Anyone else disappointed in Elem. school?

[las3888]

My DC are not old enough for school, but I would definitely consider home-schooling in your case. Some years back I thought...why the heck would people do that??? Now I get it...

Most of the home-schooled children that I know (I know quite a few as a violin teacher) are awesome people. They don't seem to be missing a thing...

Just my opinion...

 

[averysmom]

Special needs children have the right to a good education too.

Yes, they do. But many special needs children are being put into rooms without the assistance they need to succeed, leaving them to fail and the other children to suffer right along with them.

5 years ago I had a classroom with 24 children - the lowest I've ever had. I had a child with adhd, sensory issues, anger and impulsivity control issues and learning disabilities. He had 6 periods a cycle (every 6 days) with an aide. The rest of the time it was just me.

I did the best I could - but by the end of November, when the rest of my class was behind in every subject and were tired of having "catch up periods" all the time - I started to track how much time I spent with this one child.

At the end of the week I had spent over 8 hours of my week working with, redirecting, individually teaching, disciplining, planning for and meeting about (during class time) this one child. I am in class for 6 hours a day - so out of 30 hours in class in a week - I spent 8 hours - more than a day and a half on ONE CHILD.

So yes, special needs children deserve and educaiton too. But is has to be obvious that when 25% of a teachers time is devoted to one individual student, then everyone loses.

Flame suit on.

 

[catycatcat4]

you think elementry is bad you havnt been to high school in a LONg time then people smoke and make out and do other nast stuff in the bathroom there is like a million fights every day people wont shut up so other people cn work we dont lern any thing id much rather go to on of these elementry schools

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

op- i understand where you are coming from. i am a first year teacher and incredibly disappointed with my school- and it's a new school! the resource classes are overcrowded (up to 42 for elementary grades, 32 for kindergarten), and student supervision is poor (3 teachers supervising 1000 kids walking down a hallway to breakfast in the morning), therefore there are many behavior problems that arise...and are not dealt with by administration at all.

It is so disappointing to think of how well things could go. the kids deserve better! i am appalled by the behavior i see, and i think no children should have to endure that environment on a daily basis.

here's to hoping your situation gets better, somehow!

 

[jenrein]

In NY I loved my kids school. It was highly rated and very challenging. We moved to FL and realized the public school system was terrible. My second grader was basically just coloring all day. We had to take the kids out of the public schools and enroll them into a Charter school which has been absolutely great.

 

[CraftyCrissy]

I'm with a PP from South NJ who loves her school. I'm in Northern NJ and LOVE mine as well. We moved to our home specifically for a better school district. I'm an educator (and a special educator at that) and have found not just this elementary school but the middle school and high school are all open-minded and progressive. I have three kids - twins in first grade and a kidergartener. All three have specific needs to be addressed. Twin #1 is highly advanced and he is being challenged by his classroom teacher as well as by his extra pull-out sessions. Twin #2 has hearing and speech issues which have made reading a very difficult issue for her. She is thriving with the teacher who respects how she needs to be taught. Child #3 is in kindergarten with pretty special needs - major speech issues and sensory issues. He has a 1 on 2 aide (meaning the aide helps 2 kids in the class), is thriving academically and socially and is learning what kindergarten (I feel) is all about - how to deal with conflict resolution and branching out socially and academically. He was being pulled out for speech at inappropriate times during the day (they were more convenient for the therapist than for his learning) - one phone call and brief meeting with Child Study and that changed.

You need to be an active participant in your kids' educations. Go in there with examples of what is inappropriate and work together to get things modified. I have three and all three are taught with different methods appropriate to their learning styles and needs. Of course the teachers recognized this and wanted to fit them all into their own classroom modes. I make sure that differentiated education happens in all three classrooms. It doesn't have to be a fight, you just need to know who and how to demand it (not ask - demand, but never in a snotty way!) You don't need to be 'friends' with your kids' teachers - just remember to respect is a two way street with all school teachers and district administrators.

Sorry to ramble! Topic near and dear to my heart!

 

[MinnieGi]

OP and all you who do not like your school, does your state have "choice?" In DE we can "choice" into ANY school as long as they have room.

We have a great feeder elementary school and love it. It is also one of the schools lots of people try to choice into it.

Now I don't like our feeder high school and plan to use "choice" to move my DD and DS to a school we do like or they can also go to several charter schools in our district that have very good reputations.

 

[minkydog]

We homeschooled our kids for 12yrs mainly because our oldest child had ADHD and learning differences that made it almost impossible for him to learn in a large group environment. At the end of 2nd grade he still could not read, and he had a tutor at school 3 times a week! DS was so sad he called himself "stupidest kid in school". But he wasnt' stupid--he is incredibly gifted musically. He just has trouble learning academic things.

I brought him home in 3rd grade and had him reading within 3 months. we were able to open his mind to learning and he was interested in everything! At age 10 he asked for the Complete Works of Shakespeare and actually read it! Eventually John went back to school, but despite our helping and an IEP, he floundered badly. Ultimately we brought him home and he finished high school at home. For DS21 public school was nothing short of a nightmare and we live in an area which has great schools. No one can convince me that I was doing a worse job of teaching than his school was. John flourished at home.

On the other hand DD14 is doing great. She was homeschooled until 6th grade and when she entered school she never missed a beat. Likewise, DS12 goes to public school and has done beautifully in his self-contained special ed class.

Education is not a one size fits all thing. As parents we have to weigh all the possibilities and choose the one we think is best. I have never regretted homeschooling my son. He would never have graduated otherwise.

 

[holly7347]

I'm sure the rules vary from state to state but I was told that here in KY you can register your child at any public school. If they are out of that schools district they are not eligible for bus service. And they register kids within the district first and if there is space left then out of district kids can register. I would check into that if you think there is another public school near by that might be better.

DD goes to a public preschool at the local elementary she will be attending. I'm not exactally thrilled with some of the things going on but over all it hasn't been all that bad. Her teacher is just an intern and this is her first year teaching and she has said some goofy stuff to my DD which has really upset me a couple of times. But I immediately let the teacher know I was unhappy with what was said to my DD and as far as I know it never happened again.

 

[PA Princess]

I am a firm believer that homeschooling is a much, much worse option than public (or private) schooling in that the child will most likely be taught by a parent who has virtually no teaching education or experience. The child also loses out on the many social aspects of school that are virtually impossible to replace completely, even with a "homeschool community" of a group of homeschoolers that occasionally do group activities.

My wife is a kindergarten teacher. From her many stories, what I hear is that the children who do the best are the ones that obviously have parents who care and take an active part in their education.

What an interesting juxtaposition of ideas...homeschooling bad, but caring, active participant parents good? You really can't see how these can be one in the same thing?

I am a homeschooling mom who does not fit into your mold...I am a certified teacher with years of teaching experience, (public and private schools), I have a BA and a masters, and I sat on a steering committee that created a private school and then I served a 4 year term on the school board.

My teaching skills and experiences have been valuable to e as a homeschooling mom. But it is my love and passion for my children, how well I know them as individuals, and my insatiable desire to provide the very best education for my children that are the biggest strengths I bring as a homeschooling mom.

 

[mommytobug]

This can be a very heated discussion, just as SAHM and WAHM and WOHM can be. We should all respect the choices we make for our children. We have dd enrolled in private school and if I had to work another job in order to accomplish this I would. Public school here in unacceptable in my opionion. This is not due to the teachers who are mostly wonderful, it is the magnitude of cultural differences they are faced with daily. These children sometimes only eat at school, are somtimes kept up all night due to behavior on their homes, have little or no guidance. PLEASE do not think I am talkingabout every public school child but most of them here have some kind of issue. DD needs stimulation and would surely lose interest in this setting, and would not be safe in my opinion. Homeschooling your children is your choice. It is not one I would make. We have several friends who homeschool and there is only one family who appears to have a grip on the entire picture of homeschooling. One family has a son that I would not even allow my child to be in the room with at church unless someone I knew was there. One child same story. Both had no boundaries when it came to adult interaction and had no concept of rules, my mom tried and tried to teach choir and gave up after being exhausted from these children who knew nothing about taking turns asking questions, much less raising your hand or minding an adult. Another friends homeschools and her child is in the 5th grade and WHINES for everything. She is more like a 2nd grader emotionally. She never has to do anything on a time schedule so when we get ready to go to the movie or dinner and she is here playing, she gets frustrated that she cant just go at her own pace. I also have one friend who homeschools that have very well rounded children that would blend in anywhere. I am not against homeschooling but I am against using it as a crutch so that the child has no schedule to do anything so that the parent is not bothered. I also despise homeschoolers who put themselves in a higher category than we parents who choose public or private. I know that I want my child to experience some hardship and decision making so that she knows that life is not always easy. Geez, even adults have to learn coping skills to deal with every day needs. My point is that we all should support each other. Our kids have hell to live in now, we as adults should unite to try and make their world easier.

 

[momofmickeyfans]

OH, I've found my home! Yes, I have MAJOR problems with DD's school - and it's not the teachers or the curriculum, it is the school and administration! From the chaotic, and dangerous, parent drop off/pick up lines, to the cafeteria (my DD was denied lunch one day because she ran out of money in her cafeteria account and I was never informed!!!), to the speech therapist, etc. Yes, the cafeteria ladies apparently hand stamp the kids when they run out of funds, but stamps wash off! I had to take lunch up to her (luckily her teacher called me!).

DD is in first grade and we just moved to this school in November. Prior to this, we came from the most wonderful school ever imagined! The principal and VP still email me to check up on my DD - how's that for personalized attention!!! They were truly wonderful to students, parents, teachers, etc.

Now I have a school in which my DD has never met the principal or VPs, the teachers don't seem to have a good rapport with each other, let alone the parents! And I'm not the only one to complain. We moved to this area because all the research I did showed this to be one of the best school districts in the state!

She is pulled out of her resource classes (music, PE, art, computers) for speech therapy, instead of taking her out of some "quiet" time in class. So now she dreads speech class because she knows what she is missing! When I met with her speech teacher, the district speech therapist, and DDs teacher, they looked at me like I had two head to be requesting that they change their schedule?

And for two weeks the older kids had state testing, so none of the younger kids were able to go outside during the day - might make too much noise - and DD told me that she didn't have speech either because they weren't allowed in the hallways - again, too much noise!

I'm sooo frustrated by this! They are building a new school for DD that will be open at the beginning of her 3rd grade year. I'm hoping that will be much better. We're in a brand new area that is growing so fast that they planned for this by starting the elementary school out in the middle school building along with the middle school kids. That is okay (believe it or not!) and there is one elem school opening next year, then ours the year after, at which time the middle school will only have middle school kids in it. I'm hoping that all these problems are because the faculty just hasn't worked together long enough to develp that rapport that is so important.

First of all - in response to all of the posts, I am glad that the scenarios across the country are similar, I wondered if it was just good ol' Texas!

Second of all - I am a Speech Language Pathologist, currently working in a public school, and am disheartened about the situation w/ your DD. I NEVER take kids from their specials classes (art, music, pe, etc). In fact, I conferenced w/ the principal at my school before I took the job to discuss that matter and she was in total agreement! Communication is largely based in language arts, so I pull them from language arts "seatwork" time in the general classroom, and to my knowledge, there is not a student on my caseload who doesn't enoy coming to my class....

Lastly.....I must brag on my current school.....although I'm sure it may have it's issues at some point, and there may be some now that I'm not aware of........I am on a brand new campus. The principal was able to hand pick her staff. I have been in the school district for 10 years, and I am truly impressed with the caliber of teachers on this campus....caring, compassionate, flexible, enthusiastic about teaching and making sure the students enjoy learning....I could go on and on........I believe that a lot of great things are going on there, but still we have to deal w/ the state accountability testing, district testing, etc., etc, etc all the things that make public school a real pain

 

[meandtheguys2]

I am sorry that you are so disapointed in your school. I guess that leaves you with options. If you can't do private, and are not sure about home, then make the most of what you have. Evenings and weekends can be spent doing activities that will help your child and bring you closer. Not workbooks, etc., but learning about the real world, and reading your butts off!

I love the posts from husbands of teachers. They oftentimes appear to take it personally when a person has problems with a school. It is as though they believe that all schools and all teachers are like their spouse's! 3/4's of the homeschoolers I know personally are either teachers or have at least Master's degrees. I know 6 that have no degree. One of those has kids at MIT, Brown, and Mount (with 3 more to go!).

 

[RMulieri]

This can be a very heated discussion, just as SAHM and WAHM and WOHM can be. We should all respect the choices we make for our children. We have dd enrolled in private school and if I had to work another job in order to accomplish this I would. Public school here in unacceptable in my opionion. This is not due to the teachers who are mostly wonderful, it is the magnitude of cultural differences they are faced with daily. These children sometimes only eat at school, are somtimes kept up all night due to behavior on their homes, have little or no guidance. PLEASE do not think I am talkingabout every public school child but most of them here have some kind of issue. DD needs stimulation and would surely lose interest in this setting, and would not be safe in my opinion. Homeschooling your children is your choice. It is not one I would make. We have several friends who homeschool and there is only one family who appears to have a grip on the entire picture of homeschooling. One family has a son that I would not even allow my child to be in the room with at church unless someone I knew was there. One child same story. Both had no boundaries when it came to adult interaction and had no concept of rules, my mom tried and tried to teach choir and gave up after being exhausted from these children who knew nothing about taking turns asking questions, much less raising your hand or minding an adult. Another friends homeschools and her child is in the 5th grade and WHINES for everything. She is more like a 2nd grader emotionally. She never has to do anything on a time schedule so when we get ready to go to the movie or dinner and she is here playing, she gets frustrated that she cant just go at her own pace. I also have one friend who homeschools that have very well rounded children that would blend in anywhere. I am not against homeschooling but I am against using it as a crutch so that the child has no schedule to do anything so that the parent is not bothered. I also despise homeschoolers who put themselves in a higher category than we parents who choose public or private. I know that I want my child to experience some hardship and decision making so that she knows that life is not always easy. Geez, even adults have to learn coping skills to deal with every day needs. My point is that we all should support each other. Our kids have hell to live in now, we as adults should unite to try and make their world easier.

While I may disagree with some aspects of your post.It was nicely said.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I also despise homeschoolers who put themselves in a higher category than we parents who choose public or private.

Kind of like Public and private school parents putting homeschoolers down, huh?

 

[karajeboo]

Wow, doesn't anyone like their schools? We must be really lucky. Our elem. class size is limited to 20, most have 16-18. Our boys are in grades 2 and 5. Our teachers so far have all gone way above and beyond what I would expect.
I've had teachers call me on a Sat to update me on my sons' progress (positive comments too and very minor issues that she wanted me to be aware of.)

No one is ever, ever denied lunch even if their account has a neg. balance. They send a letter home when funds run low. I'd be flipping out if my child were denied lunch.

National Character Education awards are given to only 20 schools nationwide and the middle school that ds11 will attend next year is one of them.

Yes, our taxes are outrageous but no way would I move. All our neighbors agree-we moved to our town for the excellent public schools. I may be the only one on the Dis happy about our schools but I know I'm not the only one in our community.

This sounds EXACTLY like the school we moved from - national recognition, VERY personalized attention. I truly felt that my DD was loved and cared for while she was in school. I never worried about the "what ifs" that parents feel. Furthermore, this school had a buzzer system so that you couldn't just walk into the school until you identified yourself. But again, even the secretaries knew the parents and could see outside to buzz them in. Our new school doesn't even lock the doors!!!! I intentionally walked in one day, right through the lobby to my DD's class, just to see if anyone would stop me. Not one person questioned me the entire time I was walking around freely. This is scary! When I addressed it with the VP, she told me that "they should have" asked me to sign in. What???? And because all the elementary kids are in portables (intentionally, as this is the middle school and the elem kids are here for 2 yrs until both elem schools get built), anyone could apparently wander through the building out into the campus!

We had some major problems when my DD13 was in third grade and my DS17 was in sixth grade (same year ).

My DD had one of the most difficult teachers I have ever dealt with when she was in third grade (I even had her). I tried explaining to her at the first conference that she's not overly outgoing and is very sensitive to harsh comments, but I think me saying that made her a target. She was very phony, she would sweet to the majority of kids, and would be nasty to a few (including my DD and a few friends' and relatives' children). I couldn't get over some of the "harsh comments" she made all of the time. One day my DD came home in tears because while in class when she was taking a sip out of her waterbottle (which were permitted), her teacher, who hadn't called on her or anything, had to say with the direct attention of the class "Oh, look at ___ sucking on her little baby bottle! Doesn't she look like baby everyone?" I have no idea whatsoever what her intention was by saying that, was she just trying to embarass a little girl who did not do anything to her? Again, my DD is far from a disruptive type, all of her teachers have said so, to this day I'm still trying to figure out why would want to make a fool out of a quiet student who apparently only talks in the middle of class after she has been "picked" on (loudly at least, maybe a whisper to a friend, and they are purposefully seated next to someone who they won't talk to anyway). These type of comments lasted through the year, mostly involving her watebottle, I did everything I could. The school would not allow me to switch what classroom she was in, no private schools were accepting no new students half way through the year, they wouldn't allow me to homeschool her for the remainder of the year, the principal/school board wanted my DD to stay right where she was and just said "Well, she can spend an hour at the guidance counselor every day if she wants." Talk about pretending to care. Every morning when I dropped her off I literally had to carry her out of the car, this woman was really bothering her. Luckily, the next year was much better.

We also had trouble with my DS's teacher at the middle school the same year, and this teacher was my DD's teacher's best friend! That's a very long story as well, let's just say we had trouble with his ADD and her following his 504 plan.

I feel so badly for your children! How DARE a teacher treat a child like that!!!! Luckily, my issues are not with my DD's teachers or curriculum, more the running of the school itself.

 

[Kriii]

Just a comment from someone who has lived in multiple states. My observation is that when school districts ask for additional money for services it is very often denied. I understand not everyone can afford additional taxes but do not be surprised that services are cut or provided at a less than optimal level (I buy most of my own materials BTW just so I have up to date things to work with). This is not to excuse less than adequate education or blame parents but just an observation that you can't have everything on a shoestring budget. The poster who mentioned that her dd did not like leaving specials for speech therapy has a valid point. The other perspective though (I'm a public school SLP) is that we have such huge numbers of kids to see and often in multiple sites that it is just not possible to take everyone's special requests in consideration, as much as we would like to. In my particular case, I am not allowed to take kids from any academic classes. I do push into the classes where feasible but otherwise, that only leaves specials times available for speech. I would suggest as other posters have that parental involvement, if done in a positive and not a bullying way, is very beneficial towards improving things.

 

[mommytobug]

Kind of like Public and private school parents putting homeschoolers down, huh?

I dont think I put anyone down in my post. I am an advocate of everyone doing what is best for their child. We choose private school no matter what the cost but there are negatives there also, just not as many as other options that "WE" as parents have.

 

[mommytobug]

While I may disagree with some aspects of your post.It was nicely said.

How sweet! Thanks! I was half asleep so hope it all came out how I intended it to.

 

[Momvic5]

This can be a very heated discussion, just as SAHM and WAHM and WOHM can be. We should all respect the choices we make for our children. We have dd enrolled in private school and if I had to work another job in order to accomplish this I would. Public school here in unacceptable in my opionion. This is not due to the teachers who are mostly wonderful, it is the magnitude of cultural differences they are faced with daily. These children sometimes only eat at school, are somtimes kept up all night due to behavior on their homes, have little or no guidance. PLEASE do not think I am talkingabout every public school child but most of them here have some kind of issue. DD needs stimulation and would surely lose interest in this setting, and would not be safe in my opinion. Homeschooling your children is your choice. It is not one I would make. We have several friends who homeschool and there is only one family who appears to have a grip on the entire picture of homeschooling. One family has a son that I would not even allow my child to be in the room with at church unless someone I knew was there. One child same story. Both had no boundaries when it came to adult interaction and had no concept of rules, my mom tried and tried to teach choir and gave up after being exhausted from these children who knew nothing about taking turns asking questions, much less raising your hand or minding an adult. Another friends homeschools and her child is in the 5th grade and WHINES for everything. She is more like a 2nd grader emotionally. She never has to do anything on a time schedule so when we get ready to go to the movie or dinner and she is here playing, she gets frustrated that she cant just go at her own pace. I also have one friend who homeschools that have very well rounded children that would blend in anywhere. I am not against homeschooling but I am against using it as a crutch so that the child has no schedule to do anything so that the parent is not bothered. I also despise homeschoolers who put themselves in a higher category than we parents who choose public or private. I know that I want my child to experience some hardship and decision making so that she knows that life is not always easy. Geez, even adults have to learn coping skills to deal with every day needs. My point is that we all should support each other. Our kids have hell to live in now, we as adults should unite to try and make their world easier.

I think people are going to be people and are going to try to validate their particular decisions concerning their children's education whether it be public, private, or homeschooling. I think most of us want to unite, but at the same time we all have very strong feelings about the decisions we have made. Just read your post. You are very adamant about your decision to private school, and in the same tone you are giving bad examples of homeschoolers. How is that creating an environment to unite. We all know and have experienced extreme cases and bad examples in all education choices. All of us have a list of bad examples we have encountered from children in public, private, and homeschool settings. IMHO ~ the examples you gave reveal more of poor parenting choices rather than poor education choices.

I think that at some point in any education choice we are all going to find disappointment. There isn't a choice that is going to be perfect, and we have to make a choice based on what is available to us and what will best maintain those aspects that we deem important. I think we can all agree that we want our children to learn, succeed, and enjoy school. Now if only we could agree on the specifics.