones for assistance.
It is the dismantling of the education system that sends the message about what is being taught in our schools these days.
When I look at the credentials of various people running our country, one has to think why they were chosen for the job.
Suffice to say, in the end, what cost will all of us pay for how this country is being run, or those affected, for making poor decisions?
Do you remember the words of the three R’s in Education and Learning
The 3 R’s of Education: Reading, Writing &Arithmetic
The phrase 3 R’s of Education encompasses:
Reading: the ability to decode text, comprehend meaning and engage with ideas.
Writing: the ability to express thoughts, structure ideas and communicate effectively.
Arithmetic: the ability to understand numbers, operations and problem-solve in everyday life.
We need all 3 R’s today in our society, as reading is a daily habit for me.
When I think of how people communicate and what I went through with all the various research papers I wrote without the use of AI, it is unbelievable.
Finally, as I sit on various boards, being able to understand the finances and numbers and manage funds is so important.
It’s this foundation I believe we all see continues to be weakened with no voices being heard to protect it.
Interestingly enough, families will move into neighborhoods that support a great school system; however, are they engaged in what is being taught to their children as they pay the costs of living in that area?
In a recent article online from AL.com, “Many Alabama virtual school students lack basic math and reading skills, report cards show.”
That alone signals trouble to me.
It’s already bad enough that Alabama is ranked 43rd in the public-school ranking by state for 2026 as we begin to start another school year this week.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/public-school-rankings-by-state
Therefore, the question is: Are teachers teaching your children how to fish or just helping them bait the hook?
Today, I challenge you to think about whether teachers are teaching your children how to fish or just helping bait the hook.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Proverbs
