My oldest daughter, Victoria, graduated high school this month on the first. I am proud. She walked across the stage, received her diploma. It was a small class, less than a hundred graduates.
There is always something about your first child, my father used to say when I was growing up. I was recalling my own high school graduation. The only graduation ceremonies I ever participated in for myself were these school graduations. In college I didn't walk after earning my LVN, I went to work an overtime shift. I did get to see my former in-laws and even my sister who hasn't spoken to me for the last half year. More on that bull shit next month.
I emailed Victoria two weeks after the graduation ceremony about this milestone in her life. A crossroads of sorts, life gets good now. Real, even more real. This is the first time in ones life one does not have to be anywhere. In Texas, its law for children to go to school up till the 12th grade, anything after that is on the individual.
My own real education began after high school, in community college. This was the real deal, transferable credit, my own dollar, my own time, my own initiative. I was going to get out what I put into it. Still is when I should decide to go back to school.
As a parent, I wonder how these youngsters ever getting anything out of a public school education. I'm certain my father wondered the same about myself. He graduated from a catholic school. I went to catholic school for only 3 years in elementary school and 1 in junior high. I tried to send each of my daughters to catholic school, Victoria went for the first 6 years, Judith went successfully for grades 1-5, and Stephanie went only for kindergarten. After they each were held back one year, I place them in the local public school. They seemed to really blossom after that or perhaps were just not challenged enough.
My former father in law is a retired educator and feels that there is no difference between catholic based schools and public schools. I think there is a lot to be said for catholic education, it's worth the dollar. I would agree with my father in law in that a lot of a child's education is in the parents. Unfortunate for my daughters, their mother has done little for their education. It was always on me. She didn't even register them for school until after the divorce. Victoria and Judith were in high school by then.
I feel a successful education is a partnership between the child, the educator, and the parent. Each has to do their part or the student suffers. The student has to do it for their own self, the parent shouldn't do it for them, it's not for the parent. The educator should inspire, not just show up and follw a lesson plan. The educators I remember are the ones who inspired me. Parents are a child's first teacher and should show their children that education is a continuing life long endeavour.
My former mother in law is a diploma grad nurse, that is she graduated from a program of nursing which was not a college degree, a lot of hands on stuff. I don't believe these programs exist anymore. After nursing for over 20 years and working up to an administrative position, she had to go back to school to get a college degree in nursing, a BSN, to keep her job.
She just kept on going earning her masters in nursing.
My father in law has his masters in biology. My own father has his certificate in radiology technology, not a college degree. I followed in my father's foot steps, I'm an LVN. I am not a degreed individual, not yet any way. Since retiring, my father has let his licensure expire. He's let it go completely. My mother has worked all her life, not ever graduating high school or earning a GED.
Getting back to Victoria, she wants to go into nursing. Didn't that child learn anything from her father? More on that later. I couldn't be more more proud.
Friday, June 29, 2012
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