Is your child being challenged?

I am openly fervid with education. It may sound cliché, but education is the great equalizer within society. To cite this more accurately, Horace Mann said, “Education, then, beyond all divides of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men — the balance wheel of the social machinery” (1848, Education and Social Inequality, n.d.).

I am resolute in my belief that the cure for cancer, the next great invention, and means to interplanetary space travel is within the brain of a child walking amongst us today. But, as an educator, parent, or advocate, are you willing to do what it takes to break the seal of doubt, fear, and average?

We live in an era of polarized political and societal views. We live in an age of abundant information infused with abundant misinformation. However, the commonality is that we all want what we perceive as the best opportunities for the ones we love and hold most dear. I honestly believe in my soul that our similarities are weightier than our differences. Children are the thread that binds us all, and they must come first.

A child, regardless of neurodiversity, should be challenged frequently. And they should be challenged at a rigor that pushes them outside of their comfort zone. Academic rigor is defined as intentionally crafted and sequenced learning activities and interactions supported by research that provide students the opportunity to create and demonstrate their understanding or interpretation of information and support it with evidence. (Contextualizing Academic Rigor, 2019)

Due to COVID-19, restructuring K-12 education, and other factors, I have witnessed a significant drop in academic rigor provided to students since March of 2020. This decrease in rigor supplied to the student raises serious concerns within me and others in the education community. Since Spring Break, March 13, 2020, I have seen the requirements of my children significantly abated and replaced with “busy” work.

I’m not placing blame, as modifications were required without planning or the ability to consult peer-reviewed research. However, it is my duty as a parent to make sure my child is continuously challenged, and any regression in learning is minimalized. As an educator, this is easier for me than most. But there are resources, both free and paid, that will help.

As the president of an education-based company, I have observed academic regression occurring, and I fear this may affect a child’s future learning outcomes. I have also witnessed the damaging consequences of children working with people who are not academic professionals or possess the most basic understanding of learning theory. Although met with good intentions most of the time, or maybe it’s just the draw of financial gain from these individuals, the impacts can be undesired and damaging to your child’s learning abilities.

As an educator, father, and advocate of children, I implore you to do what you can to make sure your child is challenged academically. It requires work, planning, and often discomfort, but the rewards are tremendous. Even though your child will most likely cringe at the idea of making them work harder than their peers, they will thank you for it later when they are outpacing their peers.

As always, our phone lines and email are always open here at Engaged Academics. We are happy to answer your questions. We have a team of educators with a collective experience of almost 200 years in academics. If I can’t answer your questions, I promise you one of our team members can.

Work hard — Be nice!

Originally published at https://www.engagedacademics.org on August 31, 2020.