Is your child a casualty of our out-of-date 19th Century education system?

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Does your son or daughter say things like?

•    I hate school

•    My teacher makes me feel stupid

•    I learn more by watching National Geographic than I do in school

•    My teacher walks by me when I raise my hand

•    My teacher pretends to care about me, but she really cares more about teaching the other kids in the class

•    I hate my life, and I don’t want to live anymore

Do you get calls from school that sound like this?

•    I have 20 other kids to teach

•    Your child is disruptive to the other kids in class

•    Your child is “making poor choices”

•    Your child doesn’t complete assignments and can’t focus for very long

Is your son or daughter . . .

•    Very bright and intense

•    Insatiably curious about how things work

•    Can’t stop talking about what he knows and asking questions about what would happen if

•    Creative with things like scotch tape, binder clips, stickers, paper, rubber bands and items like this?

•    Verbal, able to participate in conversations with adults

•    Make strange noises, break out in song walking through the house, spin, jump and just can’t sit still unless he’s rally engaged in something

•    Love to go deep into topics

•    Wants to feel normal, fit in and have friends so badly, but just can’t seem to do this successfully

•    Easily embarrassed


I’m tired of making excuses for teachers, principals, superintendents and school board members for why my son hated school and didn’t want to live anymore because going to school caused him so much anxiety, not to mention the stigma he lived with as he became a target for other children in his classroom and adults in the school building.

I could go on and on about how my son’s schools failed him, but I want to focus on inspiring and empowering people who find themselves in the same situation.  

You’re Not Alone!

1.    Always trust your instincts!  I used to give the benefit of the doubt to the teacher or principal over my son.   If you have a feeling that something isn’t right, you are most likely right. 

2.    Always advocate for your child!  Being polite and respectful, doesn’t mean going along with what the teacher says.  Keep the focus on what your child needs in order to thrive in school.  Do your homework and work with the teacher to identify when your child is engaged and learning and when he/she is not.  The answer about what he needs is in the answers to that question.  The school has promised to meet your child's needs for learning, so the focus needs to be on how to make this happen no matter what. 

3.    Don’t waste time!  Don’t stand for starting over every year with a new teacher who three quarters into the year is absolutely lost about how to meet your child's needs.  I used to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt every single year.  What I was actually doing though is putting the teacher’s need to control the situation and resist making changes above my child's needs.   Every day a child does not feel cared about in school is a tragedy.

4.    Get Involved!  In our country, we could be rushing to rebuild our education system to be the best in the world, but there’s a lot of resistance happening because it’s always hard to change.  Change will not happen without agitators and disruptors.  You’re not alone.  


If you want to learn more about the most innovative education initiatives that could be happening in your child’s school, let us know.  Send us a comment, an email, a tweet.