ODYSSEYWARE

You’ve seen him. He quietly sits in the back of the classroom, eyes turned down. When he comes to school, he seldom turns in assignments. He stares out the window or sleeps. He is tired or preoccupied. He is hungry, restless, and troubled – afraid to try, afraid to fail.

Public school reform has become a hot topic, and educators everywhere are trying to answer the hard questions. How do we reach disengaged students? Should teachers be held accountable for student and school performance? Do we close schools that are underperforming? Do we fire all the teachers and start over? Are charter schools the answer? Online schools? Magnet schools? Gender-specific schools?

The options seem endless, yet a few things are clear.

Many children arrive at school hungry, with backpacks full of worries, carrying the effects of abuse and neglect. Where are their parents, and where does the job of the school begin and end?

Many factors affect student school readiness and performance, including the following:

• health concerns

• poverty

• abuse and neglect

• hunger

• emotional concerns

• mother’s education level

While public education needs some reforming, many student achievement problems begin long before kindergarten and extend far beyond the school gates. In these situations, there is no one to fire, no buildings to close, and no online alternatives. How do we reform parenting practices? How do we legislate fatherhood? How do we make sure each child arrives for school on time and ready to learn? While we Race to the Top, perhaps it’s time we take a look at the bottom and address the needs of the children in whose hands the future lies.

At ODYSSEYWARE, we believe that every child can achieve. Our online curriculum is designed to reach a diverse group of students in traditional and alternative classrooms, in cities and in rural communities, and those who are ahead of their peers as well as those who have fallen behind. To these students, we offer hope and the opportunity for a successful future.

What do you feel are the most important factors that can affect student achievement and school readiness?