Moms Talk is a weekly feature on all Lehigh Valley Patches in which local parents, caregivers and other members of the community are invited to share opinions and advice on parenting topics.
This week’s Moms Talk question relates to suggestions from readers on how to specifically improve education locally.
Americans constantly hear about how the nation's educational system is failing our children. Critics say that U.S. students perform poorly on standardized tests compared to many developed nations.
Most parents whose kids have been in school for a few years have at least a story or two about a terrible teacher or a dumb school policy. Now is the time to do more than grumble.
What suggestions do you have for improving K-12 education in the Lehigh Valley?
Our Moms Council members include:
- Lisa Amey of Upper Milford Township is a stay-at-home mom to an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. A past president of the MOMS Club of Emmaus and longtime member of MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers), Lisa is an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International.
- Lisa Drew of Emmaus is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, wellness and fitness coach with more than 17 years of experience. She is the mother of a 13-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy.
- Jennifer Elston of Emmaus has almost two decades of professional experience in child development and counseling. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls. Together with her husband, Chris, she owns Christopher Elston Photography.
- Jeanne Lombardo of Nazareth is the mother of a 10-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. She’s new to the Lehigh Valley, having moved to Nazareth from Bergen County, NJ in January.
- Lisa Merk of Lower Macungie is a stay-at-home mother of four boys – a 12-year-old and 6-year-old triplets. Lisa is a past president of the MOMS Club of Lower Macungie East. In her “spare” time, Lisa teaches piano to school-age children.
- Zoila Bonilla Paul of Bethlehem is a stay-at-home mom to two girls – a 5-year-old and a 14-month-old. Zoila is a member of her local “moms’ club” and says she is “well-versed in the fun that children can bring.”
- Beth Sharpless of Emmaus works part time in a local emergency department as a nurse and part time from home as a customer support specialist. She has two children -- a boy who is almost 2 and a 5-year-old girl. She says they love spending time outdoors and dancing.
If you would like to become a part of the Moms Council and/or have ideas for future Moms Talk questions, please email jennifer.marangos@patch.com.
So, what are you doing as a parent to prepare your kids? Your hands are not tied at all. Quit whining and start teaching--your own kids. Raise them properly, which seems to be your problem. You can always be a parent and instruct. And that takes time out of your life. Well, you had kids and why you expect the rest of the world to revolve around them and teach them is beyond me. Yes, "Go read the book," is precisely the point. If you want to learn, you will. If you are a parent, then teach your kids. Read to them, and make them read to you. Not as a chore, just as literature and teaching. Which is what you want to hire a tutor to do. How pathetic! Remember one thing--your child's education is YOUR responsibility. No one else's. And if you want to have them achieve, the way you're doing it is not good.
We might be past the point where it matters anymore, but currently LMT has nearly 1000 new houses potentially in the development pipeline at various stages. It's STILL very much an issue and I wish the school district would weigh in.
"Stop obsessing about birthday parties and concentrate on your kids' education. Or is that something too stressful?" - Rude and arrogant, imposing her will on everyone else as if she is the be all-end all to educating children, which is funny since she admits she has no children. No children = no clue. "And of course, need more cupcakes! That is the essence of education." - Typical bully mocking. "Did you really write "dumn" in the intro? Shame on you!" -Even bullying the author "How could you not have a clue that your child was in for an F and a D? Are there no report cards or homework which gave you a hint?" -No clue on child rearing. Homework doesn't come with grades and when you get the report card, the grade is already completed for that semester. To late to do anything about it. "Remember one thing--your child's education is YOUR responsibility. No one else's." -My dad was a teacher for 38 years and he would beg to disagree. Educating children is the responsibility of everyone involved. While there must be a strong support system in the home, there must also be one in the school. EVERY single thing this woman has said on here has been either rude, bullying or just plain wrong. How embarrassing for her.
Be aware that if things follow down the same path that is put in place you will have children who can only read, write and do math. But they will not be well-educated. You will have obese children that have no interest in anything enriching, because it wasn't put there at the elementary level. If it wasn't for my elementary music class, I would have never had an interest in music. Explore what the area has to offer with your children and enroll them in something after school whether it's karate lessons or some sort of music lessons. This area as a LOT to offer.