In an article posted today by The Huffington Post, a Michigan education official is under fire for suggesting that teachers know more about what's best for a child...even more so than the child's parents. The Chairman for the House Educational Committee, Thomas McMillin, expressed his shock at Debbie Squires' statement that "Educators] are the people who know best about how to serve children, that's not necessarily true of an individual resident...I'm not saying they don't want the best for their children, but they may not know what actually is best from an education standpoint."
While some believe that Squires' statement means that she thinks parents don't know what's best for their children, in a sense, she is correct. All parents want what's best for their children, but few actually know what truly IS best. That's why they entrust their children to educators and doctors: to tell them what's best for their children. All parents want their children to have the best education, but do they actually know what the student needs to do, which tests to study for, in order to actually succeed at that education?
Luckily, McMillin seems to be one of few people who took offense to Squires' words. Says one parent, "Yes, people who are trained professionals at something tend to know more about it than those that don't. When my child has an issue that involves education I don't ask MYSELF, I get input from her TEACHERS."
I don't have kids yet, but I know that there are people, trained professionals, who will know what's better for my child than I do. Smart parents will tap into these resources and use their wisdom to point their child in the right direction.
So, for you parents out there, do you think you know what's best for your child? Let me know!
While some believe that Squires' statement means that she thinks parents don't know what's best for their children, in a sense, she is correct. All parents want what's best for their children, but few actually know what truly IS best. That's why they entrust their children to educators and doctors: to tell them what's best for their children. All parents want their children to have the best education, but do they actually know what the student needs to do, which tests to study for, in order to actually succeed at that education?
Luckily, McMillin seems to be one of few people who took offense to Squires' words. Says one parent, "Yes, people who are trained professionals at something tend to know more about it than those that don't. When my child has an issue that involves education I don't ask MYSELF, I get input from her TEACHERS."
I don't have kids yet, but I know that there are people, trained professionals, who will know what's better for my child than I do. Smart parents will tap into these resources and use their wisdom to point their child in the right direction.
So, for you parents out there, do you think you know what's best for your child? Let me know!