Obama Says Parents Are Responsible. Yea!

Hallelujah and pass the plate!

I've been leaning toward John McCain, but Barack Obama said something that just might get me to vote for him: "Only parents can instill values in their children."

If he really means this, then I see a wonderful change of direction in this country in its attitude toward education and parenting. In the status quo, teachers and schools seem to be the ones responsible for not only educating a child's mind, but instilling values in children, as well.

As if I've got the time for that shit.

It's not that I won't do it when I see a need for it. It's just not my primary job. My job is to inspire children to learn and transfer important knowledge into their brains. As I've said in a previous post, children are at school for six and one-half hours a day. Children are in the custody of their parents (or people their parents hire) 4,850 hours per year. This is not counting the eight hours a day that children are supposed to be asleep. Children are in school for 1,170 hours per year trying to learn the 80 or so math and reading standards we all want them to master. The ratio here for you mathematicians is a little more than four to one in favor of parent-time.

And I am the one responsible for instilling values? Give me a flippin' break.

And, when my youngest child moves out, I want to be the one who takes credit for instilling her values. I'll give her teachers credit for a lot of her knowledge, but I want the "values" acclamation.

If Obama carries this philosophy over into his education policy, teachers and administrators can finally focus on education - what we were hired to do. If a kid has a problem with his value system, the administrator can simply pick up the phone and call the parent:

"Hello, Mrs. Smith?"

"Yes, this is her."

"Johnny is having a problem following class rules. According to the Obama Administration, you are now responsible to instilling the value of social responsibility into your child. Can you come down and handle this problem?"

"Absolutely. I'll be right there."

Wow. Problem solved.

No, folks, I'm not that naïve. But, I like the thought. Imagine a world where parents took responsibility for their child's actions, and never blamed anybody else for the way their child was turning out.

I am a parent, too. And I do get pissed off at the educational system every once in a while just like the rest of us. When I do, though, I have to stop and look at the numbers: I am responsible four times more often than teachers are for what my child does and thinks.

If Obama shows that he is serious about this philosophy, he's got my vote; even if I have to pay more in taxes to make it work. It would be worth it to end a policy of "not my responsibility."