Posted on 03/25/2006 11:20:28 AM PST by Reagan Man
Good points.
You will see the retirement benefits go down generally though for teachers. They have here. As my mom, a substitute teacher, pointed out, teachers should be one of the main groups of people for tort reform.
Actually, get people working together again rather than just complaining. Put the teachers AND the parents in control. There are too many teachers out there who DON'T "get it" and some parents who (along with teachers) sometimes see things through a tunnel. It's time to change that and one of my goals for this year in my own community.
HEHE That's what I say too. :)
You can lead a student to a book, but you can't make him read.
It does take two to tango so to speak. One thing we miss is that there are SO many diversions today. Of course, one of those is the terrific amount of media there is. I often see parents say there wasn't "time" for homework because of baseball practice, piano lessons, soccer practice, dance class, and so on. And the involvement has gotten younger and younger. There are some 1st graders involved with more things today than I was in high school and I was VERY involved then.
If you reinstated the basics for math and reading and canned the ridiculous programs then held all kids to standards you would see these numbers improve.
Things do have to come from the basics. I do believe that there are places for some programs (though NOT for any gay stuff and such though--I will fight against that ever coming here).
Yes, your son's school has followed an approach with which I agree and disagree. YOU STILL have to memorize things like times tables and arithmetic facts. That is the way it should be. BUT I don't think there's a problem with learning about how the process works and how to come up with different ways to get the same solution. That was one drawback I saw in Korea. Many knew formulas and such, but couldn't "apply" it or represent the problem in any other ways. I think you need a combination or a balance.
You have touched on something that I believe is of utmost importance--knowing how the child is doing. Sometimes teachers don't do that, not always because they don't want to, often because they have fairly busy schedules (like many parents) themselves. But STILL, parents and teachers should keep in contact with each other, especially on an elementary level.
Actually, fairly easy, at least here. Keeping touch with the teacher by email helps or a well-placed phone call or volunteering in the classroom. If a parent gets to know the teacher and lets her know her concerns and that she is "keeping watch" (in a non threatening, but constructive criticism type of manner), the parent and teacher can have control. If they both are on the same page, then the child often gets on board too. I'm not saying things like this work everywhere and in every situation. Back home, the parents have always had a good degree of control because they have determined that it is THEIR community schools. They were instrumental in having my high school principal (who was super) retain his job some years ago. About 1000 parents turned out to support him in a confrontation with the school board.
Here, any secondary parent can log on to a website and find out how his/her child is doing in any class and what homework he/she has. Parents like that.
My own parents (and my brothers and sisters with their kids now) were a little strict with us, but it did benefit us. We had strict curfews on weekends (and required to wake up mom and dad when we came home), TV was somewhat limited, we didn't have video games (despite them being widely available) or cable TV for that matter, we weren't allowed to have friends over on school nights from junior high on, we were expected to get our homework done, we were expected to LEARN something from school and to inform our parents what that was, we were expected to be good examples and respect teachers and others, and so on and so on. My parents taught us how to deal with things when certain situations came up. Not to mention, we were taught to always remember where the Savior stood in importance to our lives--actually, it was church and family equal or more important than education and MUCH more important than "other" secular things. We went to inner city type schools, yet again, my parents made sure we got good educations (as are my cousins and siblings with their children in schools of all types now).
I don't think I'm any answer. I do hope to be when I am able to raise my own child, something I wish for every day. Parents like YOU are indeed the answer though.
[trying to resist urge to comment on punctuation]
[trying harder]
Shoot, I couldn't resist. :-)
As did I (we, the wife included of course). We home schooled for a large portion of the kid's education prior to college. Resulting in an adult that is exceptionally bright and independent. One that will always be self sufficient and contributing much to the betterment of society.
But, you can believe me when I say I had a lot of close contact with the public schools during both periods. I am not speaking from second hand knowledge.
Haven't you and I had some dialogs previous to this RE education?
I am brilliant, but ecclectic. And I have forgotten a LOT in the last 40 years.
[sniggering with tongue extended in your direction]
Besides, 12th grade standards are pretty low now.
Seriously, my daughter IS brilliant, but an abysmal speller. She recognizes that and, though improving, makes liberal use of spell checkers.
While I am speaking in objective terms, appreciate of the different perspectives than mine, I also speak from years of involvement in and close acquaintance with the public schools from MANY angles and many more years to come. I will be getting involved even more here because it is my wish to do all I can for the good of my community/neighborhood. I do not discount that others have experiences and such that are different than mine own. It's through seeing some others that I learn. HOWEVER, I pretty much limit my comments in dealing with the two areas with which I am familiar and not delving too much into other areas of the country in general terms.
We may have talked before, can't remember. I blabber to a lot of people. You know in the Bible where Babylon was such a bad place? That's because I was there talking there all the time. :)
Congratulations on being a successful parent. To me, that is the greatest job one could ever have and do.
Sorry, it was impossible to resist in that situation. But you're right that 12th grade standards don't mean much; even in college many people don't really know how to write.
I'll watch Jeopardy and think, wow I knew that [history, geography, etc] 35 years ago, but I sure didn't remember it now until reminded.
Haven't seen retirement bennies go down yet hereabouts, and health care costs are through the roof.
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