Such efforts are needed to assure broad support for high educational standards, to improve the prospects of school success for all children, and to create a community-wide climate which reinforces the value of education. Schools cannot address these concerns in the absence of a strong consensus about the community's standards and expectations for young people. It is futile to expect the public schools to enforce rigorous standards for learning and behavior if parents and the community at large do not share a strong commitment to such standards.
Good schools help define the quality of life in each community.
At the same time, strong schools depend upon the support and commitment of the community at large to maintain a positive climate for learning. While we assume that every family wants its children to be successful, it is painfully clear that many families now are ill-prepared to support children's learning properly. Even the most affluent families are hard-pressed to devote the time and energy to education that they may have been able to give in the past. Educators experience the same pressures from work and family life, and many of them may have little or no experience in reaching out to assist a child or family with unique needs. Nonetheless, the fact remains that parents and family members are children's first and most influential teachers.