Ty Ankrom
As educators, we strive to prepare the next generation for a life after secondary education, be it going to a two- or four-year college, being ready for the workforce or a combination.
A recent study by Learning Heroes, an organization that provides education information and resources, found that parents are greatly concerned about their children going to college and that they feel responsible for their children’s academic success.
But according to the study, there is “a significant gap between parents wanting their child to receive a post-secondary degree and the likelihood of that happening.”
The study, Parents 2016: Hearts & Minds of Parents in an Uncertain World finds that parents worry about being equipped to help their children, now with current classwork and later with college costs. According to the study, “66 percent of all parents would find a detailed explanation of their child’s goals for learning by grade level to be extremely or very helpful.”
Based on the study’s findings, Learning Heroes created a Readiness Roadmap that can help provide parents with that information. Tools available include academic expectations by grade; information on emotional health and happiness; guides to assist with parent-teacher conferences; and tips on how to pay for college.
According to the study, “more than half of all parents (53 percent) say they worry ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ about how to afford a college education for their child.”
The Readiness Roadmap reinforces that educators are responsible for making a difference in the lives of children and working with parents to achieve that is a responsibility that we should not take lightly.
Ty Ankrom is the superintendent of the Pickaway County Educational Service Center. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
