A Teacher's Journal: Who's Responsible?

Sure isn't an easy one to answer, is it?! Are teachers solely responsible for the success or failure of the students in their classrooms? After all, we regularly argue that we do professional work. If that's the case, shouldn't we accept the greatest burden for producing professional results?

How much responsibility to parents have to accept for the academic success or failure of their children? Do efforts at home to reinforce learning happening at school--and to send students to school prepared for learning--influence outcomes in a meaningful way?

Where does the support of the community fit into this conversation? Can schools possibly succeed without the financial support provided by tax dollars and the tangible contributions of social service agencies and businesses interested in seeing healthy schools, families and neighborhoods offered to every child?

Do students themselves bear any responsibility for their own learning? Is there a point where we can expect that children invest energies into their own studies? Should we ever hold children accountable for their work in schools?

Is there a difference between being responsible for student learning and being held accountable for student learning?

Can we ever hope to guarantee a high quality education for every child if this central question isn't addressed?