im glad schools have their priorities straight

[arabookworm]

I'm taking cupcakes (or something of the sort) to my little brother's class for his birthday next month, and everyone thinks its just cuz I want to celebrate his birthday, but the real reason is so I can spy on his class for a few minutes and see exactly what goes on there.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
I applaud you for having the time/energy/resources/willpower to home educate. Must be a demanding task.

Alas, stupid teachers are everywhere, and after doing a year and a half of a teaching degree (I dropped it because ugh, children, I'm waaaay to young for that) and seeing some of the people who are allowed to study to teach

wow, is all I can say about how ignorant/narrow-minded/arrogant some of them were.

I probably wont homeschool my kids, but I will be EXTREMELY involved in their school lives. What worries me more than the bad teachers is parents who dont even know the teachers name, but trust them with their kids 8 hours a day!!

So, the solution to the "stupid teacher" problem is to drop out of college when pursuing a teaching degree? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. People can bash the public school system all they wish, but the real problem is that they won't try to do anything to help correct the issues. Teachers are the most under appreciated folks around and it is really frustrating to hear folks bashing teachers and schools!

 

[teach1rusl]

The issue is not any teacher in that situation, it's the school, or more specifically the school's policy. The problem with making an exception to a standing policy is that when the next kid walks in with a mohawk, and his parents don't consider that an extreme hairstyle (which many people don't), then mohawks will have to be allowed too. Or when someone comes to school with lightening bolts shaved onto his head, and his family thinks that his hair is fine too (I'm sure they do, else why would they allow him to wear it), they will have to make an exception to that one too. Soon, there is no more policy on hairstyles and anything goes.

In areas of high poverty at least, I like dress codes. I like uniforms too. Having similar clothing and appearance expectations definitely has had a positive impact on behavior (and therefore learning). It becomes very apparent just how much of an impact on "dress down" days. Maybe things like that aren't needed in affluent areas...???

If that's the school that their child MUST go to, then if the family feels strongly enough they should pursue changing the dress code. But if other schools are available, but this one is just more convenient or a better school, then oh well...can't have your cake and eat it too. A fact of life is that some places have dress codes.

 

[Emzyyy]

Our football team and cheerleaders get new uniforms every year. This year even with budget cuts they got TURF on the football field and NEW weight training equipment. Now they are getting rid on woodworks, nutrition and wellness, parenting, and next year drawing and painting, and photography possibly. I'm in cross country and track we hardly ever get new uniforms and I'm fine with that. The football team even has PRACTICE uniforms all matching and such! RIDICULOUS!

I'm also a HUGE drawing and painting person the only class I look forward to at school one of the ways I may getting to college. If they cut it I'll leave PERIOD.

 

[PineappleMama]

First, I hate policies like that. Girls can have long or short hair at their choosing, but boys are not entitled to the same choice. Not cool.

But, most schools (likely this one too) sends home a copy of the District's Student Handbook at the beginning of the year and/or hands them out to new students upon registration. It says in black and white what the rules are, and what the results of violating them are. Parents AND the student sign that, and return the sheet to the school. Keeping the book for their own reference. If you sign saying you understand and will follow the rules, then you're a goob for later griping because you're held accountable for breaking them. If you don't like the district's policies then see about other option. What you don't do is make a federal case out of something that was settled in August that you chose to go back on... all the while making the school district the bad guy simply for upholding the rules you knew were in place. That's a pretty crappy thing to do to the district, the principal, the teachers, and the other students/parents who now have people thinking they work/attend a bad school.

If you give your word, via signature, then for pete's sake stand by it. Seems like half the problems we have nowadays are because so many people refuse to keep their word or take responsibility for their own actions.

 

[arabookworm]

Emzyyy: I understand what you mean. I was in marching band, and the band almost always came in first in the city-wide band competitions, and came in 7th in the regionals, which included, if I remember correctly, about 100 bands. the football team, on the other hand, was, up until that year, worst in the state. but they got a new playing field, during an economic downturn, that was very difficult to march on. but when I asked, it turns out that the football team has been fundraising for years and had a private donor who helped pay for the field. so it wasn't actually part of the school's budget. so before you get upset, try finding out if this is a similar situation. if not, then raise... heck. <--- (you can insert your choice of words here if so desired)

 

[EweSheep]

We are pulling our dd from K because of the teacher's issues of controlling the classrooms. Today we went to the District office and they KNEW of the problems that dd's school has and they would work with us in transferring our daughter to another school. We will have to do orientation in Jan 5th, put in our application for one school (a monterossori (sp) and another alternative, would be accelerated school which we do not know what THAT means but our DD is a very intelligent girl in her class and one of the three kids highest in her class.

We are not bashing the teachers but there are a few BAD teachers out there and when the District office manager knows of the problems, they knew it and they understood the problems we were having.

We did not discuss it with our principal about it. Too much conflicts going on in there, they had two fights a day, too many reports of kids "not following directions in all teachers", etc. And the District manager told us it is NOT our job to monitor the classrooms or the teachers. It is the teachers responsibility to make sure the kids understands the rules but we as parents can help but there is so much we can do. We can tell dd that she needs to follow the rules, listen to the teachers, sit still, hands and feet to themselves, do not distract other students by helping or diverting attention to themselves, be nice, follow directions, needs to know the appropriate classroom behaviors. The teachers lectured us that learning will not take place if the child is not willing to cooperate and we felt that it was not our responsibility to monitor in the classrooms. Lately, the district manager told us there have been problems, on going problems with Harris and has been that way for YEARS!! The District assistant manager also said that our town does not have a good schooling program in the public section. The private schools or "elite" schools have come out way ahead in scores while our dd's school has suffered badly.

So we went "school shopping" and hopefully by Jan, we can transfer our dd to another school while this montessori class is vacant or "win the lotto". This school has a long waiting list.

As for the kid's long hair, as long it is not distracting the education and wellbeing of himself and others, it is not a problem. But there is a limit to it, and have the boy's hair cut shorted a bit so he can see his eyes and the teachers can see his eyes rather than hiding them simply because of "fad".

 

[arabookworm]

my biggest problem with this policy is not that they have this rule. if long hair bothers them that much, then whatever, keep the rule. but the kid is 4. it is ultimately his parents decision whether or not to cut his hair. so they are punishing this child because of his parents' decision to be stubborn and not put their child's wellbeing first. they should either expell him so his parents put him in a school that doesn't mind his hair, or keep him in class, not put him in in-school suspension and deprive him of a proper education.

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
But would the same apply to a girl? If a girl had short hair, then decided to grow it back out, would she be forced to keep it short so that there would be none of the 'weird growing out, sticking out all over the place (maybe that's just me) thing"?

No, of course not. No school would force a girl to chop her hair. No rule should ever target any one sex, race, religion, etc. Particularly in children. What does that teach them about the laws and justice in our country? In class you learn "All are equal, all free" and then you're expelled while a girl with the same is not?

In our house, hair is your choice. You have to wash it (and maybe condition if long) you have to deal with tangles or no, styling, etc. Our son has chosen long hair and short hair off and on. He gets bored with the chili bowl style, cuts it shorter. Gets tired of the cold ears with a caesar so he grows it out. Just as I wouldn't force my daughter to pluck her eyebrows if she didn't want to, I'm not going to make him wear his hair as I decide it should be worn. But then, our district doesn't make a big sexist deal out of hair length.

 

[pixie74943]

Quote:
I applaud you for having the time/energy/resources/willpower to home educate. Must be a demanding task.

Alas, stupid teachers are everywhere, and after doing a year and a half of a teaching degree (I dropped it because ugh, children, I'm waaaay to young for that) and seeing some of the people who are allowed to study to teach

wow, is all I can say about how ignorant/narrow-minded/arrogant some of them were.

I probably wont homeschool my kids, but I will be EXTREMELY involved in their school lives. What worries me more than the bad teachers is parents who dont even know the teachers name, but trust them with their kids 8 hours a day!!

So, the solution to the "stupid teacher" problem is to drop out of college when pursuing a teaching degree? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. People can bash the public school system all they wish, but the real problem is that they won't try to do anything to help correct the issues. Teachers are the most under appreciated folks around and it is really frustrating to hear folks bashing teachers and schools!

allow me to clarify. I dropped out of education because i am EIGHTEEN. I doubt you would want me teaching your children at this age. I spent my entire teaching prac convincing the boys that yes I am a teacher, please stop hitting on me. I am now studying a double degree in Psychology and Arts.

As for 'fixing' the system by dropping out and bashing the public teachers. No, I will be doing my part by encouraging and supporting my friends who remained in education, and when I have children at school, I will be the parent volunteer who understands the amount of effort it takes to deal with annoying little (or fantastic children who you are doing your best to nurture, while not ignoring the average child, while still catering to the struggling children, respecting everyones ethinicity, gender, sexuality choices, providing educational support, emotional support. Yes I know they ask alot from teachers) children day after day.

And you may notice that I didnt call any of the people studying education stupid (Oh darn, yes I did)... What I meant, and stressed is that I cannot tolerate the idea of willfully ignorant, narrow minded teachers, being left alone with children for 8hours and the parents not bothering to learn anything about those teachers.