From the President

Three Critical Factors in Child Development: Home, School, Community

Stephanie Davis Howard

The children in my family span the K-12 spectrum: kindergarten, first grade, junior high and a high school senior. At the start of the school year, when I asked one of the youngest about school, he replied, “Of course I like it. Who doesn’t?” How can we bridge the Wouldn’t it be great if students maintained that mindset throughgap between students out their school years? We send who continue to thrive our children to school full of dreams. A few continue to dream and those who lose big, set goals and ultimately realize motivation? As the adage goes, ‘it takes a village.’ their aspirations. But somewhere along the way, many young people lose hope for their future. Only by working together can we provide As students move up the academic ladder, schools tend to become larger and more impersoneach child with the opportunity to succeed. al. Changing classes, for example, changes the nature of relationships. And, because more advanced study and organization skills are required and greater effort is demanded for success, good grades become harder to achieve. How can we bridge the gap between students who continue to thrive and those who lose motivation? As the adage goes, “it takes a village.” The first line of defense is the home. Involved parents or guardians are paramount; these caretakers are the child’s primary advocates. They see to it that the child attends school regularly, takes classes in line with his or her goals, maintains involvement in extracurricular and community activities, and applies to appropriate post-secondary schools. They discuss academic concerns with their child and address behavior issues promptly.

The second line of defense is the school. In essence, schools help bridge the gap between home and school. Academic interventions for struggling students are commonplace. Beyond International Baccalaureate, honors and dual enrollment offerings, schools provide pathways, such as Career Tech, ROTC, Performance Learning Centers, Virtual School and flexible scheduling. Charter schools and alternative programs are also available. Social interventions are provided as well. Personal relationships within schools are established to help maintain a stable environment for the child.

Our third line of defense is the community. This assistance comes in the form of leadership academies, mentoring and apprenticeship programs often made possible through business partners. Collaboration among business and community leaders and the school builds capacity, leading to improved student development.

These critical factors in the development of a child — home, school and community — do not work in isolation. Only by working together can we provide each child with the opportunity to succeed, so that the enthusiasm experienced in first grade continues through graduation day. n