Posted on 09/10/2011 6:51:05 AM PDT by erkyl
Ron Clark is an award-winning teacher who started his own academy in Atlanta He wants parents to trust teachers and their advice about their students Clark says some teachers hand out A grades so parents won't bother them It's OK for kids to get in trouble sometimes; it teaches life lessons, Clark says
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
And I am in total agreement with you. And, as a parent of a student in public school, I also do blame parents. Far too many parents pay little to no attention to their child's progress or lack during the year and then take the attitude "it's the teachers' fault" that little Johnny or Susie are going to be held back to repeat the grade. Or at the other extreme there are the helicopter parents who insist their child is so brilliant he/she should be skipped a grade. Then of course there are the ones who insist their discipline problem child is a perfect angel, can do no wrong and every one is lying about the angel. I have dealt with all 3 types because of some being friends of my daughter. The type becomes obvious when the offending parent is seeking your assistance to fight their side.
My daughter just started 8th grade, I have met with all of her teachers and will continue what has worked for us all again this year. If she brings something to my attention, I will contact the teacher to discuss it and if a teacher contacts me about something I will be right there to discuss it.
I do not automatically side with either my daughter or the teacher - I weigh the circumstances and pay attention to both sides.
baby girl in 8th grade already!! I remember when she was going into 6th and you were nervous about it!
time flies doesn’t it!
Have you read this article?
Do you agree with this idiot?
“then take the attitude “it’s the teachers’ fault” that little Johnny or Susie are going to be held back to repeat the grade.”
FWIW: My sister & her husband have never been allowed to hold a student back. The admin won’t back them. They somewhat bitterly refer to it as the “Eat, grow, graduate” theory of teaching...
Even a blind pig will find the occasional acorn....
The choices are still there but they are difficult for most people...you definitely have to fight against the “system”. I also think that all schools should be private so that parents can make the choices.
“I STILL pay the government schools nearly $5000/year. In fact, the tuition there is less than what I pay in property taxes...”
In the state of Wisconsin we are paying both property tax and income tax towards schools. The state is paying the local districts around $5800 per student enrolled in public school...this is why the local districts want home schooling families to “register” the children with the district. We currently have two private schools in the area and both have tuition well below the $5800 that the state pays the district...I would much rather have some of that money go into an account that the parent controls so that the schools...both public and private...would have to compete for the funding...I know who would come out on top...
I won’t be retiring till I’m 67.
>>I agree with parts of it. <<
And that is why I homeschool.
Well said...it is why I homeschool as well.
Yes time flies. And she is SOOOOOOOOO busy. Mondays and (most) Fridays she has nothing going on. I’m going crazy just trying to keep it all straight!
She’s done with softball and now does street hockey, so that is thurs and sat. Sun is Youth Group and/or Confirmation class. Tues is dance. Wed is also Youth Group at a different church. She is too old for the softball league she had played, is not interested in the travel team and refuses to play for the school because of the rules - she was the best base stealer on her team and stealing bases is forbidden in the school team rules.
Unfortunately, some of what he says is true whether others want to admit it or not. Parents do not do their child any good when they cover up for their child’s wrong doings, do the work for their child, or threaten to get a lawyer if a teacher reports a wrong doing.
netmilsmom, that deserves a ping to the whole homeschool list.
Ping to this great link that netmilsmom posted.....
nmm:Did you read Linda Dobson’s reply to this dillweed?
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/6666/homeschooling-parent-responds-to-disneys-teacher-of-the-year/
I had this boy tell me he was stupid. He said he'd failed all his classes, and that he was stupid. After the CST scores came in, I showed him his class ranking (I didn't show him the other kids rankings, just that he was number 5 out of 32.) The look on his face was... touching.
smile and nod....smile and nod....
NONE of what he says is true because it is from a victim’s POV. Perception is a funny thing.
The smarmy “Can you feel my pain?” and “We just ask — and beg of you — to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve.” is the same crap being passed out by your president.
After having teachers in my family and now working with them, this dude is perpetuating the stereotype. Control freak victims who have it tougher than anyone else. If I were at teacher, I would be fighting Oprah’s friend tooth and nail.
Isn’t it scary when facts get in the way. LOL
Enjoy!
Oh, they’re allowed to hold them back here, not as often as some teachers wish, but it is far easier to hold one back than it is to advance one a grade. The latter being because a parent decided since little Johnny had been doing many classes above his actual grade he should just skip 3rd grade altogether.
Because of those parents, the program the principal in my daughter’s elementary school had to stop his program of allowing the more advanced children, most especially in reading and math, to take those classes in the next grade.
The parents prevailed in that case (actually there were 2) and the child skipped 3rd grade, so wound up a year ahead of my daughter. Long story short, that boy is now back at the same grade as my daughter because he was held back in 6th grade.
Tell you what, the more I read of this thread, the more I like my school. It’s inner-city, and the kids are growing up in houses with no books at all, but the parents are nice to us (although they usually speak no English), the administrators are supportive and approachable (at the immediate level, anyway) and though the curriculum leans Left, no one is actually hovering over my shoulder making sure I implement it. My worst problem is just that I get kids who, at 12, can barely read.
But I'm not going to pretend that he isn't telling the truth when he says it is not good for a parent to cover up for a child when he does wrong. And I know it happens because I've seen it myself. Not to mention, there is the interesting aspect that the parents of the children in his school CHOOSE for their child to be there and PAY for that privilege. I find that someone amazing in that I really thought things were different in private schools than they appear to be in public. So if the parent doesn't like summer reading lists....then why do they put their child in that position? if they don't like the homework...then why do they put their child there?
It's just....odd
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