Education: Do you really know what going on at school.

I recently had a conversation with a Assistance Principal of a local high school. We began to talk about how many students really do not receive a actual HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. Many schools systems are not making it well known that if the student doesn't pass certain test or have the right credits they don't receive a diploma, its just a "Certificate of Completion". This certificate just states that the student has attended school for 12 long years. It has value and is not accepted for employment, college, trade school, or the military. So why is it that many education systems are NOT stressing the importance of actually COMPLETING high school and receiving a DIPLOMA?

While I had to battle this with my daughter I learned a few things:

1. Stay involved. Many school even when the child is in high school and learning to be independent have parent information sessions. Attend them as this is a good way to learn what all is going on with your child and at the school.

2. Ask questions. Many times we can find out what is happening around us just by asking. Ask for a parent teacher conference. This a good resource to know how your child is responding at school. A lot of times the teacher will see behavior changes that we sometimes miss. Find out what does your child need to complete and receive the diploma. Please do not wait to receive a letter saying failing before you become proactive as a parent.

3. Pay attention. With social media being so popular it is easy for our children to get lost or caught up in things they often read or see. If we as parents are alert and watching what out children are doing this won't catch us by surprise and we will be more able to have full control of the situation.

4. Push reading. Years ago reading for blacks was against the law and now we have more opportunities but don't take advantage of them. Many of our kids simple dislike reading books especially the ones that are over 100 pages. They don't realize that the more they read they are gaining knowledge that can help later in life. I read a post that stated "Smart People Read". Let's as parents encourage our children to read even if requires setting up a book club where they receive rewards for finishing books.

If we do our job as parents and go above and beyond when it comes to our children education, we can sit back and be proud of the "Seeds You Plant".