Charter-School Groups Eyeing Washington (Corrupt Education Cartel Alert)

The Seattle Times ^ | Sept. 2, 2012 | Donna Blankinship

[Be Careful]

Initiative 1240 would allow independent public schools to be established in Washington State for the first time.

[SCalGal]

My daughter graduated from Capistrano Valley high school in 1990. When she took algebra in 8th grade, 40% was a passing grade. When I asked the teacher how she could consider that the kids had mastered the subject with a 40% and move on to the next lesson, she said that all the bright students take algebra in 8th grade and that she had to stick to the curriculum and could not take the time to go back over anything.

At the beginning of the year, teachers are handed a district "pacing guide" (aka racing guide) that tells then what page they will be on on every day. There is no time for remedial work, no time for extra explanation or examples, no time for anything. This is not teaching.

As an aside: In order for Special Ed to have obtained mastery, they must have 85%. What kind of system requires special ed to have higher standards than gifted students do?

[Eva]

Capistrano Valley was one of the worst school districts that I have ever seen.

When my daughter was in 7th grade, I asked for a conference with the English teacher to tell him that I was concerned that my daughter had never been assigned a written book report. His answer was, well don’t expect it from me, either. I don’t assign anything longer than a paragraph and then we exchange papers and the kids vote on the grade. He said that the parents in the district weren’t willing to put our money where our mouth is and hire lay readers to mark the papers and marking papers interfered with his surf time.

I could go on and on about problems in that district, like locking kids in the library during testing and marking them absent if they thought that the kids would not take the testing seriously or were just poor students. They were allowed a 20% absentee rate, so they pushed hard for 100% attendance and then sent the lowest 20% to the library.

[SCalGal]

He said that the parents in the district weren’t willing to put our money where our mouth is and hire lay readers to mark the papers and marking papers interfered with his surf time.

That should have gone straight to the principal and then to the school board. If that didn't get immediate effect, then it should have gone to the local newspapers.

[Eva]

I did take it straight to the principal, who told me that I would get more bees with honey than with vinegar.

That was the same year that the district was short textbooks. My daughter was one of the students who was chosen to not to receive any text books. They said that since she was an athlete, I wouldn’t mind if she didn’t have any books and that none of the other parents had complained. They didn’t even keep one set for the class rooms or the library, so one whole class of students had no books for any subject.

[SCalGal]

I did take it straight to the principal, who told me that I would get more bees with honey than with vinegar.

Next stop, superintendent's office, school board, newspapers - and in full bitch mode.

Screw honey, bitch is effective.

[Baynative]

I like the “Genuine”, or “REAL” Pro-Choice party,