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To: Amelia
Ping to this post.
84 posted on 09/26/2003 3:12:39 PM PDT by Cathryn Crawford
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To: Cathryn Crawford
I'd agree there are many students in secondary schools who could benefit from social programs at school, but I don't have time to provide them - I have enough to do just trying to teach as much of my curriculum as possible to students who can't read or do math because they've been socially promoted by a teacher who didn't want to harm their self-esteem, or an administrator who was afraid of overcrowded classrooms if too many students were retained.

I have enough to do trying to teach the kids who'd like to learn, in between distractions provided by some of the other students.

There are the children who have behavior disorders, and who need to be in my classroom because it's the "least restrictive environment", but they can't be punished like the other children because of their disability (and I can't explain to the other students WHY those children get treated differently, because that would be a violation of privacy).

I have the students who don't want to come to school, but they do, because if they don't attend, the state says they can't have a drivers license until they're 18, and if they don't have a drivers license, they can't get to work. However, the state law just says they have to BE THERE to get a drivers license, it doesn't say they have to PASS, or even attempt to.

There are also those who have to be there so their parents won't get put in jail for neglect - allowing the child to be truant - and those who are required to attend so that they, their mothers (or both) will continue to receive the Aid to Families with Dependent Children checks. Again, the law says they have to be there, but it doesn't say they have to do anything.

Almost forgot, I also have the teenaged parents, and the pregnant teenagers. The pregnant teenagers often don't want to be there, because they don't feel well. (They tend to ask for lots of restroom passes, too.) The parents sometimes can't make it to school because they don't have child care, so many of them don't do real well in school even if they're trying.

And then, there are the students who really are abused and neglected. We could use some social programs in the schools, I suppose. Please don't ask me to provide them. I've got enough to do trying to teach the curriculum.

87 posted on 09/26/2003 3:42:35 PM PDT by Amelia ((Now someone will tell me I'm cold-hearted because I don't want to do social work.))
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