Today is the big day for Webster Parish students. In the public schools, it is the first day of classes. Glenbrook students have been in school for two days already.
We often talk about the role teachers and schools play in the education of our kids. We score our schools, our teachers, and our curriculum. However there is a major component of education that we often overlook.
Equally as important as classroom structure is support at home from parents and guardians to follow up and help our students succeed.
Whether it is checking up on students about their homework, offering assistance when we can, or generally teaching them how to respect teachers and others in authority, we all have a part to play in education.
We must, as a community, set up our kids for success. That is not a one-sided equation. It takes both the education system and those that are charged with rearing our kids to give them the very best opportunity to succeed.
The nice part about back to school, is it always feels like a time of new beginnings. Much like resolutions at the new year, the first day of school is an opportunity to start things on the correct foot.
Let us all work together to help all students succeed, both in the classroom and in life.
David A. Specht Jr. is Editor and publisher of the Minden Press-Herald.