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I was definitely speaking from experience as a pupil, not a parent. And I think some home-schooling always goes on; kids don't learn everything in school. I doubt I would have done that full time, though, since I am dedicated to having a full time career (which may be a very good reason I don't have kids in the first place!).

There were certainly kids older than I when I was in my various grades, but I don't imagine that school overall is very similar now to my student days (however, the rule probably hasn't changed about saying "there are children two years older than SHE", not "there are children two years older than *her* in her class", as in your post). My mother was a schoolteacher as well, so she was never off duty when it came to correcting my grammar! :)

I have never heard of middle schools right near us having "drug search lockdowns", so that may be more a situation of the particular district or kind of neighborhood, than nationwide school policy.

If your message is that things have changed in the last thirty five years or so, I don't doubt it. They've changed in every other aspect of life as well.

And I think some home-schooling always goes on; kids don't learn everything in school.

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Children learn almost nothing academic in school. ALL academically successful children learned at home. This is true whether they attend school or not. The only thing a school does is send home a curriculum for the parents to follow.

(however, the rule probably hasn't changed about saying "there are children two years older than SHE", not "there are children two years older than *her* in her class", as in your post).

Good catch! You are absolutely correct. As someone who once majored in Journalism, worked as a proofreader, and wrote and edited copy for advertisements and brochures for several years, I ought to know better.

However, I should point out that the number 35 in written form should be hyphenated as "thirty-five". Also, there is no antecedent for the pronoun "it" in your sentence, "She was never off duty when it came to correcting my grammar!"

I'm just having fun with your post, too. :-)

Once at a homeschool meeting, a newspaper reporter came to talk to us about teaching our children to write well. However, his words were "write good." A few mothers snickered, and the guy looked slightly embarrassed. But, as someone who worked proofreading and editing copy written not only FOR schoolteachers but BY schoolteachers and other educated people, I understood that everyone makes an error now and then. I know I certainly do. :-)