Anther school vent...............

[livie1205]

I am sorry that you are going to get flamed...you are not going to get anyone to accept there are a lot of bad schools and teachers that really dont care....but there are.I have to spend 2 hours on the phone every week because the teachers cant seem to remember that my son goes to the clinic between classes 2 times a day for his meds and they mark him absent or tardy (un excused)!He has been doing this ALL year and still they keep doing this...I have had 3 teacher meetings with all 6 teachers to remind them of this and still.... They tell the kids to get their homework online at there web sites then do not have them updated...This is one of the best schools in town and they can not get it together.

These issues are 100% the fault of the teachers.I should not have to pull my kids out of school and homeschool, they should just do the job they are paid to do.We pay our taxes and send 250.00 in supplies at the start of school...10 boxes of pencils and he can not get a pencil if he forgets one..

 

[Longsx3]

Transitioning to Public School in Florida From Department of Defense Schools Overseas has been challenging for my DD(12) at times and there are definitely times I get frustrated with her new school but having sent her to private school years ago I can say it isn't much different, in fact they had more rules and followed them. OP it sounds like your gripe is really with the institution of learning, whether it be Elementary School or College they are all going to have rules to follow,ie. attendance policies etc.

Two things in your story did stick out, first would be if your son loves school and is succeeding that it really can't be that bad but most importantly if you honestly feel that the school/teachers are doing harm to your son then it is your job as a parent to remove him from that situation regardless of what he wants.

 

[hentob]

Well hes in the 4th grade and told his buddies that it could be a bomb.

Is he mentally unstable? I can't imagine a 4th grader saying this, as it is a very inappropriate thing to state

Teachers have to put up with this type of behavior day in and day out. Parents then defend children like this and it makes for quite a frustrating atmosphere.

God Bless all teachers

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I get you hate this school and there are bad schools out there however no matter what kind of school the kid would have been suspended.

People are missing the point of the post imo.

 

[declansdad]

You are certainly entitled to your vent, however; if you have had constant problems for 7 years I think you need to step back and re-evaluate things. Yes there are bad teachers but they are not all bad. To lay all of these problems on the teachers is not fair to the teachers who do care. (And they far outnumber the teachers that don't.)

 

[Mkrop]

I think you would need to be more specific about your gripes bc the example of your nephew doesnt cut it. The child was wrong.

I get being frustrated with teachers, BTDT, but I volunteer heavily at my sons' school and I know it makes a difference. I would be up there no matter what.

 

[allison443]

Im not saying this in a snarky way but did you read the part where I said that THE SCHOOL gave him the present to begin with?

I mean, I would totally 100% agree with you if HE brought the present from home and they didnt already know what was in it but that wasnt the case.

Your nephew told his buddies that this could be a bomb. Did his buddies know that the school gave your nephew the present?

 

[allison443]

Two things in your story did stick out, first would be if your son loves school and is succeeding that it really can't be that bad

Great point!

I can understand getting upset with bureaucracy, red tape, some particular teachers, etc. but I don't see where all the OP's vitriol is coming from...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Great point!

I can understand getting upset with bureaucracy, red tape, some particular teachers, etc. but I don't see where all the OP's vitriol is coming from...

Same here.

All schools have rules, even the private schools.

 

[MomofCKJ]

I'm sorry your school experience hasn't been what you'd hope but I don't think you can generalize that *all* public schools are like that. Our public school (I have 3 kids in it, 6th, 3rd and 1st grade) has been fantastic. Maybe its because it is a small school (our town has just under 5000 people) I don't know. My relationships with my kid's teachers have always been positive, not condescending in any way and I've felt a real partnership with them in working with my kids.

Allyson

 

[Jennasis]

7 years and not one good teacher? 7 years of frustration and trouble? IMO, since the only common denominator for the last seven years is YOU, as the teachers have changed over the last 7 years, logic tells me that the problem may actually be you.

Adjust your expectations. Adjust your attitude. Adjust your approach. If it truly is the school/teachers who are the bane of your existence, then pull your kid. Stop with your excuses and just pull him out.

As for your nephew, I side with the school 100%. Doesn't matter where the box came form or what was in it. He was telling people that it might be a bomb, which is a threat that must be taken seriously. Sure it's a joke now, but if not nipped in the bud who knows how much further nephew would push those limits?

Ex...A high school kid who worked for me went out of state on a hunting trip with his uncle. They returned on a flight very late Sunday night. Monday morning the kid rolls out of bed at the crack of dawn, gets in his car and goes to school. At school, they are doing a random vehicle check, and when they get to the kid's car they find his hunting rifle and knife. Kid gets expelled and hauled off in handcuffs. Court date is coming up soon.

Seems the late flight from his trip got in REALLY late, and they had taken his car to the airport and home. It was around 2am when they got back to his house and he was so exhausted he forgot to unload their luggage from the trunk. The rifle and stuff they found were still in the cases with luggage tags on.

Kid's life is pretty ruined now.

 

[ms.yt]

It seems very clear from your OP that you have an attitude when dealing with the staff at your child's school. I would feel safe in guessing that's why you don't get the results you're wanting. You seem to have a problem with everything, but you say you're child is doing great and loves school. Something doesn't add up here.

And I agree with the other posters that your nephew was totally in wrong about the bomb statement, no matter who gave it to him.

 

[mickeyboat]

Please don't paint all public schools with the same broad brush. My DDs are getting a fantastic education at their public school. Their teachers are wonderful, and show me every day that they truly care about my girls - socially, emotionally and academically.

You are clearly having a tough time with your child's school. If you choose to continue there, you might be the one who needs to take a step back and re-evaluate how you are approaching the situation. If you are aggressive every time you approach the school with an issue, they are understandably going to be put on the defensive. It doesn't help your child to be confrontational.

Good luck.

Denae

 

[HamTown]

From the SOL comment I'm assuming you are from Virginia. So am I. I have a 3rd grader who already hates the SOL tests. I already hate the SOL tests. Do you know who hates them more? His teachers. But at the moment, that's how it works. Contact your elected representatives and encourage them to get changes made in Richmond.

AR works for most kids if they understand the goal. The main goal is not having the most points. Your child should have a goal set both for points in a grading period and a target reading level. The points are a means to an end. The goal is to raise the reading level. To guide the child to raise their reading ability. Make sure your child is using the AR system to his advantage. Have a conversation with the teacher to make sure you two are on the same page. (Our system does not factor AR points into grading)

I'm really sorry you've had such a hard time with schools. My son goes to a Title 1 school in a rural district. I can't say enough great things. When I read threads here about schools with no social studies instruction and no arts classes, it bothers me. I think in Virginia we have a great baseline for instruction. Go volunteer. Your eyes may be opened a little.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My 6th grader is in a school that is very caring. Great teachers and her newspaper teacher has really taken her under her wing.

Have I run across bad teachers, sure. But overall I try and do my best and work with them instead of against them. Because logically you don't burn bridges where your kid goes to school.

You really need to step back and take a realistic look at your nephew. He sounds like he has some real issues that need to be addressed.

 

[Darsa]

My DD13 moved from a school that was "okay" just this past school year, 7th grade, and it was the best thing that's ever happened. She is in an AMAZING school now, very rural with lotsa farmers and her grades are now stellar, where they were just 'eh', and teachers are wonderful and they contact the parents regularly. I intend to stay here at this school district until she graduates, no matter WHAT happens.

I'm sorry that your experience with your DS's school has not been favorable, but please don't assume that they all are that way; I can confirm that they're not!

 

[mjkacmom]

I've had my children in public school for 8 years now, and I have had nothing but positive experiences with their teachers. Some have been better than others (with a few amazing ones), but never a bad one. Our teachers are well paid (ranging from $35,000 - $100,000+ a year), and are well worth it!

 

[disykat]

IMO, if you are that unhappy with your child's circumstances yet have kept him in it for years, there is a parenting problem going on.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Since I haven't followed any of OP's other threads, and I really have NO idea what the first half of her post here is actually referring to, I will comment on the nephew/bomb incident. First of all, what was actually in the box? Second, either he watches too much TV, he's got an active imagination, or there might just be something upsetting him for him to claim he has a bomb in a box. Third, if you think his punishment was too harsh, do you remember the incident a few years ago, I believe in Florida, where a kindergartener was arrested for sexual harassment for kissing a classmate? That's overly harsh and crazy IMO, not a 4th grader claiming to have a bomb.

 

[MoniqueU]

I have a don't call me, I won't call you policy with my kids public school. I got fed up with all their stuff to and decided to step back and let it all go. IF my kids make honor roll great!!! If not I don't fret anymore because one of my kids can be in high honors all semesters one year and the next nothing, I think it is mostly teacher personalities at this point. My kids are trying just as hard and nothing has changed and then they get a new teacher and are back to honors again. I think the whole grading system is a scam at this point.

i also have a highschooler in private catholic school. While some of the teachers I could do without I love the whole culture of the school, the easy online grading system I can follow up with on a daily basis and the fact there is a counselor that follows my son throughout his stay there that actually helps us. It is a about 500 students compared to over 2000 at our local public school. I just wish I could afford private for all my kids but I can't at this point. I feel private is a more stabilized education and enviornment with alot more support from the school and clearer expectations. Add to that the student body is a joy from what I have seen in the almost 2 years my son has been there compared to the deviants at the public elementary and I am sold.

My MIL is a retired public school teacher and I get tired of listening to her continued gripes about low funding, low teacher salaries (hello you DO NOT WORK FULLTIME) and all the pressure on the teachers (what job doesn't have pressure?) suck it up.

Private schools here make due with alot less and give back alot more then the public schools. I am not paying 10 grand a year or more for my son, they really do make the most of their money compared to the waste that goes on with public schools.