Facebook and the public schools - vent

[disykat]

Another thread brought this to mind. My aunt constantly posts things on Facebook about the horrors of what is happening in our public schools that really irritate me. She believes what she is hearing is happening in schools - though IME none of it is true, certainly not where she lives.

For the record, I teach standard math algorithms, I've always taught cursive writing and still do, we say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, kids are welcome to read their Bibles if they want to during free reading, and can write/draw about their faith if they choose. I "practice my faith" all day every day in school and have never been told I can't.

It always confuses me that I'm in the public schools daily and don't see these things that are being spread on the internet as fact. Any thoughts? I teach in a very non-religious liberal state and I don't see these things.

Every time I see "bring back the Pledge of Allegiance!" I wonder where they think it went?

PS - I'm assuming this is okay - I don't mean it to be political or religious, just thoughts on fear mongering on Facebook!

 

[tvguy]

Another thread brought this to mind. My aunt constantly posts things on Facebook about the horrors of what is happening in our public schools that really irritate me. She believes what she is hearing is happening in schools - though IME none of it is true, certainly not where she lives.

For the record, I teach standard math algorithms, I've always taught cursive writing and still do, we say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, kids are welcome to read their Bibles if they want to during free reading, and can write/draw about their faith if they choose. I "practice my faith" all day every day in school and have never been told I can't.

It always confuses me that I'm in the public schools daily and don't see these things that are being spread on the internet as fact. Any thoughts? I teach in a very non-religious liberal state and I don't see these things.

Every time I see "bring back the Pledge of Allegiance!" I wonder where they think it went?

PS - I'm assuming this is okay - I don't mean it to be political or religious, just thoughts on fear mongering on Facebook!

Education is one topic on the DIS boards that I have learned that our education system varies wildly across the country.

Salaries are very low some places, but start at $43,196 in the district I live in for teachers who have just gotten their credential.
Common core is controversial in some districts, a non-issue here.

The big burning issue in my district right now is Federal Funding with strings. Each school in my district just got $250,000 in grant money for fencing and landscaping. But the school closest to where I live can't get $50,000 for the iPads they need. How about $200,000 for landscaping and fencing and $50,000 for i-Pads? Nope, can't spend the money anywhere but landscaping.

 

[Tiffylv]

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[Art 1]

Another thread brought this to mind. My aunt constantly posts things on Facebook about the horrors of what is happening in our public schools that really irritate me. She believes what she is hearing is happening in schools - though IME none of it is true, certainly not where she lives.

For the record, I teach standard math algorithms, I've always taught cursive writing and still do, we say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, kids are welcome to read their Bibles if they want to during free reading, and can write/draw about their faith if they choose. I "practice my faith" all day every day in school and have never been told I can't.

It always confuses me that I'm in the public schools daily and don't see these things that are being spread on the internet as fact. Any thoughts? I teach in a very non-religious liberal state and I don't see these things.

Every time I see "bring back the Pledge of Allegiance!" I wonder where they think it went?

PS - I'm assuming this is okay - I don't mean it to be political or religious, just thoughts on fear mongering on Facebook!

Well, you could state your opinion. Cancel that Facebook. Or, I don't know much about Facebook as I've never done it but from what I hear one can remove someone from their account. So those are three different options. I guess a forth would be to ignore it. Problem solved!

 

[disykat]

Well, you could state your opinion. Cancel that Facebook. Or, I don't know much about Facebook as I've never done it but from what I hear one can remove someone from their account. So those are three different options. I guess a forth would be to ignore it. Problem solved!

Or you could find it interesting and discuss it?

Men, such problem solvers!

 

[Southernmiss]

Everyone has an opinion on everything. Now with Facebook we know what they are.

There are 2 school districts in our area. I went to the other one. My kids go to the one we live in. Unfortunately, the one we live in has a reputation to be the lesser desired district. It's bigger. So it's money doesn't go as far. My kid's education and experience has been as good as mine in the other district. But because everyone has an opinion, it still goes around that this district is lesser, even though recent published test scores of this districh are better than the other's scores.

Now we are looking at an election for a new superintendent and the front runner is a fella who has been 'groomed' for the position by the guy who's been in place for 30 years. I'd like to see someone new and fresh in the position. It's the Facebook posts by folks without kids in the schools supporting this guy that get me! They are also the ones I see posting for prayer in school and pledge of allegiance. They are the older generation who don't really know what happens in school, but latch on to one post or story they've seen and it becomes truth for everwhere.

Oh and I love this...as long as there are students in school, there will be prayer in school. It just doesn't have to be out loud. I see no need to push it on anyone.

 

[Colleen27]

What bothers me is that people seem to check their brains at the door when they log in to Facebook. Not only do they not do even the most cursory fact-checking of a "shocking" viral post, they don't even seem to apply their own built-in BS detectors. And the craziest thing is that if someone does take a second or two to debunk something, it is about 50-50 whether the person who posted it will reject the actual facts in order to hang on to the untrue but bias-reaffirming Fb meme.

 

[DisneyOma]

What bothers me is that people seem to check their brains at the door when they log in to Facebook. Not only do they not do even the most cursory fact-checking of a "shocking" viral post, they don't even seem to apply their own built-in BS detectors. And the craziest thing is that if someone does take a second or two to debunk something, it is about 50-50 whether the person who posted it will reject the actual facts in order to hang on to the untrue but bias-reaffirming Fb meme.

I check and double check a lot of the crazy stuff my friends put on Facebook. I have a coworker giving me the silent treatment right now because I pointed out her shared "scientific proof" didn't actually have any valid scientific studies in it.

 

[Pooh Crew]

Disykat, we might be cousins! My aunt posts the same nonsense. My children (all high schoolers) say the pledge every day and always have. We don't have common core anything. We have a moment of silence for prayer, and there's student led prayer organizations and even churches that visit during lunches (they cannot approach students, but students can go up to the church representatives). Believe me, there's no shortage of religion at our schools--but it is student led, not school led. Of course, she also posts about aids infected needles attached to public toilets, crazy kidnapper plots, and a million other things that are debunked by snopes.

There's something deeper going on with all this public school bashing and I believe it can be traced back to money. In our area, a guy took out ads against our schools and school district trying to sound like an angry parent. Turns out, he was a charter school investor with a lot to gain if our district looked bad. He spent over $250,000 against our district and lives about three hours away. That's a lot of money...tells me there's a lot more money to be gained!

Our district is excellent and I could not ask for better teachers, nurses, counsellors, or administration. I know every district isn't like that, but enough with the bashing when you don't have a clue what goes on inside the schools.

 

[scoutie]

I agree. I used to explain how things are in my district (I'm a teacher in a public school, and my kids go to public school), but got tired of it. My kids have recess, gym, music, art, say the pledge, learn multiple ways to solve math problems, etc. In my school, kids can be as open as they want about their religion, they can pray or not pray. I don't make anywhere close to six figures, and it was just recently that I finally broke $50,000 after 17 years of experience and a Master's.

My 7th grade students know to check their sources before posting anything as fact. I wish adults did the same.

 

[Unas]

Education is one topic on the DIS boards that I have learned that our education system varies wildly across the country.

Salaries are very low some places, but start at $43,196 in the district I live in for teachers who have just gotten their credential.
Common core is controversial in some districts, a non-issue here.

The big burning issue in my district right now is Federal Funding with strings. Each school in my district just got $250,000 in grant money for fencing and landscaping. But the school closest to where I live can't get $50,000 for the iPads they need. How about $200,000 for landscaping and fencing and $50,000 for i-Pads? Nope, can't spend the money anywhere but landscaping.

Federal grants, as well as foundation grants, come for a specific purpose. It's just the way grants work. The grantee knows the purpose when the application is made. Take your school district to task for submitting applications for landscaping when they seem to need technology grants.

 

[tvguy]

Federal grants, as well as foundation grants, come for a specific purpose. It's just the way grants work. The grantee knows the purpose when the application is made. Take your school district to task for submitting applications for landscaping when they seem to need technology grants.

Oh they have several full time employees who do nothing but grant writing/applications. No need to take them to task, the grants for things they NEED just aren't there. It is so stupid. They get grants for new roofing.....and get 25 year roofing put on, and 5 years later, get another grant for roofing and tear off roofing that still has 20 years life in it....because they know in the world of grants, that 20 years from now that there may be no grant money available for roofs......so while they threw away 20 years of roofing life, they pushed back needing the NEXT roof by 5 years.

 

[Sparkly]

I'm glad I finished up my school career just before Facebook became a big thing.

 

[MSLRAC]

I actually unfriended a person because of her constant rants about public schools and Common Core on FB. Her kids had never even set foot into a public school because she was unschooling them.

 

[littleblackegg]

It is a common political tactic to use private funds and organizations to whip citizens up into a frenzy over an issue that does not exist. The goal behind this is never what the citizens think it is. It usually has to do with returning government funds to a wealthy and powerful contractor, opposing a union, looking "tough on crime," or appearing to address a problem that looks heinous but isn't really happening. A good example is the current push to defund Planned Parenthood. No Federal funds have ever been used to fund abortions at Planned Parenthood or any other facility. Planned Parenthood is a contractor-they perform low-cost general health care, cancer screening, contraception and mother baby-care with the use of state administered federal funds. If you ask people, you'd think the Holocaust was going down in those exam rooms. A few fake videos that have already been proved to be fake show up, and tons of people in Congress see it as an opportunity to create partisan chaos. The things with the schools are the same thing on a community scale-they manipulate people by appealing to their emotions to further their agendas.

 

[nugov2]

Another thread brought this to mind. My aunt constantly posts things on Facebook about the horrors of what is happening in our public schools that really irritate me. She believes what she is hearing is happening in schools - though IME none of it is true, certainly not where she lives.

For the record, I teach standard math algorithms, I've always taught cursive writing and still do, we say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, kids are welcome to read their Bibles if they want to during free reading, and can write/draw about their faith if they choose. I "practice my faith" all day every day in school and have never been told I can't.

It always confuses me that I'm in the public schools daily and don't see these things that are being spread on the internet as fact. Any thoughts? I teach in a very non-religious liberal state and I don't see these things.

Every time I see "bring back the Pledge of Allegiance!" I wonder where they think it went?

PS - I'm assuming this is okay - I don't mean it to be political or religious, just thoughts on fear mongering on Facebook!

Same experience where I live as you. We say the pledge and sing a patriotic song to start off every day. We don't have any of the sky is falling dramatics with CC (most don't notice a difference and the few times I've seen people complain it is methods that were being used even when my oldest was in that grade preCC, so I think people just like to blame everything on it) not 1 single person I know opted out of testing or cared about it either.

I am sure crazy stuff goes on, but I think they are all examples of isolated poor teacher choices and districts who take the easy way out and would have issues regardless. There are always going to be people doing dumb things, but with social media small things get a whole frenzy of people sharing and complaining like the world is ending.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Another thread brought this to mind. My aunt constantly posts things on Facebook about the horrors of what is happening in our public schools that really irritate me. She believes what she is hearing is happening in schools - though IME none of it is true, certainly not where she lives.

For the record, I teach standard math algorithms, I've always taught cursive writing and still do, we say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, kids are welcome to read their Bibles if they want to during free reading, and can write/draw about their faith if they choose. I "practice my faith" all day every day in school and have never been told I can't.

It always confuses me that I'm in the public schools daily and don't see these things that are being spread on the internet as fact. Any thoughts? I teach in a very non-religious liberal state and I don't see these things.

Every time I see "bring back the Pledge of Allegiance!" I wonder where they think it went?

PS - I'm assuming this is okay - I don't mean it to be political or religious, just thoughts on fear mongering on Facebook!

I think when they call for bringing back the pledge they mean the original which goes like this

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
that is the one the founding fathers came up with in 1923 it was changed to this
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
It was changed in 1954 because of the scare of communism to
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
So a lot of people want it returning to the original without the mention of god.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I think when they call for bringing back the pledge they mean the original which goes like this

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
that is the one the founding fathers came up with in 1923 it was changed to this
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
It was changed in 1954 because of the scare of communism to
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
So a lot of people want it returning to the original without the mention of god.

Most of the "outrage" I see is schools that have reverted back to the 1923 version & the people who say they want the "original" back actually want the 1954 version back.

 

[Pooh Crew]

The ones posting on my timeline are referring to ANY pledge. They are assuming that school kids do not say any pledge of allegiance. Of course, none of these people have set foot in a school in twenty plus years. They're just parroting and sharing nonsense that someone has parroted or shared with them. Why bother verifying anything before spreading it? (Where oh where is that sarcasm font?)

 

[Colleen27]

Most of the "outrage" I see is schools that have reverted back to the 1923 version & the people who say they want the "original" back actually want the 1954 version back.

That's what I see too... Outrage at the "godless" "anti-Christian" forces wanting to "take God out of schools" by reverting to the pledge as it was originally written.

Personally, I think we should go back to the original not because of any concern even remotely related to religion but because the 1954 revision of the pledge is essentially honoring a very dark and un-American piece of our national history.