By Tribune-Review

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2001

This week, Nov. 11-17, marks the 80th annual observation of American Education Week, a time in which we celebrate the tremendous impact learning has on our society.

It is certainly appropriate to celebrate this nation's schools. All over the country, educators - teachers, administrators, school board members and other school staff - work hard to ensure the success of an educational system that, while not without its faults, still remains the foundation by which we succeed as a country.

It is important that none of us forget the key role education plays in our society. It prepares youngsters for adulthood, so that they may form the next generation of leaders. It will yield countless young Americans prepared to develop strong families, and thus, strong communities. Without education, we as a nation would be lost.

It is important to note the responsibility we as parents have in improving on the successes of our educational system. Each of us has an obligation to stake a claim in our children's learning experience. Our duty is not simply to buy new school clothes each fall and make sure our children make the bus each weekday morning. It involves a commitment to show an active interest in their success in the classroom.

Connellsville Area School District educators stress the importance of that commitment. Their responsibility is to foster pride among their students and to instill in them a belief that education holds the key to realizing their hopes and dreams.

They note, too, the role parents can play in that process. "Together: Making Public Schools Great for Every Child" is the theme of Connellsville Area's observance of American Education Week. It points to the importance of a cooperative effort between teachers, parents and children in the education process. Jane Culver, a Dunbar Borough Elementary School teacher and president of the Connellsville Area Education Association (CAEA), stressed that in a recent letter to The Daily Courier.

"A child's chances of success skyrocket if the partnership between the home and school is a strong one," Culver wrote.

Indeed, a parents taking an active role in his or her child's education, combined with a committed and creative teaching staff, will, more than anything, produce a willingness in students to learn.

We urge parents to take the time to help their children learn, to show a genuine interest in their children's success, rather than simply shuffling them off to school and hoping they'll do well. We owe it to our children, and to ourselves, to put education first in their lives, and ours.

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