Michelle Luce: You Can Change Your Education Family Tree

When it comes to education, parents can have a dramatic effect on how their family tree develops.

family_tree I heard a phrase recently that’s really resonated with me. Dave Ramsey, a New York Times Bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio host, said in his Financial Peace University series, “Change your family tree.” He was talking about changing the way we act with and how we think about money.

I think we can change our family trees in education, too.

Michelle Luce

My dad married a college graduate, while he, himself was not one. He was a hard working, blue collar man. Nothing wrong with that. But, at age 35, my dad went back to college, and graduated magna cum laude. Nothing wrong with that, either. Of his 12 siblings (11 biological and 1 foster) he was the ONLY one to go to college. In contrast, my mother and six of her eight siblings attended and graduated from college.

So, here are my family college statistics: on the side of the family where only my dad went to college: of 23 cousins, including my brother and me, six went to college. That’s 26%. Not included in the number are two cousins who are still in high school.

The percentage is doubled on my mom’s side of the family who were mostly college graduates. Out of 23 cousins, again including my brother and me, 57% graduated from college. Another two cousins attended trade school or started college but never finished.

Where am I going with this family history lesson? My dad changed his family tree. He went back to school and earned a degree. He showed my brother and me the value of higher learning. I was the impressionable age of twelve, my brother, ten.

The Chicago Tribune published eight essays on Chicago public education. The contributors were parents, teachers and students. The first essay in the article is written by G.A. Finch, a parent and the chair of Local School Council for Decatur Classical School. Mr. Finch writes, “The teachers, while important, aren’t the most significant factor in the Decatur children’s achievement. The parents emphasize education to their children. They work with the children on their homework and science, history, and Latin projects and enroll them in music lessons and chess club and support them in their science fair competitions.”

In other words, parent perspective and involvement changes the student’s success.

Parents change the family tree.

You can blame socioeconomic status or bad teachers or poor school districts if you want to, but ultimately, student academic success comes down to how mom and dad feel about education. That’s what matters. If we as parents emphasize the importance of education, even if the kids are kicking and screaming through homework and flashcard drills, they will eventually get it.

I have friends who are at (maybe even below) the poverty level whose children get it. Education is important. Their mom does not allow them to be mediocre.

I also have friends who are in the upper middle class whose kids are more concerned with how the waves are than how their grades are.

We parents have a lot to do. And parenting is tough. But be vigilant in communicating with your children the importance of being well educated, of excellence and not settling for average.

Then, perhaps, we will change our family trees.

Michelle Luce is a mother, teacher and a writer. She lives in Swansea, South Carolina.

Comments

George Haines

September 26, 2011 at 4:38 pm

Terrific piece! I firmly believe that educators can and should do things differently than in the past, but all the brilliant lesson design in the world pales in comparison to the themes you just brought to life.

The sad part is that all it really takes to keep a kid above water academically is the *presence* of parents. If those parents can do just a little more, academic achievement, interest in learning and the ability to learn on their own all increase proportionally.

Natural ability and lesson design matter, but nothing compares to the impressions parents make on their children.

Thanks for making me think. This is an important piece.

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Jennifer Rubin

September 26, 2011 at 4:48 pm

Thanks for sharing this! I agree wholeheartedly. I recently had a conversation with a mom here in Chile who was complaining that her child hadn’t gotten in to the school she wanted and all the things that were wrong with his current one. I told her my opinion is that no school is perfect – you pick the best you can with what you have available, but ultimately it comes down to you as a parent to make up the difference. Model the importance of education by making it important at home and not leaving it all up to the school.

Anyway, here in Chile we are in the 4th month of student protests because the high school and college students want the government to provide free education for everyone. Problem is, the parents don’t do what you’ve shown here is necessary. They’re okay with their kids skipping school, “taking over” their schools, vandalizing, etc. If the parents don’t start recognizing their role in the whole thing, the government could provide complete free education and it wouldn’t be worth a thing.

Sorry to go off on that soapbox, but I appreciate your words!

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Sandy Widstrom

September 27, 2011 at 6:54 am

No argument here, except to say that some families need advocates in their lives to make changes a reality. It would be great if everyone could pull themselves up by their bootstraps; however, some boots need straps. Advocates can be neighbors, professionals, policy makers, etc. who can help build the social and intellectual capital necessary for change.

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September 29, 2011 at 12:11 am

[...] You Can Change Your Education Family Tree (Educationnews.org) [...]

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EDU WATCH: MEXT to push for budget to fund programs to send more J. students abroad; radiation protection expert says simple measurement devices at public health centers, hospitals, schools and supermarkets for public to conduct measurements … more

September 29, 2011 at 12:14 am

[...] You Can Change Your Education Family Tree (Educationnews.org) [...]

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Paul McGuire

December 8, 2011 at 8:31 pm

I LOVE this! I talk about parental involvement and parent/teacher relationships for all age groups in my blog at http://www.affluentstudent.com. If parents were as intentional about their kid’s education as they are about watching American Idol, using Facebook, or complaining about their jobs then we could change the nation in just one generation. Catch an early-release PDF copy of my book by logging on to Facebook, searching for “The Affluent Student” and Liking my fan page.

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