Is it hypocritical....

[Kathi OD]

That could be any elected person. Do you find it wrong for teacher to teach at public schools but send there kids to private schools or vice versa

Not necessarily. If a person lived in a school district that where you felt the education was less than adequate, but taught in a district that provided an excellent education, I would have no problem with their children going to private school.

 

[tinkntraining]

I'm not sure I understand the reasons for these reactions to the above statement. Maybe the president of the school board places a high value on the religious training/instruction of his children, which isn't available (by law) in a public school. Wanting religious instruction for his own children as part of their academic schooling, doesn't preclude him from being a strong advocate for those children who attend the public schools in the community and a good member of the school board.

I don't necessarily hypocritical at all. I would have to know the reasons why the children are attending private school before I could make a decision about hypocrisy.

You may be absolutely right. I answered this question purely based upon my own life experience. I personally have a problem with school board members making academic or curriculum decisions for a thousands of children, when they don't even have any children in the school district. I feel the same way about spouses of teachers being on the Board. If the Board is responsible for making policy, such as salaries, probations, or any other kind of merit-based or disciplinary action, I believe there is a strong conflict of interest if that teacher's spouse is a member of the school board. I've seen it first-hand.
Small-town politics.

 

[VillageMama]

My principal in high school sent his son to a private school. I always thought that was a little odd.

I think it speaks volumes when the staff of a school doesn't send their children to that school. They know more about the goings on in the school than the general public does!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

No. Last time I checked we are free to do as we choose. Freedom does not always equal hypocrisy.

 

[Kathi OD]

You may be absolutely right. I answered this question purely based upon my own life experience. I personally have a problem with school board members making academic or curriculum decisions for a thousands of children, when they don't even have any children in the school district. I feel the same way about spouses of teachers being on the Board. If the Board is responsible for making policy, such as salaries, probations, or any other kind of merit-based or disciplinary action, I believe there is a strong conflict of interest if that teacher's spouse is a member of the school board. I've seen it first-hand.
Small-town politics.

I don't have so much of a problem with someone being on the school board and not having children in the district. Just because someone doesn't have children in school, doesn't mean they don't have a vested interest in seeing that the public school system delivers the best possible education. Property values are driven, in large part, but the reputation of the local schools.

As for spouses of teachers being on the school boards of districts where their wife/husband is a teacher...I'm with you on that one. Definitely screams conflict of interest, even when they abstain from voting on issues that directly affect their spouse.

 

[sbell111]

My principal in high school sent his son to a private school. I always thought that was a little odd. As for politicians, it would depend on each situation.

If my father was the school principal, I would do my darndest to be allowed to go elsewhere.

 

[Amy&Dan]

There are many reasons to send your child to private school. In some cases, your child may not thrive in a public classroom due to crowding or curriculum. In others, as in the case of our current president and a few former ones, it was a security issue. And a private one that was theirs to make. Other people want their children to receive the religious component only a private school can offer (by law). Lots of reasons exist for sure.

Just because a teacher, superintendant or any other public school employee, whether elected or hired, sends their child or children to private school does not mean they don't care about that district or that they don't have a vested interest in it.

Also, if you work in a district, you may not want your children and their private information to be common knowledge by your co workers and superiors.

 

[simba20]

We live in PoDunk and the school superententant (sp) does even live in our county. How that for ya?

We also do not like the schools here, the politics, the everybody being in eveybody's business (seriously a neighbor's child was told on her first day of school "just because you are Coach x's daughter, that doesn;t mean you'll get special treatment"). My husband is a teacher here, but he agrees that we will not have our daughter attend school here -- so hence we are planning to move to the city 45 minutes away. Maybe we can live next door to our county sperententant.

My husband plans on being here at least 2 more years (so he'll have a communte) until the bass-ackwards system decides what their plan is for consolidating the middle schools. So far thier plan is to build on one large wing at the high school to hold the 800 middle schoolers in our county. The county is acutally receeding in enrollment (each year he population drops). Combine that with a high drop out rate, extended family raising kids, and little money (most schools finally made AYP in the last 2 years), then you'll understand why we want out and will not have our daughter here. Yes, my husband likes his job, but there's such a huge difference in the quality of work our other teacher friends receive in their jobs -- they were smart and left a while ago. We should have made the move when they did.

There is also a private school here, but I don't like it either.

Counting down, I only have 1.5 years before Pre-K comes along.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I think it speaks volumes when the staff of a school doesn't send their children to that school. They know more about the goings on in the school than the general public does!

I'm a school administrator who doesn't send my child to my school. I actually debated quitting my job this year so that I could send my child to the school I work at, it's a great school and I think he'd do well here -- but as a family we do better with our own space and some separation. In the end I decided to move to a different school district and commute in every day so we could have that space.

Does that make me a hypocrite?

 

[simba20]

I'm a school administrator who doesn't send my child to my school. I actually debated quitting my job this year so that I could send my child to the school I work at, it's a great school and I think he'd do well here -- but as a family we do better with our own space and some separation. In the end I decided to move to a different school district and commute in every day so we could have that space.

Does that make me a hypocrite?

You bring up a good point. My neighbor sends her child to the middle school she works at in our area (we only have 2 middle schools here). She often wonders if her child's teachers are too easy on her, because she's Mrs. X's daughter. She also has to worry when her daughter tries out for teams/clubs/constents at the school if she's earned the spot or if she was given it. On the other hand, some of the other staff at her school speak about her daughter a bit too casually. Six of one......

 

[krcit]

I don't think it's hypocritical at all. Quite a few of my friends send their children to Catholic school because of the religious aspect. None of them is on the school board but even if they were I have no problem with them choosing private school.

 

[englishteacha]

I'm a public school teacher in a different district from where I live. If I lived in the district where I teach, and had children, I would send them elsewhere. Not that their education would be bad where I teach, but they would have ME as a teacher when they hit 7th grade. I agree with a previous poster who said that they and their kids would need space. I have had the kids of my coworkers and it's awkward.

For the PP who mentioned their superintendent living in a different county: in our area, the superintendent is a hired position, not an elected one. Our superintendent lives in a different town. It's no different than the manager of the local grocery store living in a different town from the store.

 

[VillageMama]

I'm a school administrator who doesn't send my child to my school. I actually debated quitting my job this year so that I could send my child to the school I work at, it's a great school and I think he'd do well here -- but as a family we do better with our own space and some separation. In the end I decided to move to a different school district and commute in every day so we could have that space.

Does that make me a hypocrite?

I sure don't think so. I support the right of all parents to decide what educational setting is best for their children.

 

[daughtersrus]

Do the public schools in your area offer a religion component to their ciriculum?

No.

Maybe his reasons are not about avoiding the public schools. He could want his kids to have religious educations rather than purely secular ones.

He could. I wonder why he didn't run for the board at the school that his children attend.

For the PP who mentioned their superintendent living in a different county: in our area, the superintendent is a hired position, not an elected one. Our superintendent lives in a different town. It's no different than the manager of the local grocery store living in a different town from the store.

In our district, administrators do not have to live in the district to be hired but if they move, they have to move into the district in order to keep their job.

You may be absolutely right. I answered this question purely based upon my own life experience. I personally have a problem with school board members making academic or curriculum decisions for a thousands of children, when they don't even have any children in the school district. I feel the same way about spouses of teachers being on the Board. If the Board is responsible for making policy, such as salaries, probations, or any other kind of merit-based or disciplinary action, I believe there is a strong conflict of interest if that teacher's spouse is a member of the school board. I've seen it first-hand.
Small-town politics.

We also have elected members on our school board that do not have children or that have adult children. One member used to be a principal at one of the high schools in our district before he retired. We also have one that lives in a "55 or older" golf community in our district. I'm sure that some people on boards are not only concerned about the education but how the taxpayer money is being spent.

As for spouses of teachers being on the school boards of districts where their wife/husband is a teacher...I'm with you on that one. Definitely screams conflict of interest, even when they abstain from voting on issues that directly affect their spouse.

At least one board member that I know of has a spouse that is a teacher in our district. If I remember correctly, he has to abstain from voting on any contract or policy that would involve teachers. Same is true for any parent on the board. They have to abstain from voting on any discipline case that may come before the board for their child/ren. I'm not sure that has ever happened before but it's good to know that if it does, there wouldn't be a conflict of intereset.

 

[Kathi OD]

He could. I wonder why he didn't run for the board at the school that his children attend.

Maybe that school doesn't have a "board." Around here, the Catholic schools don't have one. The Pastor and/or principal make the decisions. Curriculum is determined by the diocese.

 

[clutter]

years ago, many years, I went to school with the daughter of the superintendent. I was glad she was a year younger than me, because everyone 'knew' who she was. It was kind of awkward.

 

[doxdogy]

My dad fifth grade for 18 years and I went to Catholic school for 12 years. My dad was a devout Catholic and wanted nothing less than a Catholic education. Did it make him a bad teacher? Not one bit.

That could be any elected person. Do you find it wrong for teacher to teach at public schools but send there kids to private schools or vice versa

 

[luvmy3]

We also have elected members on our school board that do not have children or that have adult children. One member used to be a principal at one of the high schools in our district before he retired. We also have one that lives in a "55 or older" golf community in our district. I'm sure that some people on boards are not only concerned about the education but how the taxpayer money is being spent.

Excellent point.

 

[Aisling]

I think it's hypocritical, except if it's to a religious school. If the public schools are good enough for my child, they should be good enough for his/hers. If the public schools in the area suck, then he/she needs to suffer with the rest of us while he/she works on making them better, as is the role of an elected public official.

But the freedom to do so (send to private) is still his, as much as it is all of ours.

 

[simba20]

For the PP who mentioned their superintendent living in a different county: inour area, the superintendent is a hired position, not an elected one. Our superintendent lives in a different town. It's no different than the manager of the local grocery store living in a different town from the store.

That would be me. Apparently, in our county it is a big deal. It's one thing that has ben brought up whenever someone speaks about they guy. I just think that if he lived here, he'd understand more of the conditions that the studenst in this system lived under and not only work to improve their education, but implement programs to benefit the county. An "invest in your community" type of thing. He'd then see the need for early intervention programs (which our county sorely lacks) as well as alternative programs to make school more appealing - such as work study for high schoolers. As it is now, most kids drop out becasue they have family who works at one of the local plants, and why graduate and get a diploma, when you can work and get a car at 16 by dropping out (and yes many kids beleive that once they have that "job" they can buy anything severly lacking the skills they need to understand oh, say, budgeting.

Anyway, the current guy is retiring, so their is a search for a new superintendent, and one of the things the board is debating on is "Shoud the new superintendent be required to live in the county?" according to community polls, many say "yes."