Wake up peeing!!!

[Sandman]

In California, I think 1978's Proposition 13 changed everything. After that, I think the education system in this state made funding a higher priority than actually educating the children. I'm going to have to do some searching, but IIRC according to one study, California's test scores have been on a steady decline since then.

[ROC]

Odd.  My child is in a public school.  

I have known each of her teachers, and meet the next years teachers in advance.  

I know the Principle and have worked closely with, and on the campaigns of, Most of the School Board.

I go to each of my daughters award ceremonies, science fairs, teacher conferences.

I work nightly with my daughter on her homework and projects.

The Principle, better than knowing me, Knows my daughter very well.  We have advanced learning programs brought to her class as many kids there didn't want to get in the pressure of the Gate program but were clearly ahead of the class.  Customized the program for each of the students.  Quite impressive actually, as the teachers, principle and I all agree that 9 and 10 is not the time to stuff kids in advanced, isolated classes learning that they are "better" than the other kids, so just enhance the homework and apply more rigid application of the study material in the classes with their peers.

Huge turnouts for all of the awards nights etc from the whole community.

Not in control?  Bet my butt I'm not.  I can walk in, any day, unannounced, and observe the classroom.  I can have any question answered, when I ask, regarding certain information being sent out from school.  I can question the items being taught, and most importantly, my daughter can question the items being taught, and uncovering mistakes or a PC Spin that goes against historical facts, can Change the way the item is taught.  I just went through this several subjects.  My daughter cried Foul, the teacher is new fresh from college, the principle corrected the error and moved on.  My 9 year old is also a 4th grader on the Student Council.  She takes nothing for granted, and is very critical of spin vs facts.  I hope I had something to do with that.

Not in Control?  Oh what a crock of bull.  The Only ones not in control are those who chose not to participate.    If you don't like the subjects taught, take it to your school board, if they wont act, Replace Them!  If they are not replaced and the Majority of the people are ok with it, then You Lose and either accept or Change Districts to one that works to your advantage.  But Not In Control is not a valid response.  

Oddly enough, our school test scores are Rapidly Increasing.  It's simply amazing what parental involvement can accomplish.  If the Courts are taking over for the parents, it's simply because the parents have turned their backs on the kids and turned the schools into daycares and think they are off the hook for educating their own.  Parents are Solely responsible for building a strong enough set of values so that no matter What some school tries to pump into them, the child will have the instincts to Question Everything, Demand Proof, and cry BS when it does not make sense.  

Whether or not we can take it back depends entirely on whether or not you think we have Lost it.  I'm in the middle of it daily, haven't lost a thing.  That is what "taking it back" is all about.  You always have it, whether you do anything with it or not is the true test as to whether you can lose it.  It's not taken from you, it's given away by inactivity.


[trips and falls off soapbox]

[nirvana]

Roc:

1)Most people that vote could give a flip less about the school board.  2)Most people probably believe that schools don't provide spin, so if they don't why correct them.  It's a matter of voter apathy.  You sir, are a rare parent that is involved with his childrens learning.  It is my opinion that most parents believe that what their children are taught is what is right, and what reason do they have to not believe it?  Unlike you most parents don't even read announcements from school that are sent home, and their children probably don't tell them what they learned at school that day.  

I'm 16, i've been in public school all my life.  There are many things I should have done in my past 10 years of schooling, one should have been the questioning of my 9th grade teacher's description of the Wright's first flight.  I believe she said it was 120 miles in 30 minutes.  It's just a sheer lack of want to question anything.

[Chairboy]

You, uh...  sure you just weren't paying attention?

BTW, public schools don't have a monopoly on mistakes.  I have it on good authority that many religious schools tell students stuff like 'God put dinosaur bones in the ground to test your faith'.

yowza.

[AWMac]

ROC

Bravo my good man! Well spoken and truthly done so!

My Oldest Daughter 23 now had a Presidential and a Congressional appointment to USMA.  Honor courses, Vica and advanced College courses while in High School.  She turned down USMA and now is looking at a full Scholarship at Baylor Medical College.

My Youngest Daughter 17 straight A's, Vica, Nominated for the National Honor Roll Society. Wants to get into Journalism, which I know she'll be great in doing so.

My Son 7 speaks of MIT. Smart as a whip at anything Musical or mechanical.

All three attended public schools, not just in the USA but also in Korea and Germany.  So to make a point as the Public School System has failed you are so mistaken. It's the Parents that had failed their children. Really pathetic if you look at it.  So some of you sit and shake your heads at the decline of American Education? No longer is the Pledge of Alligience allowed in schools, the nativity, Christmas...it's NOT the school systems, IT's YOU!

Education is everything...not at the 12th grade, not at the 11th, but at the 8th Grade!  It's your children that will have to compete with mine in the World when it comes to employment.  If you're not stearn enough to push education, then McDonalds, Wendys and every hamburger dive will welcome them.

So in the morning as you get ready in the bathroom for your 8 to 5 struggle, look into the mirror...straight into your eyes and say..."This is what I need my child to say "Price Check" "You want fries with that?" "Paper or Plastic?"

It's just so tiring to see others throw their responsibility onto the Education System.  Grow up! Be Responsible!

Merry Christmas,

Mac

[nirvana]

Originally posted by Chairboy
You, uh...  sure you just weren't paying attention?

BTW, public schools don't have a monopoly on mistakes.  I have it on good authority that many religious schools tell students stuff like 'God put dinosaur bones in the ground to test your faith'.

yowza.

So do churches, but then that's why they are supposed to do.  Once again, I have nothing.

[Chairboy]

Excellent, AWMac.  Well put.

[AWMac]

Originally posted by Chairboy
Excellent, AWMac.  Well put.

Thank you Sir!

BTW you are still in my Familys prayers.

Here's hoping you and your Family have a Peaceful and Loving Merry Christmas.

God Bless,

The Wrede Family.

Mac

[AWMac]

I would love to hear what a 16 year old knows of Education and the many Religions of the World nirvana.

Mac

[nirvana]

I believe religion starts war.  Look at the Middle East, it's all about Jerusalem, Islam vs Judaisim.  Do you challenge me AWmac?

[texace]

While I am dumb as a rock and only two years out of high school, I can say that parental involvment is what makes good students...well, good students. My mother and father were always extremely involved in my brother's and my schooling. He's getting ready to graduate from the University of North Texas with a degree in Business, minor in RTVF. I am a writer, a screenwriter and will be moving to Los Angeles in the coming months to persue my dream.

We are not great kids, but we are better off than most of my graduating class.

Parents in my small town do not care one way or another about the schools and how they're run. The current school board has been in place ever since I started high school, and the only real challenge anyone on that board had was when my father ran for school board. Twice he got close, but twice he failed. You couldn't convince anyone in this town to do anything for the students. My high school focused on grants and football...education came third.

None of my classmates really cared about what they were taught. None of their parents got involved. Oh sure, the athletic parents were proud that thier son was making B's without actually doing work, but other than that no one seemed to pay attention. My school is ranked among the lowest in the state of Texas, with testing scores dipping lower every year. There were a few parents that were like mine, really into the school and asking questions. Those students graduated high up in the class. My brother, class of '02, was 14th in a class of seventy-nine. I was 12th in a class of eighty-one.

The main problem that my folks, as well as other concerned parents, ran into was a school board that did not care about anything other than standardized testing and money. During my junior and senior years, my father was very active at school board meetings. He was always asking questions and making people sweat. He, as well as other parents, would make the school board nervous. Eventually, they started having less and less open meetings. They even cost my brother and I the National Honor Society. But the fact is that parents who are actively involved with their childrens' educations are going to produce better children.

While we can place blame on schools, it's impossible to place all the blame on them. If parents don't keep track of what their kids are learning ("What did you learn in school today?") then it comes down to children absorbing information at school and coming home to the life of video games and snacks that they like. Asking your children questions, meeting their teachers and generally being an "active" parent will work wonders for students. When my mother would ask me "What did you do in school today?" she would never, ever let me say "Nothing" or "Same ol' same ol'." She got involved with my homework and my studies. Parenting is what makes better students, not court orders.

I'm twenty years old, far too young to understand half of what I see about parenting on this board. I cannot begin to understand what it means to be a good parent. I can only go off of what my parents did for me and my brother while we were in school. We didn't need court orders to make us better students. No student, from kindergarten to 12th grade, should need one. Buracratic red tape will not help students. All it will do is make parents feel better about not getting involved. Dad can sit at home and watch TV and Mom can read the newspaper during school board meetings, because Johnny Law is making sure their kids get a good education. Why question what works?

What works isn't always right, and if parents don't see that, then there isn't any hope for their kids. The easy way is usually never the right way, and the right way is usually never easy.

Parents are going to have to step up and get involved. I sacked groceries for four years at Albertson's because it was the only thing I could do. I moved on since then...but there are some that I graduated with that simply cannot get a job anywhere else but grocery stores and fast food joints.

Makes me wonder if their parents got involved...