Campaign Looks To Involve Parents In Student’s Math Progress
A new initiative is encouraging parents to get involved with their childrens' math progress, showing them how to do so.
Parental rights is a hot topic in education. Many families wish to be involved in their school’s curriculum choices and work with districts to ensure that children are being properly taught. In order to provide a well-rounded education, a new campaign is encouraging parents to get involved in their children’s math progress and even contact lawmakers to reinforce the importance of mathematical understanding.
Learning loss is an issue that has plagued masses of public school children. Due to lockdowns and isolation measures many students have fallen behind and are struggling to reach pre-pandemic achievement levels. Math progress has especially stagnated.
In order to combat this issue, a new campaign has been launched within the public education system to get parents talking to their children about math and help them with their schoolwork. Math is often one of the toughest subjects that students face and filling vacant math teaching positions has been increasingly difficult throughout the teacher shortage. Math progress has declined not just during the pandemic, but even before, as schools were accused of focusing on identity politics instead of core class learning.
Despite this, organizations like the Bedtime Math Foundation nonprofit have launched their own campaigns to help parents aid their children with math and progress at a healthy rate. This particular organization has founded the Be A Part Of The Equation initiative which gives parents clear steps toward student success. Step One offers tricks and tools to guide parents through helping their kids with math at home and discussing its importance. Step Two is all about connecting with teachers and gaining familiarity with curriculum materials as well as current standards.
Going on to Step Three leads parents to contact school officials. By discussing math progress plans with the principal and other administrators, mothers and fathers can gain a clearer picture of their district’s philosophy and what teaching methods are being pursued throughout various classrooms. Finally, Step Four advises families to connect with policymakers. From school boards to local politicians and beyond, parents are taught the benefits of fully influencing public school policy with their ideas and suggestions.
Currently, students are five months behind in their lessons. This average displays a stronger need for math progress plans and support. Many districts are concerned that their COVID relief funds will expire before learning gaps are fully recovered.
Learning recovery is taking longer than expected. Students are not only behind in their lessons but are experiencing high rates of mental health issues brought on by prolonged isolation. The youth mental health crisis is affecting children’s ability to focus and function in class. Parental support and involvement are needed in order to give students the stability and confidence to persevere.
This new campaign aims to work with families and strengthen community ties. The public education system has faced numerous challenges in recent years. While the pandemic presented many difficulties, the insertion of political ideologies in schools has also driven a wedge between parents and teachers. In order to help students, who are caught in the middle of these struggles, families need to be more involved than ever to not only drive math progress but more community-focused school approaches to curriculum selection and teaching methods.
