More Parent-blaming: Structure Matters

Buried at the end of this NYTimes piece on whether we should blame parents for their children's failures at school is this little gem: "And we need to acknowledge that the root problem is poverty." Sometimes, when a kid shows up hungry at school, it's because mom and dad can't afford breakfast. Sometimes, when a kid didn't finish his homework, it's because mom and dad work nights and weren't there to help or encourage. Sometimes, when mom and dad don't show up to parent/teacher conferences, it's because asking for time off of work to make such a meeting would mean risking losing their job. Not everyone is afforded the same privileges of a solidly middle-class lifestyle.