VIDEO: BARACK USES MALIA’S TEST SCORE TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO DO BETTER
“Malia and Sasha are just wonderful kids ,and Michelle is a wonderful mother,’’ President Obama said in a post-election day education speech on November 4th. “But even in our own household, with all the privileges and opportunities we have there are times when the kids slack off. There are times when they would rather be watching TV or playing a computer game than hitting the books.’’
In the video above, Mr. Obama explains that his daughter Malia,11, recently came home with a 73 on her science test, which is totally unacceptable in the Obama’s household because they have set a “high bar” for both their daughters. After studying hard, Malia later came home with a 95. The moral of the story, according to the president is: “Don’t just expect teachers to set a high bar. You’ve got to set a high bar.”
BCK Says: What are you doing to set a “high bar” in your household?
I was only allowed to make a B or better when I was in school anything below that was unacceptable in my house…but I always wanted to make A’s so I tried even harder
Yes!! You have to start @ home because you help your child and the teacher. What ever they dont get at school you have to reinforce it at home!! Set the bar high to make sure our children our successful!!!
This is so true. We have to set the standards for our children. My children always said I was harder than the teachers because there was homework that I checked as not up to par that the teacher would have let pass. I never waited for assignments from teachers. I encouraged them to read books that I knew would be expected class assignments so that they would always be a step ahead. Our education system is not what it used to be and so we have to set some standards for our children ourselves. as Wanda Sykes said, it is pathetic that we, as Americans, are reduced to playing games like ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER, where adults can’t win.
i’m sorry but i cannot beat that game, i do have some thoughts about that game also, i think its ridged, one of the little kids “madison” is an actress.
Second, there was something i learned in school how, Americans just memorize in order to past the test.
That’s the truth. As Wanda Sykes said “our brains are just like big old Etch a Sketch. We take it in to give it out and then forget it; it’s killing our education system. We are the only industrialized nation who do not know or use the metric system……that’s pitiful. And we fight learning anything new and different.
I saw that Wanda Sykes stand up. Too funny. She did make some good points about American education. I’m very lucky to have a five year old that loves to learn. So I am constantly trying to find material to keep her busy, because unfortunately the work she’s sent home with from public school is far below her level. And the sad part is that there are children in her class that are struggling with that same work and can’t even write their own names. Education definately begins at home.
I mean education definitely begins at home. My one year old loves to be read to. She will even get a book and act as though shes reading. LOL! And she sees her sister doing work and she will try to join in.
So true. Also, as a teacher I have to say, read! If your kids see you reading, they’ll want to too. I’ve seen a relative demand her kids read, when she never picks up a book herself. They do as you do–not as you say!
Q, you are so right about parents have to practice what they preach to kids. My parents were huge advocates on myself and brothers reading when we were growing up. But I saw them read as well and to this day myself and brothers still read.
It definitely starts at home.
im an adult and even to this day, my mom still gets on me about reading lol! especially during the summertime, she never fails to mention picking up a book and reading in my spare time. hmm, i wonder if trashy romance novels count…? lol!
Ahh! I hope your mom isn’t reading this. LOL
hardly. she has no idea how to use a mouse, let alone the entire computer. score one for me lol!
The bar has always been set high for my daughters,whose ages are similar to the Obama girls (mine are 11 and 7).They know greatness is expected and required of them. As a result they have consistently bought home A’s and B’s (though mostly A’s).They love to learn! My oldest is in advanced classes and both have tested 90th percentile+ on standardized tests.My husband and I are so proud of them!
I was a straight A student. I never had to truly study, as long as I attended school, I’d get straight As. I was in the Honors program throughout all my years in school & even skipped 2 grades. I graduated at 16, in the top 10th percentile of my high school in NYC. It wasnt until I got into college did I have to actually study, yet I didnt have to do it very hard.
My son is disabled, yet he is still very intelligent. I realize w/him, he needs to study. I want all As & Bs on his report card, anything below will get him more work at home. I have every worksheet in every grade. My son finds it easier to just study in school…lol. We have reading time at my house, we go to the library & for 1 hour on the weekends & on no school days, we read, then we talk about it. Because of this, my son makes the honor roll, not every year, but the majority of the time & is almost always described as an intelligent child.
I enjoy reading & will read anything that gets me interested, when my son sees me reading, he does the same. Parents not only need to set the bar high, but you have to model the behavior & lead by example. Children tend to do as you do rather than what you say.
It amazes me how children can work a computer, video game, cell phones & other electronics, but parents do not. No way my son will know how to do something & I don’t; I’m the parent, I’m supposed to be the one teaching him. I have to be on top of him before I get too old…lol.
you got that right! Although my children are out of university now, I felt the same way. If I didn’t know it, I made it my business to learn it.
I like thatyou said children do as you do and not as you say because thats the same way with young adults and teens I notice that if I drink they drink if I curse they curse…sorry im off topic but a similar situation though. Oh and you know how some parents say they beat their kids “when most dont” my mother REALLY did beat me and my brother.
My mom was extremely involved in my education.Besides my health and well-being,education was the most important thing to her.She was always on my case about my schoolwork.If my work was sloppy(I have handwriting like a doctor),she made me do it over.If I got too many answers wrong,she made me start over.My mom was so competitive too.She used to tell me about how she was always at the top of her class,except for one time when a boy edged her out for the top spot.And when it came to my grades,anything less than an 80 was unacceptable.When I brought home a test paper,she wanted to know if my classmates did better or worse than me.The one subject I struggled with was Math.I consistently brought home 65s and 75s on my math tests.Because math was so hard for me,I was just happy if I passed.My mom wasn’t.She also recognized that I had trouble concentrating from an early age(I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 9).Luckily she worked for the NY Board of Ed. as a school social worker,so she knew how to get the resources I needed.She brought math books home from the school she worked at so that she could help me,she got me tutoring(in school and private),etc.My math grades got a little better(between 75 and 80).But it wasn’t until high school that I had a big improvement.My mom found an alternative high school for me to attend.The classes were smaller,only 10-15 kids per class,20 tops,compared to typical public schools that have 40 kids per class and 1 teacher.This made a huge difference for me,because I was able to focus more,and there was more individual attention and resources for the students who needed help.I got all As and Bs in high school,and sometimes straight As! I was even on the honor roll and the National Honors Society! After I graduated,I attended one of the top universities in NYC.I have my mom to thank for all of this.Even though I felt a lot of pressure back then(sometimes I felt inadequate),I’m much better for it now.The other thing I’m grateful for is that my mom gave me discipline and direction.Although I felt it was too harsh at the time,I turned out well.I’ve never been in trouble with the law,no addictions/vices,and I was not a fast girl.I realize that my mom did the best she could,and I appreciate her so much more now.And being a single parent who works long hours is no excuse for not being involved and not teaching your child to behave.My mom was a single parent and sometimes she worked overtime.But she made the time to go to every parent-teacher conference,PTA meeting,school play,sports event,recital,and graduation.I am 32 yrs old now,and my mom passed away 10 yrs ago from colon cancer,but I will always remember everything she taught me,everything she used to say,and how much she was there for me.And you don’t have to work in the school system to know what’s going on.If you get involved and go to your child’s school and ask questions,you can find out what resources are available for your child.What parents need to remember is that the school is only responsible for your kids from 8:30 to 3:30 Mon to Fri,but parents are responsible for their kids 24/7,365.
I wonder how Malia feels about her dad sharing her test scores with the world?
I am so glad to see the leader of our nation emphasizing the importance of goals and standards, because too few of us set any bars for our children to surpass. If my husband and I would have listened to the standard set for our oldest, she would have had an IEP Diploma (the equivalent of a “glad you showed-up for 4 years certificate”) instead of the high school diploma she received. My personal sacrifice for this detour - nothing more than my time to tutor her and consistent support. I’ve just always been led to believe that nothing was unattainable, even when everything else affirms the opposite. As a result, I push harder because I know that if I don’t push mine, no one else will care enough to do so. In our house, Mom is the Math, Science, and English guru, while Dad reinforces History, Languages, and Technology. It works, and our children thrive from it.