Anyone else disappointed in Elem. school?

[mommytobug]

Ummm...yeah. That is supportive!

My point from the beginning re. your post was that the mommas you know who look down on others are very much like the many, many traditional schooling people who look down their noses at homeschoolers.

LOL, and one of my son's best friends goes to traditional school, and he is such a nice boy. I truly respect his momma...

I am not quite sure what your agenda is, but hopefully it is fulfilled at this point. I have tried to explain myself repeatedly. I think we all can give examples of poor parenting whether the choice be homeschooling, private or public. Are you making fun of your friend? Maybe I am naive, but that is the way I read it. Please count me out of this thread. I will not be coming back to post or read, so please feel free to bash away.

 

[**pixie**]

Well add me to list of those disillusioned with our public elementary school. Our school is "highly rated", in fact it's one of the top schools in our state. To repeat a PP, this high rating is solely due to standardized test scores. My son scores highly on standardized tests and socially is well adjusted. In spite of this, I question his ability to really "think." He, and his classmates, are little test taking machines who are penalized for expressing any type of creativity in thinking. For example, when writing narratives and expositories, they are required to use main ideas from a list of main ideas proven to score highly on the essay portion of the test. So if a prompt asks them to tell a story about a time they were lucky, for example, they MUST pick one of about 10 main ideas given to them by the teacher. They are not allowed to think for themselves. This is appauling to me, and one of many examples that I could give you. I wanted so much more for him educationally. I want my son to be able to think, create and be an innovator, not simply a great follower of directions. I am in no way critisizing all schools, just the one involved here. Also, I am not blaming the teachers, they are forced to teach the test. They are probably just as disillusioned as I am.

About a month ago, in the midst of the test frenzy, I was speaking to my niece. She happens to teach in a nearby middle school. I was extremely upset, because I felt helpless. My son has had an average of 3 hours of homework per night since 2nd grade, so there is no time to "supplement" his education. Private schools are not an option, as the ones I consider adequate are at least $10K per year per child. I have a 5 year old starting K next year in addition to my DS. My niece suggested homeschooling. I immediately dismissed the idea. No way - not for me. Then, I started researching. Within a few weeks, DH and I strongly felt that this was not only an option, but an amazing opportunity. I am a lawyer turned stay at home mom. I received my BS in finance prior to law school. I feel that I can definately tackle a 5th grade curriculum. I must add, however, that I do not consider my degrees a requirement, in any way whatsoever, to successfully homeschooling my son.

My son has many neighborhood friends, none of whom attend his school. He will actually have much more time to socialize next year. His school currently doesn't have recess, and they frequently have "silent lunches." Because he won't have 3+ hours of homework, he will actually be able to play more than the 1/2 hour he currently has.

I know this isn't an option for everyone for a variety of reasons. I am nervous, scared, and excited to find out if this will work for us. I am commited to do this next year (5th grade) and will reevaluate at the year's end. I am viewing this a giant experiment and hope that it works for us. I will not be homeschooling my DD, it's too much for me to bite off at once.

To the OP, I really empathize with you and hope you find a solution that works for your family. I don't mean to turn this into a pro-anti homeschooling debate, I just wanted to share what will hopefully be a solution to our dissatisfaction. To those of you with competant teachers and schools, whether public or private, I consider you very fortunate. And to the homeschooling parents here, I will probably be begging you for help on the HS thread soon.

 

[npmommie]

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. 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.

We can give multiple examples of public and private schooled kids that act the very way you describe these homeschooled children. You WANT your child to experience hardship?? hmm..........i think there is plenty of time for that later , how about wanting her to experience the love for learning, the joy of learning.........not hardship. She will find out life isn't always fair or easy soon enough, lets let children have the wonder of childhood a little longer.

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.

So you say you want to unite and you respect everyone's choice, but you just disrespected the choices of homeschoolers and public schoolers by your last comment. So in effect is sounds like YOU are looking down your nose

I totally agree and for the record, my examples were meant to be examples as to why I made the choice I did in this area and in our community. Have we had some issues at private school? Of course, you will have issues anywhere you go (school, work, home).. you have to choose the place that best suits your needs. I dont stand above everyone who chooses other options. I do though stand up to someone who thinks that my choice should match theirs. Parenting is so hard, if we would all support instead of slander, we could help each other out. I hesitate to refer to "poor parenting" when I referenced these children because who am I to judge. But, these parents pushed their choices down our throats and would not look at any of their kids behavioral problems (they knew more about sex than I did as a teenager but yet they were being guarded against these things?) I would just smile when they would talk "above" me as I do with any choice I make. If I was in a good school district, my child would be in public school. Oh, and we were "catered" to by the wealthier people in town until it was clear we would not do public school. We were then shunned (thank goodness ). I am not from where I live and the culture here is (well, lets just say different than what I was used to).

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.

Agreed but please don's be so quick to judge my post! My dd has friends of all backgrounds who attend public, private and homeschooling. I want her to be open in her decisions about her own children. I will support whatever they may be.[/QUOTE]
I would be willing to bet in the future if you dd tells you she intends to homeschool her children you will voice your oppostion.

Wow, you must have some personal issues with this topic. One of my very best friend's is a homeschooling mom and her dd is one of my dds best friends. I respect her very much. I did not "stick it" to anyone. Sounds like you have issues with the PS system where you live, does that mean all of them? I would hope not. WE SHOULD SUPPORT EACH OTHERS DECISIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you making fun of your friend? Maybe I am naive, but that is the way I read it. Please count me out of this thread. I will not be coming back to post or read, so please feel free to bash away.

I think she was showing how it sounds to say you have a friend who homeschools and you respect her, as if that makes it ok, or that she needs your approval or respect.

I know you keep saying we should unite and support each other, and I know its hard to "talk" on a msg board, but your posts are very obviously anti homeschooling, and you make no bones about it.

 

[npmommie]

I realize there is a wide disparity in public (and private) schools and largely it depends on the quality of the individual teacher. 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.

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. Her best students have parents who frequently volunteer to assist in her classroom (a good way of knowing what type of education your child is getting, IMO). So, my recommendation is to get involved as much as you possibly can. It sounds like you are one of the "good" parents who obviously care about their child's education. While your child may not be in the best school or have the best individual teacher, I'm sure your school can not argue with you if you want to volunteer to help in your child's class. Other than that, I'd leave your child in their school and take part as much as possible in assisting them with their homework. Take an active part in their projects, and even supplement with your own assignments if you feel its necessary.

So it depends on the quality of the individual teacher huh?? But I thought teachers with that magical teaching degree can do no wrong, they are the ones who know best how to teach everyone's child??

You are obviously one of the (few) highly qualified homeschooling parents. However, my wife's family has several stay at home moms, with no post-hs education that insist on homeschooling as the only option. My wife's aunt homeschooled all her children all the way through 12th grade. None of her children have the slightest hope of a college education as they are completely unprepared for that level of education. They are also (in my opinion) rather behind socially. While neither impact of their homeschooling may be the norm, it is a risk.

I applaud you for having the desire and ability to give your children the education they deserve. I only caution those out there that, unless their desire and ability are as obviously refined as yours, they may not be as successful. In most cases, not all, I still think that a public or private school is the best choice.

wow there is that magical teaching degree again.
so your wife's aunt's kids............i think we can all agree we can name many many public and private schooled kids who match this description.
I think anyone with the desire to provide their child with a great education is capable of homeschooling. There is nothing about having a teaching degree that makes that person more "qualified" to teach a child. I know for me, I know my kids best, I know how they learn, what motivates them, what excites them, how they learn best, what they like, their personalities.......I don't need a teaching degree to know all this. I am their mom..........I am motivated by my love for them, to give them the best education.........and you know what? the proof is them.........

 

[npmommie]

To the OP..........
My suggestion is that if you may be interested in homeschooling, look into it , the regulations for your state, talk to other homeschoolers, read about it.........its a wonderful thing, and you would do fine with it, you sound very motivated.
If you are truly that unhappy with the education they are getting, you can do something, don't listen to the negativity concerning homeschoolers,..........i agree with the other poster, its a beautiful thing.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Hey Pixie! Wow, I can't imagine that much homework for a 7 year old. Your household couldn't be happy in the evenings! That would be horribly stressful! good luck on your journey, and join us on the HS thread, if you like.

Thanks NP for trying to explain! I don't think it will sink in, though. It is too much like the prejudiced person saying they aren't because they have one black friend.

And I have to say that the degrees in our ome trump a teacher's certificate, any day of the week! But my GF with a GED has kids attending the big schools on scholarships. And my SIL who only had her Associates degree has two kiddos with Masters Degrees. She liked teaching her own so much that she then earned a teaching degree, and started her own school.

 

[DawnM]

Do some of you who are unhappy with your local ps have options? Charter schools? Magnet programs?

There are not as many options where we are here in our county (as there were where we moved from), but there are some.

I taught public school for 16 years and I now homeschool my own kids. There are good aspects to both and drawbacks to both. For now, we homeschool. We may opt for school later on, although sticking to a school schedule really cuts into our social life!

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

What did you mean by this?

Dawn

And I have to say that the degrees in our ome trump a teacher's certificate, any day of the week! .

 

[The Disney Bunch]

I don't have any real problems with the education my girls are getting - what bothers me is that the parents are treated like criminals - we are not allowed in the classroom - we only get to meet the teacher for the first time at Back to School night & then we are not allowed to really talk to her. Anything we suggest to the school is brushed off. One dad dropped by the school at lunchtime to see his son (he was off from work unexpectedly) and a note was sent home that his (the dad's) behavior was unacceptable - we are not allowed to just drop by - they stopped classroom visitation day because of safety concerns after 9/11 & because it causes disruption in the classroom. I shake my head & ask how was this allowed to happen. The parents who allwoed this really need an explanation to those of us who followed.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Well add me to list of those disillusioned with our public elementary school. Our school is "highly rated", in fact it's one of the top schools in our state. To repeat a PP, this high rating is solely due to standardized test scores. My son scores highly on standardized tests and socially is well adjusted. In spite of this, I question his ability to really "think." He, and his classmates, are little test taking machines who are penalized for expressing any type of creativity in thinking. For example, when writing narratives and expositories, they are required to use main ideas from a list of main ideas proven to score highly on the essay portion of the test. So if a prompt asks them to tell a story about a time they were lucky, for example, they MUST pick one of about 10 main ideas given to them by the teacher. They are not allowed to think for themselves. This is appauling to me, and one of many examples that I could give you. I wanted so much more for him educationally. I want my son to be able to think, create and be an innovator, not simply a great follower of directions. I am in no way critisizing all schools, just the one involved here. Also, I am not blaming the teachers, they are forced to teach the test. They are probably just as disillusioned as I am.

About a month ago, in the midst of the test frenzy, I was speaking to my niece. She happens to teach in a nearby middle school. I was extremely upset, because I felt helpless. My son has had an average of 3 hours of homework per night since 2nd grade, so there is no time to "supplement" his education. Private schools are not an option, as the ones I consider adequate are at least $10K per year per child. I have a 5 year old starting K next year in addition to my DS. My niece suggested homeschooling. I immediately dismissed the idea. No way - not for me. Then, I started researching. Within a few weeks, DH and I strongly felt that this was not only an option, but an amazing opportunity. I am a lawyer turned stay at home mom. I received my BS in finance prior to law school. I feel that I can definately tackle a 5th grade curriculum. I must add, however, that I do not consider my degrees a requirement, in any way whatsoever, to successfully homeschooling my son.

My son has many neighborhood friends, none of whom attend his school. He will actually have much more time to socialize next year. His school currently doesn't have recess, and they frequently have "silent lunches." Because he won't have 3+ hours of homework, he will actually be able to play more than the 1/2 hour he currently has.

I know this isn't an option for everyone for a variety of reasons. I am nervous, scared, and excited to find out if this will work for us. I am commited to do this next year (5th grade) and will reevaluate at the year's end. I am viewing this a giant experiment and hope that it works for us. I will not be homeschooling my DD, it's too much for me to bite off at once.

To the OP, I really empathize with you and hope you find a solution that works for your family. I don't mean to turn this into a pro-anti homeschooling debate, I just wanted to share what will hopefully be a solution to our dissatisfaction. To those of you with competant teachers and schools, whether public or private, I consider you very fortunate. And to the homeschooling parents here, I will probably be begging you for help on the HS thread soon.

Wow, I don't blame you for being fed up. How can they get rid of recess? And what's the purpose of a silent lunch? Do all the parents just sit back and accept this? OMG, there would be a riot at our school board meetings if they tried that stuff here.
Heck, last year they tried to increase the maximum 4th/5th grade class size to 25. Our ds was going into 5th grade and would be a big change for our kids who are used to small class size. The parents all got together and rebelled (in a nice but assertive way) that it would be detrimental since it's now 20 max but usually is around 18. When the school board said they'd discuss it at their May meeting, (this was in March) the parents rebelled again and said, No it will be discussed at the next meeting! In our school the kids meet next year's teacher on the last day of school so if they don't get all of it resolved early, they would miss out on this. Sure enough, it was discussed at the next meeting.
As it turned out, they did have to open another 5th grade class and another teacher had to be hired so ds didn't know who his teacher would be until July which really isn't a big deal to me but other parents were upset.

Sorry this is getting long but want to thank all of you for reminding me how much I like our schools. Every Apr. we have to vote yes or no on our school budget. I always vote yes knowing my already outrageous taxes will go up more to pay for it. (if the budget doesn't pass, they have to cut something like $2 million out) Just when I was considering voting no b/c our taxes are soooo high (over $7000/yr for a 3br rancher on a quarter acre, not a big house at all) you all set me back on track. Thanks!
good luck Pixie!

 

[meandtheguys2]

What did you mean by this?

Dawn

The fact is that I loved college, and can still attend for free due to both DH's and my work affiliations...I have 2 BA's, 2BS, one MEd, MSW, and a PhD. DH only has a BS, but he is the math wiz in the fam.

I've currently leaped out of the SS type classes and into Geology. I'm loving those. I didn't know how much I actually loved the real sciences until I started teaching the kiddos! After Geology, I may go for Biology, and have considered med school. When the kids are out of here, of course.

DS14 will be taking his first college class next fall, thanks to it being free!

So, Dawn, absolutely nothing personal. I just think it is shortsighted when people think only teachers can teach. Almost all of the mommas in our group have at least a bachelors degree, and most have more. This is a college town, and several of the families are children of profs, or docs from the medical school.

 

[karajeboo]

I don't have any real problems with the education my girls are getting - what bothers me is that the parents are treated like criminals - we are not allowed in the classroom - we only get to meet the teacher for the first time at Back to School night & then we are not allowed to really talk to her. Anything we suggest to the school is brushed off. One dad dropped by the school at lunchtime to see his son (he was off from work unexpectedly) and a note was sent home that his (the dad's) behavior was unacceptable - we are not allowed to just drop by - they stopped classroom visitation day because of safety concerns after 9/11 & because it causes disruption in the classroom. I shake my head & ask how was this allowed to happen. The parents who allwoed this really need an explanation to those of us who followed.

That is absolutely insane! Sounds like your school is trying to "hide" something? I used to go eat lunch with DD sometimes at her old school. It was very safe and secure, but also very open to parents eating with their kids, or sitting in on classes. There was even a section in the school handbook about "parents behavior" while in the schools.

The issue I just found out about last night - the reason my DD blows through her lunch money so fast is that she has the option to buy Gatorade, chips, cookies, etc, in the lunch line!!!! She went through $30 in less than 2 weeks, and now I know why! DH and I talked with her and she now knows that she is NOT to buy chips or sweets with her lunch money, and she can only buy Gatorade on Fridays. I love having the cafeteria account (I remember as a kid I had to take, and not lose, my coins for lunch each day!), but how dare they allow a 6 year old the opportunity to fill themselves with junk each day - at the parent's expense!!! And this is all in addition to the regular lunch that is coming out of her cafeteria funds. So instead of $1.15 (I think) for lunch, she is adding $.50 for chips, cookie or Gatorade - or maybe all three! This just makes no sense to me. Oh, and when I had the issue with her speech therapy time, I suggested taking her out of recess and was told, "Oh no, the govt requires that children get X number of minutes of exercise each day.... yada yada yada." Well, hmmmm, maybe get rid of chips and cookies in the cafetere (they already get fruit or something else sweet WITH their lunch) and we won't need to worry about this!!!! Even when DD takes her lunch to school, she can STILL buy the junk!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

That is absolutely insane! Sounds like your school is trying to "hide" something? I used to go eat lunch with DD sometimes at her old school. It was very safe and secure, but also very open to parents eating with their kids, or sitting in on classes. There was even a section in the school handbook about "parents behavior" while in the schools.

The issue I just found out about last night - the reason my DD blows through her lunch money so fast is that she has the option to buy Gatorade, chips, cookies, etc, in the lunch line!!!! She went through $30 in less than 2 weeks, and now I know why! DH and I talked with her and she now knows that she is NOT to buy chips or sweets with her lunch money, and she can only buy Gatorade on Fridays. I love having the cafeteria account (I remember as a kid I had to take, and not lose, my coins for lunch each day!), but how dare they allow a 6 year old the opportunity to fill themselves with junk each day - at the parent's expense!!! And this is all in addition to the regular lunch that is coming out of her cafeteria funds. So instead of $1.15 (I think) for lunch, she is adding $.50 for chips, cookie or Gatorade - or maybe all three! This just makes no sense to me. Oh, and when I had the issue with her speech therapy time, I suggested taking her out of recess and was told, "Oh no, the govt requires that children get X number of minutes of exercise each day.... yada yada yada." Well, hmmmm, maybe get rid of chips and cookies in the cafetere (they already get fruit or something else sweet WITH their lunch) and we won't need to worry about this!!!! Even when DD takes her lunch to school, she can STILL buy the junk!

Find out if your school lunch account can set limits. At the beginning of each school year we can set a limit of extra spending beyond the reg. lunch entree. I used to allow .75 but every Thurs they have slushies that are $1 so I changed it. We can set it to 0, no limit or a set amount if we want.

jmho, but I think recess is important too. Not for exercise per say but we all need a little down time to recharge a little. My ds is ADHD and really needs to get out and be able to run/move around after trying so hard to sit and be focused for class work. He has had speech and OT in the past and we all agreed, for him anyway, recess is not something he should miss. all kids are different of course.

 

[ampc3]

.

The issue I just found out about last night - the reason my DD blows through her lunch money so fast is that she has the option to buy Gatorade, chips, cookies, etc, in the lunch line!!!! She went through $30 in less than 2 weeks, and now I know why! DH and I talked with her and she now knows that she is NOT to buy chips or sweets with her lunch money, and she can only buy Gatorade on Fridays. I love having the cafeteria account (I remember as a kid I had to take, and not lose, my coins for lunch each day!), but how dare they allow a 6 year old the opportunity to fill themselves with junk each day - at the parent's expense!!! something else sweet WITH their lunch) and we won't need to worry about this!!!! Even when DD takes her lunch to school, she can STILL buy the junk![/QUOTE]

That made me laugh, b/c my kids did that for about a week, until they figured out I could see everything they were buying on mealpay ... Is your account set up with mealpay? b/c you can monitor what they are eating, and you can put on the account that they aren't allowed to buy any extras....


To the pp who said they can't even come and have lunch with their kids... That is soooo wrong on so many levels! At my kids new school, they make a big deal out of the parents coming and having lunch, they have seperate eating area up on a stage, and the kids get to pick a friend to come up and eat with them too.. There are fabulous public schools out there, but it seems that is more the exception than the rule, which is soo sad.

 

[DawnM]

Ah, ok.

Well, I do have a teaching certificate, but I also have two MAs, one in TESOL and one in School Counseling.

I have 109 semester grad credits above my BA. Our district said you needed 98 units above your BA to get to the top of the salary scale and I wanted to make them count!

I wish I could go to school for free. I would continue with my counseling and get a School Psych MA and credential. Unfortunately, it would be a lot of time and money for me and I wouldn't have them count toward my salary increase.

Dawn

The fact is that I loved college, and can still attend for free due to both DH's and my work affiliations...I have 2 BA's, 2BS, one MEd, MSW, and a PhD. DH only has a BS, but he is the math wiz in the fam.

I've currently leaped out of the SS type classes and into Geology. I'm loving those. I didn't know how much I actually loved the real sciences until I started teaching the kiddos! After Geology, I may go for Biology, and have considered med school. When the kids are out of here, of course.

DS14 will be taking his first college class next fall, thanks to it being free!

So, Dawn, absolutely nothing personal. I just think it is shortsighted when people think only teachers can teach. Almost all of the mommas in our group have at least a bachelors degree, and most have more. This is a college town, and several of the families are children of profs, or docs from the medical school.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Ah, ok.

Well, I do have a teaching certificate, but I also have two MAs, one in TESOL and one in School Counseling.

I have 109 semester grad credits above my BA. Our district said you needed 98 units above your BA to get to the top of the salary scale and I wanted to make them count!

I wish I could go to school for free. I would continue with my counseling and get a School Psych MA and credential. Unfortunately, it would be a lot of time and money for me and I wouldn't have them count toward my salary increase.

Dawn

It is a tremendous blessing. And one of the reasons, we continue with our work. I'm only there part-time, and it is easy. Gotta love college problems, compared to public mental health, or school issues. 95% are drug/alcohol or roommate issues. The 5% is a bit rougher! And they pay so much better than the other jobs! It makes it worth it to work around the school day, etc.

DH drives an hour to get to the U., which is costing us a fortune, but we will make up for it, if the kids decide to go there or to my LA college.

 

[Merriwind]

As a teacher, my advice to those of you who are not happy is:

• analyze why you are dissatisfied: are your concerns legit or are they personal. If they are legit proceed with the following...
• make a list of all of your concerns
• there is safety in #s and your best bet is to rally the troops...get other parents involved
• don't just complain (to other parents or online), but speak in a diplomatic and professional way to those who matter (teachers, principal, supt.)
• address your concerns with who they directly relate to first. i.e. if it is the teacher then speak to the teacher 1st and not a higher up. Try to find solutions and document your attempts.
• If you do not have success with that then take it to the next level. If your concerns are strong and you feel the school is doing a disservice to its children I would contact the newspaper/state department of ed/etc and draw attention to your concerns ONLY AFTER having tried to resolve it with all the powers that be within the school district
• Look into school choice. Many districts offer this.
• Take ownership and responsibility for your child's education. Advocate for them and work with them at home on how they can take responsibility for their education. Be sure the problem is with the school and not your child. I have had parents in the past claim that their child is bored when the truth was that they were not taking advantage of all the opportunities within the classroom. Granted there are plenty of classrooms where the children are legitimately bored and that is very sad, but it is not always the case so be sure you and your child are doing your part as well.

Lots of luck to you! I'm sorry you are in this situation.

This is such great advice.

We are so lucky--we love DD10's school. It did take work to find the right fit. She has been in private school, homeschooled and public school (neighborhood and the magnet she now attends). Homeschooling and her current school were the best for us hands-down. I remember the frustration of being unhappy with a school and knowing it wasn't the right place for DD--and offer hugs to you in that situation.

Unfortunately, the education system in our country is pretty broken. Those of us in great schools are truly fortunate. NCLB, property tax reform that takes money from the schools, less parental involvement--there are probably a myriad of reasons.

 

[**pixie**]

Wow, I don't blame you for being fed up. How can they get rid of recess? And what's the purpose of a silent lunch? Do all the parents just sit back and accept this?

At one point when my DS was in 3rd grade, the parents rebelled against the amount of homework. For a few months the homework level decreased, but it crept right back up in a short amount of time. I think most of the parents just accept the situation because the school is so highly regarded. I guess it's considered the price they (and their kids) have to pay for this "great" education. Additionally, many parents are using fake addresses to get into this school, so they are leary of creating waves and getting caught. I am definately one of the few parents who do not necessarily see a direct corrolation between DS's high state test score and the overall quality of the education he is receiving. This school has test taking down to a science, and unfortunately, it's their sole focus. Their rank is based on the test scores of their students, so it is all they focus on.

I understand the importance of standardized tests, but when everything regarding the student, teacher and school rests on this one element, they have no choice. They could lose their funding. It's quite sad, and I think that the kids are paying the price.

Similar to the PP, our school does not necessarily want parents around. I do volunteeer, but generally, the parent's presence is not really welcomed. For security reasons, parents are not allowed to walk their kids into the building, so most parents only see the teacher if they schedule a conference a few times a year.

So, we will begin our homeschooling adventure next year. To the OP, I concur with the previous poster who suggested that if you are considering homeschooling, research it. There is an abundance of information available online. I am pleasantly surprized with what I have learned.

 

[rt2dz]

Do some of you who are unhappy with your local ps have options? Charter schools? Magnet programs?

There are not as many options where we are here in our county (as there were where we moved from), but there are some.

I taught public school for 16 years and I now homeschool my own kids. There are good aspects to both and drawbacks to both. For now, we homeschool. We may opt for school later on, although sticking to a school schedule really cuts into our social life!

Dawn

The nearest charter school for my kids is over an hour away; with morning traffic, that adds another 40 minutes. The magnet program is for high school only. We do not have choice of schools within our district, nor does any district near us. I don’t want to speak for the state because I don’t know, but I haven’t heard of any within the state. Again, the private schools that are worth while are $40K per year per child (that would be $120,000 per year for me), plus then you must buy books and uniforms and there is a mandatory charitable donation. There are private schools that would be $5,000 per year, but they don't match what my educational goals are for my kids. Like I stated, 50% of all the taxes I pay (minus sales tax) go to the schools. I don't have a low tax rate for the area--it's a good chunk of change. If my kids aren't getting what I want them to get still, why pay twice? I would LOVE to home school, but I don’t think I could. And the money it would cost to have my kids socializing in the way they need would probably be about the same as private school. I’m not in a cheap area and there are no park districts or community centers.

Like the pp, my educational goals for my kids are #1 to have the ability to think. I want them to have a general knowledge of everything. I don't care if they know the name of every battle in World War I and the dates those battles took place. I want them to know the dates of the war and the significance of the events. I want them to know the whys and hows. I want them to understand the world around them. I want them to know how the past connects to the present and the future. I want them to fall in love with learning. I want them to read for enjoyment and not just because they have a book report. I understand and accept the purpose of learning how to dissect a written work, but what on Earth do kids learn from memorizing a piece of prose by Shakespeare? They should understand what goes behind it that makes it great and not the "Out, out damn spot. Out I say." quote. Yes, they need to learn to spell properly and how to use grammar, but they should be able to learn in a way that is easy and worthwhile to them. It would save a lot of time.

I hate the busy work that kids must do because class sizes it just too large. I hate the fun being taken out of school. Yes, there is more to learn today than there was when I was in school, but they’ve already extended the day 2 hours, cut lunch in half, cut out two of the recesses and shortened the other one. Schools must admit that tests measure nothing or they wouldn’t be teaching the test and how to take it. My kids at 7yo wouldn’t have 1-2 hours of homework every night just so they can learn the basics. I think it is silly to hold a child back who has mastered a skill until the rest of the class does. I’m horrified that some kids are pushed aside because a single concept is hard on them and teacher communication only comes home once a week in arrears so the parent can’t help that child at home until that kid is already two weeks behind. I’m appalled at the national drop out rate and that there are kids moving up through the grades (and graduating high school) that don’t have basic knowledge, like knowing how to read. I think in order to “be more efficient” we’ve set aside things that made kids successful in school and beyond. Our kids can’t compete (generally) with students of other countries (some of who do educate everyone also). Obviously our system doesn’t work and needs reform.

 

[Kriii]

This is such an interesting thread! I just wanted to jump back in to address those who are concerned that they cannot drop in at school at random. Unfortunately, the few have spoiled it for the many in this situation. With the many episodes of school shootings that have occurred, security has become tight. I personally feel safer that not just anyone can walk into the schools. In my school, we have had non-custodial parents drop in to try and pull their kids from school or visit them. We have had strangers with jail records drop in the school with evidence of no good intentions. I could go on and on. Please don't take it personally parents.