[PrincessB]

Wow. I haven't been blessed with children yet. I think most parents that want to be involved have gone the route of private schools which were not mentioned in the study.

What would happen if a PTA coordinated a voluntary program to tutor kids falling behind in an effort to improve test scores?

[glory]

I don't think that necessarily would be rebuked however the idea of who can and can not tutor the children would probably be hottly debated and most would resign to getting another paid person on to tutor. I live in a district touted in this community too. I won't even gripe about the teachers except that a few have gotten in trouble with parents for intimidating their kids on the tax issue(well, you won't have air conditioning if your parent doesn't vote in the levy type of comments). I take issue though with 80% of the budget going to teachers and admin salaries and benefits(average teaching salary here is right around 50K--believe me a very livable wage in this area) and teachers and admin and school boards willingness to cut ACADEMIC programs before making themselves have to pay copays on their insurance(they pay none currently--their insurance is essentially "free" courtesy of the taxpayers). The problem is twofold though. The parents I have had contact with DO seem to treat the schools as a daycare(and this is a pretty affluent area--300k+homes in farm country basically--central ohio). The comments from the mothers enrolling their prescious children in Kinder were hideous. How between there and their current day care situation the kids would be gone all day now--woopee--more time to work out and attend social clubs(these were "stay at home mothers" btw). The PTA seemed to attract these types in particular as some new social club they were now eligable for.

The school system seems very excellent. The elementary my children would attend has a principal who welcomes parents to come in and ask questions(I've verified this with parents who have children there)--the man is old school though--no nonsense type of administrator. They do have a school counselor, again no frills. She is not there to analyze children or create labels for them. She's there more as a resource for parents who have questions or concerns about their children OR TEACHERS!! Kind of the way I remember a counselor--they are there to help get kids and parents in the right direction to make the child's experience successful--things like tutoring and such. Not someone who tries to diagnose behavioral disorders.

Given all this, I still have a fundamental objection to putting children in an age segregated environment with minimal adult guidance and contact. I also have objections with strong arming the public in general to pay for schools. At the very least, a homeschooling, private school, singles, and seniors should be given some kind of tax break when not using the schools. If the talking heads are really interested in ALL kids getting a good education, then they won't mind sending some of that funding to alternate methods--of course, we all know getting the kids a good education is not what it's all about. I can see that plainly on this levy issue that they are trying to pass by intimidating parents with the cuts in academic programs while the teachers refuse to budge on their 4% raises this year or pay MINIMAL healthcare premiums or copays(which would raise our taxes on our property, oh and we have a school district tax of 1% if our income, city tax in the city one works in(can't trade the two out SD and local tax are two different things), and state tax) We get absolutely raped in central Ohio on taxes. We paid on the same amount 2200.00 MORE in taxes this year compared to Arizona--700.00 alone was the difference in state taxes on the SAME INCOME--outrageous!