The first teacher is the parent

I AM A TEACHER.

I teach in an urban district. My colleagues and I are doing battle on the front lines five days a week.

Yet, nationwide, from affluent to poorer school districts, teachers have become the scapegoats for all that is not right in the public education system.

Let's get one thing straight: The first teacher is the parent! Few acknowledge or address that. I guess it's a lot easier to berate collegeeducated professionals than to tell indifferent parents that they are not doing the job of parenting very well.

In my district our instructional time is from 8:25 a.m. to 3 p.m. That means that teachers have contact with the students for about 35 hours a week. So what happens in our students' lives the 133 hours within a week when they are not in school? Who and what is influencing them?

Where do they go after leaving us and who are they spending time with? What TV shows and movies are they watching? What video games are they playing? What musical artists are they listening to? What values and morals are being taught to them by family members, friends, acquaintances and the media?

Let's face it: If mama is drinking, drugging, out in the street fighting and cussing, has one man on Tuesday and a different man on Friday, is able-bodied but waiting around for a handout, has no respect for authority - that's what she's teaching her baby.

Then we have to address the fact that many of the men in our children's lives - daddy, brothers, uncles, cousins, grandpa, neighbor, and respected drug dealer on the corner - are either incarcerated, have been incarcerated or will be incarcerated at some point in their lifetime.

What is this teaching our precious children?

A number of their home environments change within one school year. Because of this teachers are often the only consistent people in their lives. Some kids may start the year at home with mom, but then be granted custody to a grandparent or other family member, for whatever reason. Or, they might go into foster care.

Tell me that that doesn't do something to one's psyche.

There are some parents who boldly state, "I can't do anything with my child." I do teach and live in the same city I grew up in. My school is one of the best in the district. We have great staff who stress the importance of education and who stand by the pillars of consistency and discipline, the two things that our students and their parents are much in need of.

There are some parents who are deeply interested in their child's educational success. I thank them for instilling the values of education and respect for those educating their children.

Teaching is a tough job.

But parenting is tougher.

Wayne E. Williams

Camden