What is a "Good" Education?

This question annoys me a great deal!  Even when it is stated as a declaration:  "I got a good education," or "I want a "good" education for my son or daughter."  It is phrased as though one would actually ask for a "bad" education or a less than quality education.  I mean really, a "good" education?  As opposed to what?  Why do people use this phrase and furthermore, why do they use it as if it qualifies their social status. In my opinion, when I hear people say, "I want my child to get a good education," I translate it into, "I want my child to attend the best school," often meaning private or parochial.  Rarely are they talking about public school!  And the ones who know that they can send their kid down the street to a public school knowing that they are sending their child to a "good" school, don't need to boast about it.

What I am trying to get at here is this:  Education SHOULD ONLY be good!  It should only be of the best quality, superior and excellent.  When did we begin to settle for anything less?  When did this divide, this gap in education between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots become so acceptable.  When did cherry-picking and busing become the new normal, the new status symbol.  And why are we okay leaving the "others" behind?

I think it's time for a real discussion in our communities about the privatization of schools, allocation of funding, equal access to resources and what we, as parents, can do to help our children -- ALL of them!  Educational policies have not gotten it right yet, obviously!  Not if we can increasingly quote high statistics for drop-out rates, low enrollment for college and low reading and math scores. There is much to discuss including teacher's pay, parental involvement, the high school selection process, standardized testing, the absence of enrichment and cultural programs in our schools, etc.  Maybe we can't wait for the city, state or federal authorities to get it right.  Maybe WE need to assess the situation and see what WE, the parents, can do to make it better.

If our children are falling behind in math, science and reading, then WE are ALL failing them.  That means WE ALL need to put our heads together and come up with a plan to help our children succeed, find the resources that they need to succeed.

Won't you please, join me in the discussion.  Share your thoughts and your stories and I will scour the internet, newspapers and social media outlets to bring you articles of interest, resources that will (hopefully) help families with school-age children as well as my personal experiences, and thoughts and opinions on the state of education in our communities.