Parent Power!
Helping You Make Sense of Schooling Today

1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 204
Washington, DC 20036
1-202-822-900 1-800-521-2118

parentpower@edreform.com
www.edreform.com

Published by
The Center for Education Reform
Jeanne Allen, President

To share a unique experience as a parent educating your child or comment about this newsletter, please contact Parent Power by phone or email.

A Mother Of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Children Questions the System

Three of my five sons have displayed symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. After years of feeling apologetic, perplexed and frustrated by their lack of success in the public school system, I have come full circle.

Once a member of the "medicate them into submission" camp, I now believe that their "syndrome" is a powerful sign that they, and many young people like them, need something not provided by public schools today.

With my youngest son now midway through high school and almost two decades of experience dealing with these issues, I have come to a few inescapable conclusions. First, grades reflect very little about what children learn. Second, mediocre teaching spawns failure in children, who naturally "switch off" when they perceive a lack of passion. Third, education is not a one-size, fits all experience.

Because my sons have a different learning style than many of their peers, there have been times when I felt that the boys would learn more if they were left to their own devices. They are all intensely curious, and have active, penetrating minds and impressive artistic abilities. Paul, for instance, becomes a different person on stage. If it feeds his soul, he does it, and he does it well. I recall being indoctrinated with the idea that "we all have to do things we don't feel like doing." There is truth there, but I believe we must find the proper balance of doing what we must and doing what we love. Schools are full of children who plod from class to soul-deadening class-is that the "dues" they pay to become members of our society? Let's examine the system, instead of automatically faulting the child. The next time a teacher complains that a child sleeps through class, a parent should ask why the teacher is putting students to sleep.

Helping to salvage my sons' self-esteem when their schools painted them as failures has been my biggest challenge. It hasn't been easy and therapy has been necessary at times. Better than therapists, however, are mentors-a martial arts instructor, a debate coach, a boss who takes time to be human. The support of people who accept alternate learning styles has encouraged them to be involved in creative, positive pursuits and salvaged my sons' self-esteem.

I'm glad for the next generation that there are some alternatives to the present system-charter schools, home schooling, more enlightened teachers taking off on their own and starting programs. Eventually, our children will be treated more like the individual learners they are. If I have learned anything from my sons' experiences, it is that parents need to approach their schools with the idea that there is no excuse for any child, no matter what his learning mode, to fall through the system. We shouldn't accept a school system that pretends there is a "one-size, fits all" method of teaching. Hopefully, in the future we won't be asked to.

Raye Robinson is a mother from Detroit, Michigan.