This makes me so angry.
Back when I was in high school I was so upset over disturbances by students in class that I went on strike. I led a group of students to the detention hall (which was empty) or outside courtyard and we studied there ... without a teacher) anytime there was a disturbance in class and the teacher would waste everyone’s time trying to deal with the offending student ... or worse try to punish the whole class for the disturbance of one or two.
I myself was almost suspended for doing this but was saved I think by being and honor student and by having parents who were willing to go to bat for me.
A group of us would walk out and go somewhere else and hold our own lessons.
To this day I hate public schools for this very reason.
Zero accountability, zero respect for the students who WANT TO BE THERE and want to learn. Too much time and attention was placed on students who did not want to be there and were not interested in learning .... totally ass backward.
Students who act out in class should have a 3 strikes rule then they are out. Permanently. The parents can find somewhere else to warehouse their little hooligans.
Taxpayers should be paying to educate only those students who can behave, WANT TO BE THERE, and who are interested in learning.
Taxpayers and students who want to learn are being screwed in all of this. It is total BS.
PS I did not send my child to public school after grade 6. If I had I would not have put up with the BS and I would have been the parent from hell down at the school everyday protesting.
I have 20+ years in as an urban high school teacher. And you're right about that. But at least we had the honors classes. You had to make the grade to get into one, and they really were oases of peace and learning.
Then a couple of years ago central administration decided to open these classes up to any student, no restrictions. This was done to try to balance the racial makeup of the classes.
So we ended up with lots of kids (black and white) who weren't qualified - by aptitude or attitude - to be in an honors class. I'm sure you could guess the results.
Once again: It is long past time to abolish government schools. Educating our children is too important to let the government continue to make a mess of it.
I call it the "lowest common denominator plan"- because that is what/who is being served...