Today will be my fourth day of taking a group of kids on the train from Tampa to Lakeland. What a learning experience for the kids....and the chaperones.
I have been playing again over on The Gradebook.
I don't have time now to 'splain and 'splore, but here is the concept:
The public is what is wrong with the public school education system.(?)
This could be a statement or a question.
If true, the implications are profound.
If one can get through all of the comments here, maybe it will make sense as to what I am trying to get a handle on.
I hear the whistle blowing - later.
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4 comments:
I certainly think the public is more to blame than teachers. When I have students from homes where their parents are involved, parental discipline exists and respect for others is taught, kids do just fine and even the worst teacher cant harm that kid.
Geeez....is that news to you?
You bet my friend, parents are to blame for the most part. The are responsible for preparing their kid to learn.
Its easier to blame teachers. It is the classic knee jerk response in our society. Find someone else to take responsibility.
You bet. Parents have to get them to us prepared to learn. All that silly stuff about "correct 1", "prevent 1", is all about finding someone to blame and guess who that "someone is? Yep...not the parents who reared little Johhny...yes sir ree....lets blame the teacher. When they get finished "replacing"(read that goofy plan) all the teachers in these under performing schools, who are they going to blame then?
Its funny but in a way, if they really stick with this plan, and all the "bad" teachers are replaced and no one wants the job, perhaps then we can start really addressing the real cause of our student's lack of achievement.
You'll see. :)
Hey Richard. Check out the comment on the gradebook piece written by"Teacher at MHS by CHOICE".
That teacher says it all. Read, mark and inwardly digest that and you will have your answer. I love the part about the misguided teacher spending his OWN money on supplies. Of course they didn't say "thank you", of course they lost them. Those kids didn't want that stuff in the first place.
You cant make a person learn if they don't value learning and that my friend comes from parents.
I have read your comments and criticisms of the ESE system and in my opinion, you are right on the mark.
Parents like you make my job as a teacher easier. I would never have to worry about your kid not being prepared and if we did have an issue, a call home to you would straighten it out. Unfortunately all parents are not like you. That is the problem. No matter how good I am, and I am very good, a student whose parents don't value education will more often than not place little value on it themselves and what's worse, those kids will make their ambition to make it impossible for me to do my job as well as I could. Some teachers will quit in disgust.
Thanks for giving me this venue to speak.
Thomas, thanks for the comments.
I think there are a few people still left within the ESE Dept. that would see some irony in your comment of "Parents like you make my job as a teacher easier."
Over the years I have heard it both ways, ardently spoken at both ends of the spectrum.
All of my kids are out of the system, so they are free from me with my own kids. I still hover around a few ESE issues here and there and the recent Due Process case.
I am sure from your inside view, there is much you know about the system that I don't know.
I feel quite certain from my experience, there are a lot of things I know about the system that you don't know.
So, lets assume for the sake of argument that "the public" is what is wrong with "the public education system".
How do we get "the public" out of it?
I kind of figured you'd point out the irony.
You are right, many teachers don't like parents who know their stuff. That is their problem.
I always felt more comfortable with parents who knew their rights because I was an outspoken advocate for my ESE kids and having a informed parent made that job much easier.
I don't want the "public" out of public education. I want them in my face. Lets face it Richard, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Teachers knew that they had better watch their "P's" and "Q's" with your kids and I am sure that got your kids services that, unfortunately, they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. We all work a little better if we know that someone is watching. Myself included.
My students come to me with all kinds of problems. I used to be a huge critic of parents but now I know better. Parents today have it MUCH harder than my parents had it. Their job is frustrated by influences my parents didn't have to deal with. My hat is off to them. I have no business telling them how to do their job. I don't have kids of my own.
That said, I still say that the problems we face with kids today is largely the result of poor parenting. I don't know what the answer is but I am certain the government doesn't know either.
Tomorrow I meet with the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. I hear he is a decent man. He wants to talk to me. I am not sure what about but I am sure he isn't going to give me a award. I have about decided to end my career as a teacher. The more I read (the Gradebook article) about the governments plan to "fix" failing school (students), the more convinced I am that we are in for a whole lot of paperwork, window-dressing and pencil-whipping. I am way too old and way too outspoken to get through it unscathed.
Again, thanks for letting me speak here. Your outlook is fresh and needs to be heard.
Thanks again.
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