school vent

[DisneyDotty]

Wow--this has been a frustating school year so far! I do hope things improve, and I'm glad that you were able to blow off some steam here. But I don't understand why you feel the need to impugn Clinton in your vent.
BTW,

It doesn't teach anything, it is given out so that the bad students don't bring the school average down and cut into their funding.

Uh, that sounds more like NCLB (endorsed and signed by Bush/conservatives) than anything put out by Clinton.

 

[spoon full of sugar]

sara74 This is not interdisciplanary studies , this was an unscheduled assignment from the same teacher who last semester gave out 35 points for bringing in class supplies. Sounds like buying grades to me. As to me attacking others children, I did not specify any one persons child, just made some blanket statements, that, while they were uncalled for and a bit over the top, we all know are true in relation to some kids, and I don't see why anyone would get so upset if they didn't hit close to home. As to the "political attacks", I'm just relating what I have been told by many TEACHERS, that the liberal system prevasive in the school system is making thier jobs a joke. By the way, I'm not a republican, or a conservative. I'm a registered independant and an old school libertarian. I dislike the Dems and the Reps equally . And good luck with your daughter, school was a dream for us at that age too .

 

[surfgirl]

I really don't get you people. I have read threads on here were the op is whining that the school wants to kick her kid out because he is hitting and biting other people, She actually said something like, little johnny has sharing issues and the teacher saw susie take his book but she still blamed him when he knocked susie on her behind, and you all ran to her rescue. Poor op, that lousy school, how dare they say your little angel isn't perfect! Yes what I wrote was a VENT, it wasn't meant to be a logical look at the situation, just how I felt about it.

Spoon full of sugar, I think your initial post was full of frustration at the situation. Unfortunately, when I read it first, I was immediately defensive. I'm not sure why (because I certainly don't have kids who hit and aren't punished.. in fact, my kids are often the ones that take it and don't hit back).

Sometimes how something is said over-influences the underlying message.

I think many who responded were probably feeling defensive. When I feel that someone is attacking me, I attack back - which I think is the tone of many of the later posts.

I don't think responding back with "I don't get you people" makes sense when a few sentences later, you continue with 'it wasn't meant to be logical, just how I felt'. Well, guess what ? Others shared how they felt. And you got defensive. So how is what they did any different than what you did?

Bottom line is: you were frustrated at your DS's school. you vented. you didn't like the responses. fine - don't read any more and let the thread die. No harm, no foul. Hopefully you are feeling better since his 'low' grade was not indicative of his overall grade and he sounds successful.

just my $.02... ymmv.

 

[tlbwriter]

Like begets like. I know this was originally put out there as a vent, but the unnecessary political attacks and the attacks on the responding posters children like, are what made me feel less sympathetic. No need to bring politics or other people's kids into this.

I agree. I was sympathetic with your vent at first, but when you started dragging politics into it you really lost me. I have a relative who blames everything bad that happens to her on someone else - and half the time it's Clinton and the "liberals" and the "demmycrats" who are somehow to blame for her mundane problems - and your rant reminded me too much of people like that. And then, nasty insinuations about other people's kids... completely unnecessary and inappropriate, and they only served to undercut your argument.

 

[WDWfor5]

to the op - I have to agree with tlbwriter and surfgirl, I was angry for you and your son until you blamed me for the problem.

You see, I also have a gifted child who is being accelerated in different subjects and understand the struggle to meet their needs. I am the founder/president of my schools G&T parent's group BUT I am also a Clinton Liberal and since you think I'm part of the problem, I assumed you weren't interested in my opinions. The reality is that the biggest problem in gifted education is the N.C.L.B. legislation which forces schools to put all of their energies and resources into cahccing up the bottom and gives no incentives for meeting the needs of gifted and high acheiving students.

Either you want advice/sypathy or you want to rant and blame the world. When you choose the blame the world, why is it suprising when other's get defensive?

JMHO

 

[Del]

again.....I say.....what does this all have to do with families and WDW? Let's let it go.

Del

 

[Nancyg56]

I fully agree with this sentiment.

[WARNING ABOUT TO GET ON A SOAP-BOX.]
In practice, you cannot ignore the dull, ho-hum tasks and just focus on the exciting and challenging. In my mind, that's the quickest way to get fired, or lose your company if its your own business. As a small business owner, my company would collapse if my partner and I failed to do the dull day-to-day acivities required to keep our doors open. In addition to the day-to-day activities, not all the work we do for our clients is always exciting and challenging, but it still has to get done. I don't necessarilly condone make-work without purpose, but in the larger context, that work was assigned by a teacher and, therefore, requires attention. My business does not have employees, but if it did, I would expect them to complete assigned tasks whether or not they were interesting or challenging. It's a question of personal responsibility for work assigned to you not a question of what you are capable of doing. So you can put this into perspective, I make these statements as an overly educated someone with two MS degrees, a PhD and a JD, and having passed through the "gifted and talented" programs in public school many a year ago.

Further, I don't believe that this is a political issue that neatly falls in line with liberal or conservative trends. I don't consider myself either as my views differ dramatically on an issue-by-issue basis. How you pose the issue is also relevant.
1) The teachers at the school are assigning make work to the students in order to create a PC environment to homoginize the educational process. Grading should not depend upon such rote make work assigned simply to allow students having difficulties with the more challenging assigned work.
2) The teachers at the school are assigning make work so the students are adequately prepared when they enter the work force to discharge all tasks assigned to them no matter how menial. Receiving an A requires that the student perform exceptionally in all tasks assigned.

I would suggest that either statement could be attributed to the situation you described. I also would suggest that either could be ascribed to a "conservative" mind set.

Mandatory Fine Print Disclaimer I am an attorney after all...
Please remember that these are simply my opinions. I will not begrudge the OP or anyone else from having a different perspective on this.
[STEPPING OFF THE SOAP-BOX]

Of course, if I had stayed a computer scientist rather than a college professor and an attorney for a number of years, I probably would have left it at my original sentence and saved everyone from my soap-box...

I liked your soap box as I found that one of the challenges I faced as a QA specialist in a large call center was ensuring that my rep's followed all of the steps that were required....not just the steps that they wanted to follow or that they deemed necessary. I really think that part of education is learning to complete all of the required tasks, or to accept the consequences of leaving some out. This is the lesson my own children learned in school, and they have brought excellent time management skills along with the ability to prioritize their tasks into the workplace. It was a lesson worth learning.

 

[mickeyfan2]

IMHO if he is giving up 2.5 months of family time at 11 years old, move him to the other school. He will hit burnout before completing high school. He should be learning and having fun at 11 years old. I always tested in the 99th for math, but never took advanced math. I would tutor my friend in their advanced math (I could learn it from the book) before I took the class, but did not want the pressure that they had to in that class. BTW we graduated togther from high school and not having advanced math had no effect on my college grades or class placement.