I need to admit, sometimes I feel burnt out. Needing an entire day alone just to lay in bed and think or stare at the wall. I don't think I have ever had one of those days...ever. I love my children, they are for the most part good kids. They do have their bad days just like the next person.

I am one of those parents who put education one of our top priorities. If something needs to be done, you will always try your best. If the grades come back and you tried your best, it is ok. Whatever the grade may be. If a poor grade comes back and you only did half your best....your in for some kind of discipline.

At the beginning of the school year, there is always a mountain of paper to fill out for a child. I feel as though I re-write the information three times. There is always a paper labeled "Parental Involvement." I always let each teacher know, that I am available to help. I like to be in the school. I enjoy watching teachers "handle" their rooms. I like to see familiar faces of the neighborhood kids or church kids. I am still waiting to be contacted to help. They ask for help, your willing...and then nothing. I have even spoken to the teachers during conferences, I am willing to help you. Well they seem to be appriciative. They still don't contact me. Teachers have a really tough job. I do not envy their job at all. I wish they would take the time that parents are offering.

My oldest, who has moved into the dreaded middle school years, is attending a different school. It is called a "theme" school. Well the theme is parental involvement. As a parent, I have signed a contract that I will invest so many hours per semester to the school to help it run properly. Just what I wanted! I have been investing my time and have enjoyed spending the time there. There is a problem though. We have to send out statements now to the parents. This is how many hours you have logged. You have this many to go. The semester ends in December. If you do not fulfill your obligation, your child will not be able to attend this school next semester. Apparently, about eighty percent of the parents haven't put even an hour into their contract. Is this not sad? Actually it is scary. There is a possibility that this school will shut its doors because so many kids will need to go to another school. Then my child will have to go to a school that is below our standards of education. They have not passed the state testing criteria. I would hope that these parents will get into what their children are doing and help out the school. It is a great concept. Time is running out.

We all have made sacrifices for our children. We cannot just throw them out to the wolves by 7am every morning and hope that they will come back at 17 yrs. old being able to read, write and do arithmetic. Hoping then that we can send them to college. Preparation for our immoral world starts they moment that they breathe oxygen.