Posted on 11/13/2004 4:04:54 PM PST by Marinefamilyx3
To The Editor: I have a daughter in first grade in Henderson County schools. She gets off the bus at 4 p.m., dinner around 5:30, and bath/bed by 8 p.m.
That in itself is a busy enough night. But she has spelling words (writing 10 words five times each), reading a book (first grade, 100 words), nursery rhyme, memorization goals.
Where does family time, playtime, or just sit and stare time go? And then there are families with multiple children in school. And you can forget it if they participate in Scouts, dance, sports. There's just no time!
We spend at least 1.5 to two hours a night on homework. My child is 6 years old! With barely enough patience to sit through an episode of Pokemon.
I can't blame the teachers. Sorry, but I can't. The schools are overloaded, the classrooms at capacity. And then you throw in the language barriers, and various learning disabilities, and the teachers aren't able to do their jobs.
So we're having to do it at home. There has got to be something that can be done within our schools to get this problem under control.
To make it "unconditional" means that there would be no verification as to whether or not any education is actually taking place. Not that I'd object to that amount of latitude, but it really wouldn't be any different from handing families free money to do with as they wished.
and make it so that aspect of it could never be changed.
That would require a constitutional amendment.
(that's of course assuming that the federal government even has any constitutional business getting involved in education in the first place, which it doesn't)
I worked in a steel mill for money as a boy and, with one parent to help me, went on to a name University.
All of my children are college educated, some with advanced degrees, all married to the same person..... so my wife and I are happy people.
We retired here in the south. I am horrified at the public school system here. When asked what I would do about it if I had the opportunity I had no answer. Young people here just don't have a chance unless they are very fortunate to have parents right on top of the situation and willing to make sacrifices. On balance I feel children here are disenfranchised and do not get any way near the education my children received.
Most of our chidren went to public schools. The high school where we lived for 35 years was (and still is) one of the best in the country with over 90%of children ultimately going on and graduating from four year colleges.
But it is tougher now for young parents. I don't know what the answer is but I think it starts with worthy state government...which we do not have in NC.
I have a niece who lives in Virginia and home schools...She said there "is no alternative".
I"m retired so my battle is over.....I wish you well.
I understand what you are saying, but to be honest I haven't given it much thought re: amoutn/type of homework. I have not encountered such a problem. My daughter is doing both 1st and 2nd grade work and the level of homework has never been a problem.
Maybe my district/teachers have done something along the lines of your suggestions - my daughter comes home with her spelling and reading assignments for the week on Monday with deadlines for each thing (ABC order, sentences, study for spelling test) and 3 times a week she gets a math homework sheet. Aso on Monday the curricula for the week comes home fromt he 1st grade teacher which has suggestions for family projects to go along with some thing they are going to be working on in class.
What's especially annoying is when teachers send home work that wasn't introduced in the classroom.
I read an aricle a couple of years ago where a woman was complaining because she got an e-mail from her child's teacher stating that the PARENTS would be responsible for teaching their children the multiplication table through nine. Makes you wonder what is really going on in that classroom.
Hey, if you have to do that, you can do everything else too. Might as well homeschool if you choose to do so. You just don't want to hear the head of the NEA say that parents are not capable of teaching their children. They can't have it both ways.
DEAL! You sew too?? Oh, this is too much to take! (don't tell my husband that we women still do this stuff!!)
As silly as it sounds, tape measures make great gifts for children. I bought them for my daughters last year at Christmas (like your husband, mine always disappeared).
My girls always play with the tape measures, but the Leap Pad they received at the same time is still sitting in its' box under my bed.
"They" are not the government. However, I am leery of them, since they are taking govt money (yours and mine) and are more answerable to the govt than they are to their "customers." Nevertheless, if a parent wants to homeschool and can't afford a curriculum, cyber charter is a good alternative. Not perfect; good.
Good for your niece for homeschooling - but I'm sorry she feels she has no alternative in Virginia.
One of the main reasons my husband and I moved out of Delaware to Virginia was because of the superior school district.
My husband and his sisters went to public school in Delaware. after seeing what his older sister went through with her 2 girls in those same schools he swore our daughter would not be subjected to Delaware public schools.
To: squirt-gun Good for your niece for homeschooling - but I'm sorry she feels she has no alternative in Virginia.
She took her children out of a private ( a religious school of some kind) because they refused to give credence to the possibility of evolution, among other things. They Live near Marshall (I have never been there but I understand from my niece that they are in the middle of no-where.)
At any rate public schooling was not an issue, apparently it was between home schooling and this school which she and her husband felt was too far out..
I also have a 13 year old son Homeschooled,And he's just like that.Clerks at check outs are surprised that he engages them in conversation.
thank you for mentioning the Leap Pad - I need to replace ours......she used it so much she wore it out. Actually I think she spilled something in it .........but she used it all the time.
I don't sew much - but as long as I only have to deal with seams and not fancy stuff like ruffles or button holes, I'm reasonably competent. So things like pillows and curtains are within my realm of abilities. I need to pull that kind of stuff, and the crochetting out here soon - hubby is starting to make noises about me helping him reshingle the roof. one of my projects for this coming week (weather permitting) is scraping the kitchen windows so we can get them painted.
Kids can learn so much from so many everyday activites - if they are included in them and not told to go play in their room or watch TV. Today was unusal in our house in that she has a friend here for the weekend, so they kept each other occupied. Tomorrow we are going to make candy.
I understand.
Although not familiar with location you mention, the I also understand about living in the middle of nowhere - until last month my nearest neighbors were about 100,000 chickens!
You go to your church and I'll go to mine.
"I read an aricle a couple of years ago where a woman was complaining because she got an e-mail from her child's teacher stating that the PARENTS would be responsible for teaching their children the multiplication table through nine. Makes you wonder what is really going on in that classroom. "
Math is a stickler, When I took over my children's education, my oldest had just finished 3rd grade. She couldn't understand the basics of add and subtract.
Telling time had not even been introduced.
Not every PS is the same, but it sure allows for a lot of kids to fall through the cracks.
Get a grip.
Kids that young should not have homework. When I was in grade school (50s) there was no homework until about junior high school, or at least 5th or 6th grade. It's absolutely insane for little kids to have homework.
They need to go outside and play!
I wonder why they're cramming the kids like that. Probably to make them into better drones. Smash out any individuality.
You are wrong. I've known plenty of parents who homeschool who are not wealthy or even approaching middle class. There are things more important than having a lot of spending money.
You are so wrong.
You are right about math being a stickler - it was always my hardest subject....some kids get it and some kids don't.
Mine knew the basics of adding and subtracting before she entered kindergarten - but still has a hard time with the telling time thing. We make a point on not relying too much on digital clocks ...... granted the appliances all have them, but because we live in a very rural area we also have numerous (battery operated) wall clocks and a Grandfather's clock. We use those for time-telling lessons.
Now if we could just teach her to tie her shoes..........
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