SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES, August 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — In a 2024 article, the Pew Research Center states that “About half of U.S. adults (51%) say the country’s public K-12 education system is generally going in the wrong direction,” with the majority of the 51% saying schools are not spending enough time on core subjects. Retired elementary school principal Dr. Clifford King respectfully disagrees. “We are getting so caught up in academia that we are bypassing or forgetting how to teach children. Too much emphasis is placed on reading, writing, and arithmetic, regardless what form they come in, to the point where key issues in life are being put on the back burner. Once students leave school, the world expects them to know how to do certain things. And not only know how to do them, know how to do them well. Some students will succeed, and some won’t. The bottom line is that we are not sure how many students will go to on to college and become professionals. For the most part, students will likely go directly into the workforce which means they need to know basic job skills, how to get along with coworkers, how to be respectful toward bosses, how to manage money—that kind of thing.”

Teachers are so hard-pressed to get over certain academic objectives, they have no choice but to leave this type of learning to parents and guardians, all of whom have not been put on notice. “I know this is a sticky area, but parents also need education,” shares Dr. King. “I grew up with parents who made sure that what they said at home carried over once we got to school. As children, we were almost fearful to do certain things in school because we always thought about what our parents said at home. For the most part, I don’t see the fear we had as children carrying over to the classroom. We have much more bullying and a lot of disrespect for teachers and other adults. Parents can do better but they need help.”

Working 12- to 16-hour-days, parents today don’t have a lot of free time to spend with their children. Dr. King explains, “Most parents first have to think about making ends meet at home, and then think about what they are employing at home to make sure there’s a carryover once their children get to the classroom. It’s a difficult balance.”

What can parents do? “When your children go to school, they are representing you as parents—not just themselves. Tell them this. When your children represent you as parents, you want them to speak very well of you and others; you want them to behave politely and respectfully,” explains Dr. King. “Children need to understand that you have to work, just as they have to go to school; and as they have teachers and counselors to look up to, you have bosses. When they go to school, while you are working, you expect them to behave with respect and kindness. Be sure to visit the school more often to make sure you are aware of exactly how your children are doing, not only academically, but also socially. And talk to social workers and counselors because it does take a village to raise a child.”

Children will always hit bumps along the road. “That’s what parents are for—the bumps along the road,” shared Dr. King. “As parents, we have to mix the bitter with the sweet.”

Social media is also playing a role in our children’s behavior. “Radio, television, computers all have a tremendous effect on how students behave in and out of school. Many students find learning from computers easier than books or lectures,” explains Dr. King. “The problem is the Internet isn’t always accurate or appropriate for the learner. It’s hard for children to make the transition from what they have seen or what they have heard, you know, once they get to school. This is where social media has played a somewhat detrimental role. Cell phones have no place in the classroom because they take away from the learning process. While emergencies do arise, we can handle emergencies without having cell phones in the classroom.”

As well as serving as an educator and principal, Dr. King is active in his church and community, helping to feed the hungry and homeless with his church’s food bank. “It’s amazing how many underserved people are out there. We normally serve food the second and third Wednesday of each month. And it has worked very well so far. Our church assists in whatever ways we can—whether it’s financially, academically, or whatever,” shares Dr. King. “We are hoping to start a new food bank, I already have the application.”

Close Up Radio will feature Dr. Clifford King in an interview with Jim Masters on Monday, August 26th at 4pm EST

Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio

If you have any questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389

For more information about Dr. Clifford King, please email [email protected]

Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
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