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What real parent empowerment looks like
Goldwater Institute ^ | Jan. 3, 2012 | Jonathan Butcher

Posted on 01/03/2012 8:06:37 AM PST by inkling

Imagine if your child’s assigned elementary school had puddles of urine in the bathroom, mouse droppings in the cafeteria, and clogged water fountains. Now imagine if your complaints were rejected by the principal.

Parent Revolution, the Los Angeles-based group at the center of the “Parent Trigger” or “Parent Empowerment” movement, reports that these were the deplorable conditions at Washington Elementary School in Lynwood, Calif., when parents organized to help turn things around. The parents put pressure on school officials and formed a committee to help develop solutions.

This idea — empowering parents to take ownership of reforms long overdue at a child’s school — is at the heart of one of the most innovative education reform programs proposed in recent years. Parent Empowerment laws let parents vote to convert a chronically failing school to a charter school or even close its doors entirely. Laws have passed in California, Texas, and Mississippi, and lawmakers in at least 14 other states are considering bills.

(Excerpt) Read more at goldwaterinstitute.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: arth; education; parent; reform; trigger
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1 posted on 01/03/2012 8:06:39 AM PST by inkling
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To: inkling

What are the Non-Value added costs of Teacher’s Unions and layers of Administration that could be redirected to improving facilities?


2 posted on 01/03/2012 8:09:49 AM PST by G Larry ("I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his Character.")
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To: G Larry

“What are the Non-Value added costs of Teacher’s Unions and layers of Administration that could be redirected to improving facilities?”

That is hate speech and according to Democrats an attack on middle class families.


3 posted on 01/03/2012 8:12:01 AM PST by outpostinmass2
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To: inkling

Ya know, articles like this one really, REALLY piss me off....because parents are already empowered.. they are empowered by getting to the damn polls during the off season school elections, and voting out the damn a$$holes that allow this crap to occur in the first place!!! Every single damn school election for our district has single digit percentage of voter turnout.....make a real damn difference, get to the polls on that bright sunny day they schedule these elections, and THROW THE DAMN BUMS OUT!!!! But, alas, this requires people to pay attention, and read about candidates and stuff, and that is far too hard... requires too much effort..

Real reform in the government, and yes, the schools are government, begins at the local level...(end rant)


4 posted on 01/03/2012 8:14:59 AM PST by joe fonebone (Project Gunwalker, this will make watergate look like the warm up band......)
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To: inkling; wintertime; metmom; netmilsmom
From the article:School district and teachers’ union officials will fight it tooth and nail.

Speaking as a public school teacher and future administrator, I fully support this and would publicly support it as well. I am genuinely in favor of any steps that would improve education.

I hope they are completely successful

5 posted on 01/03/2012 8:15:53 AM PST by verga (We get what we tolerate and increase that which we reward)
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To: inkling

I’m trying to imagine leaving my child in a cesspool like they describe long enough to get “empowered” to fix it up. I can’t imagine the education was of better quality than the janitorial services!


6 posted on 01/03/2012 8:18:23 AM PST by JenB
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To: joe fonebone

You make a VERY important point. Too many people ignore the “little” elections even though local officials can have the most impact on their lives.


7 posted on 01/03/2012 8:21:10 AM PST by inkling
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To: outpostinmass2

Just tell the teachers and union bosses that Dear Leader has declared a cultural revolution in education and if they don’t perform the facility repairs themselves they’ll be reassigned to the fields.

/ historical irony


8 posted on 01/03/2012 8:27:08 AM PST by Justa
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To: outpostinmass2

“That is hate speech and according to Democrats an attack on middle class families.”

To which I’d reply:

The Union thugs can’t defend their existance or define their contribution, so they resort to adolecent name calling.
The simple facts are that Union costs and inefficiencies are among the most ruinous factors in the collapse of the middle class jobs and opportunities in America.


9 posted on 01/03/2012 8:27:08 AM PST by G Larry ("I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his Character.")
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To: JenB

What janitorial service?

We have been cut back so much that I’m lucky to get my trash taken out at the end of the day —most mornings, I empty the previous day’s trash myself!

I also sweep and mop my own floor now, clean off my own desks, wash the windows and sink, shake out the rugs — another teacher and I wash off the lunch tables with a power washer otherwise that would never be done. We also sweep our small section of the parking lot once a week.

BTW: I have not received a raise in 10 years and have taken pay cuts in the form of furlough days for the past four years. I do not retire with 90% of my salary after 20 years, 30 years and 55-65% is the norm AND I’ve read where the pension system I’ve paid into for almost 25 years is billions of dollars underfunded.

The only thing that has worked for the bathrooms is if parents volunteer to monitor them, have kids sign in and out and keep a vigilant eye on them — otherwise, high school kids will rip off the doors of the stalls, jump on the sinks until they break, flush wads of paper towels down the commodes flooding the floors and set trash can fires. We don’t have the personnel to monitor the bathrooms - the few janitors we have say the bathrooms are cleaned up every morning but by mid-morning they’re a mess again.


10 posted on 01/03/2012 8:37:19 AM PST by Bon of Babble (The Road to Ruin is Always Kept in Good Repair)
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Shake out a few each month
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11 posted on 01/03/2012 8:51:44 AM PST by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
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To: Bon of Babble

You have a job, don’t you?
Lots of people would like it.

You have described the duties of the average teacher in Japan. They clean their own classrooms too. Hellsbells, as an Office Manager right here in the good old USA, I did everything you described and more. Sorry your pension is broke, talk to your union.

Oh, and we haven’t received a raise in 10 years either. So while I see you are very upset with your job, join the club.


12 posted on 01/03/2012 8:54:34 AM PST by netmilsmom (Happiness is a choice)
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To: Bon of Babble

Sounds like you should be asking where the money goes. I haven’t seen my property taxes go down, but every year the schools whine that they don’t have enough money.

Good curriculumn is cheap - homeschool families spend as little or as much as they want. Apparently you aren’t making much money. So where’s it all going?

No way in hell or earth I’d send my kid to a school like you describe. I’m raising her to be a human being not an animal.


13 posted on 01/03/2012 8:55:54 AM PST by JenB
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To: Bon of Babble

We had a similar problem at the high when my kids were students. This is a school in a town where the average home sells for around $800,00.
My kids would come home and tell me how filthy the locker rooms were and that visiting teams would refuse to shower there. A bunch of moms, led by me,took the superintendent on a tour. The guy hated to be confronted and preferred to do nothing to earn his $100,000 + salary. Well, he was shocked at the filth. Let me tell you he got on those janitors big time. Since then, the school has been remodeled, he’s long gone and the place is spectacular.


14 posted on 01/03/2012 8:59:12 AM PST by surrey
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To: netmilsmom; Bon of Babble

The difference between Japanese teachers and us (I teach 7th grade Math in a public school and am NOT a member of THE teachers’ union for ethical/political reasons)is we have PAID custodial staff who spend more time in the teachers’ workroom eating, sitting/sleeping on empty school buses in the parking lot, and/or hiding out in supply closets.

One year, the person who was assigned to clean my room swept it maybe twice the entire school year.

Last year, we were overrun with mice! I had to request the flat sticky traps and place them and dispose of the dead ones (they went around those little box traps). Then the snakes came in!!! Lots of food supply...

Talk about classroom disruption!


15 posted on 01/03/2012 9:03:36 AM PST by lyby ("Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe." ~ Galileo Galilei)
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To: verga

It’s a band-aid.
What happens when this group of parents “graduates”?

Here is a better idea. Open some charters AND give the kids vouchers. Encourage homeschooling and break the unions.

From what I have seen, you have this idea that homeschooling parents are either militant go getters or child abusers. I’m not either. But in working Psych, having teachers in my family, and having spent YEARS as a schoolparent, I’m not unrealistic about the constant “Fix” of Public Schools that has never worked. It’s only made things worse. So we can keep trying to FIX the broken and watch another generation of kids swirl the bowl, or we can start changing the system.

All this kind of “parent involvement” does is make Alpha parents. You can keep that.


16 posted on 01/03/2012 9:08:23 AM PST by netmilsmom (Happiness is a choice)
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To: lyby

>>is we have PAID custodial staff who spend more time in the teachers’ workroom eating, sitting/sleeping on empty school buses in the parking lot, and/or hiding out in supply closets.<<

Time to bust the unions, huh?
Are you a member of ANY union?


17 posted on 01/03/2012 9:10:29 AM PST by netmilsmom (Happiness is a choice)
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To: netmilsmom

NO, I am not a member of any union. I am a member of the Christian Educators Association International through which I maintain professional liability insurance.


18 posted on 01/03/2012 9:20:00 AM PST by lyby ("Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe." ~ Galileo Galilei)
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To: netmilsmom; wintertime; metmom
It’s a band-aid. What happens when this group of parents “graduates”?

Hopefully the same things that happens when a set of band parents/boosters graduates, they have recruited people to take their place. Schools will be accountable only when people;e hold them accountable.

Here is a better idea. Open some charters AND give the kids vouchers. Encourage homeschooling and break the unions.

That is a darn good start, but only a start. Someone on the list commented about people getting involved and electing people that will respond durng the off year elections. Most of the school board elections i have seen have less than 5% turnout. Why is that?

From what I have seen, you have this idea that homeschooling parents are either militant go getters or child abusers. I’m not either.

As I said on the other thread my post was directed to exactly one person. and that person has been called on their attitude by either you or metmom because they are doing your cause more harm than good. And i appreciate that I really do. That person has said similar to me that you accuse me of and worse. I will not suffer his/ her attacks silently.

But in working Psych, having teachers in my family, and having spent YEARS as a schoolparent, I’m not unrealistic about the constant “Fix” of Public Schools that has never worked. It’s only made things worse. So we can keep trying to FIX the broken and watch another generation of kids swirl the bowl, or we can start changing the system.

All this kind of “parent involvement” does is make Alpha parents. You can keep that.

. I am sorry that you feel this way, seriously.I personally feel that if something is that important it should be monitored, and i don't think it will create alpha parents, but serious question here, what is wrong with having alpha parents? My wife and I used to be foster parents, and we were alpha foster parents. we went to every sporting event, parent conference, volunteered to chaperone dances, etc....Every single teacher knew that one of us was a phone call away. One of our foster daughters snuck a pair of daisy dukes to school in her book bag. When my wife received the phone call about the child's attire she took a pair of sweat pants to school and had the child change in the nurses office. End of problem.

19 posted on 01/03/2012 9:55:17 AM PST by verga (We get what we tolerate and increase that which we reward)
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To: joe fonebone
Ya know, articles like this one really, REALLY piss me off....because parents are already empowered

Bingo! The schools operate on our tax dollars. They are our employees. Every couple years, there's a school board election so change who's on the board. Get into the classroom by being a volunteer or room mom. Organize a PTO. Put pressure on the principals and superintendents.

20 posted on 01/03/2012 10:06:01 AM PST by bgill (The Obama administration is staging a coup. Wake up, America, before it's too late.)
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