It Takes Three-Thirds

“My child failed because of you,”

 I heard an irate parent say,

Her mind was set, the blame was met,

She had an excuse to end the day,

I could have argued till my face was blue,

But words had no chance to sway,

“Would you mind if I showed you,

A way through mathematics,

How your child could always get through?”

“Is this a trick you’re pulling on me,

Or is this math way really true?”

“Oh, it’s true indeed, and something more,

It’ll show the importance of your child and you,”

“Okay, I’m listening, so make it fast,”

“You’re the parent and you’re in charge,

Your influence over your child is vast,

So you’re assigned one-third of the task,

Your discipline and love is designed to last,”

“Now the teacher assumes the role,

Of creating a world away from home,

The teacher will do his best to reach the goal,

Count another one-third that will be done,

Add those together and your battle’s won,”

“Two-thirds is a passing grade,

Yet there’s a part missing and this is the test,

Your child must face the world at his best,

He may never make it if he just skims by,

He’ll have trouble leaving the ground,

And he’ll never really learn to fly,”

“His one-third is even more important,

For the first two-thirds are building blocks,

He’ll need to stand on those to reach the sky,

But he’ll never be a bright star,

If he chooses not to try,”

“Your part really began long ago,

When you planted the seeds,

For him to bloom and grow,”

“Education brings answers to hopes and schemes,

If he’s willing to work to achieve his dreams,

He has to choose whether to sink or swim,

And it’s time for us to be firm and for him to dig in,”

“The common goal is well within sight,

And opportunity is knocking on the door,

Remember how important it is to do things right,

 It takes parents, teachers, and student,

All three-thirds,

To let this success story take flight,”

She squinted her eyes and stared at me,

Her face released the frown,

She said to her son, “He’s right, you know,

So Johnny don’t let us down,”

He excelled at sports, his grades improved,

He worked as hard as he could,

And sure enough he found success,

Doing what he should,

His mom told others about the math,

And how it shaped his goal,

One-third, one-third, and one-third,

Made a student completely whole.