GET INVOLVED

Our son learned to read when he was two years old. My wife noticed his ability to remember everything, so she gave him the time and the materials to quench his thirst for knowledge. She made learning fun. One of the first things he learned was the flags of the world; then he memorized the capitals of each country and their location in a map. I am sure he still remembers them until today.

When he was in first grade, he had a really bad experienced with a teacher. The teacher told us that our son was mad and wasn't paying attention in class.

When we asked our son about this accusation, he told us “she ripped my school work into pieces and that was the reason I got mad.”  We didn't reprimand our son in front of the teacher or his classmates; instead, we asked the teacher if what our son said was true. She said: “yes, it’s true but”… She did it to teach our son a lesson because he wasn't following instructions; she didn't realize he read them on his own. We felt her action demonstrated poor training and lack of experience, and asked to see her credentials. She told us that she was not actually accredited yet, but she had been a teacher assistant for many years and was given the opportunity to teach. Later we were notified by the school that an accredited teacher was appointed due too many parents’ complaints. My wife, a certified teacher, knew this person was not acting in a professional manner. At this point we realized that our son acted correctly and reacted as any kid of his age would if somebody tries to destroy his/her self-confidence.

During the transition, my wife was approved to volunteer in the classroom; we couldn't fully trust the well-being of our son to a teacher assistant or a substitute teacher.

After that incident, his teacher called us to get our approval to give our son advanced work; they noticed he was always ahead other students and needed more challenge. After he finished second grade, we transferred him to a better school. Since we took that action his academic growth became evident; his young spirit flourished once again and his desire to learn hasn't stop ever since.

As my son is getting ready to graduate from High School, I realized how important that moment was in our lives. That moment could have tarnished and ruined our son’s future; instead, he has been accepted to Harvard, one of the best universities in the country.  Because of his sacrifice and commitment to excellence, he has been recognized with his fellow 4.0 GPA students from around the Antelope Valley with a banquet that honors Excellence in Academics by the Mojave Transportation Museum and the Mojave Chamber of Commerce. He has also been awarded the 2013 Merit Award presented by Congressman Kevin McCarthy.

I wrote this short story not to brag about my son’s accomplishments. I wrote it because I want to encourage all the parents with young kids to get involved in their lives and in their education. When in a difficult situation, before you take any action talk to your kid first.

Remember, schools are the first affected by budget cuts and, who knows, the person educating your kids could have the same credentials as the assistant that ripped my kid’s homework.

As for the person who made my son mad, I see her once in a while; with a serious demeanor I look at her and, without saying anything, I thank her. Because of her actions, we realized how important parents are in the development of a child’s future. -