"The parents aren't involved."

This ironic statement comes from Ron Hampton, head of the PTA at Roosevelt High School in Washington D.C. I use the term "ironic" because it appears at the end of an article ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042203631.html?nav=rss_education ) in the Washington Post about the No Child Left Behind-mandated overhaul of 27 D.C. schools to be carried out under the direction of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. Hampton is expressing his belief that an insufficient number of parents are involved in, or even aware of, the forced restructuring. What a tremendous surprise that so many parents are in the dark about an important happening at a failing school. The five options at Rhee's disposal are almost laughable, as well: For each failing school she can hire a private outside company to run it, turn it into a charter school, turn it over to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education--getting another government agency involved, yeah, that's likely to work-- replace the staff, or try something else. I have a specific suggestion for that fifth option: How about getting the parents involved in their kids' educations. How about requiring those parents to provide supportive, nurturing, structured, disciplined home lives for their issue. Such a requirement is the only government mandate that would have the power to fix Washington D.C.'s and the rest of our nation's schools.

George Will, coincidentally, writes about the very same topic in today's column. ( http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/18065089.html) He opines that "schools cannot compensate for the disintegration of families, and hence communities." We're probably a long way away from any kind of government-mandated "restructuring" of families. As long as that's the case, continual tinkering with our schools and our education system will effect no significant improvement.