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A rant on schools
Jul. 1st, 2008 10:56 amAccording to my local paper and MSNBC, a poll shows about half of Americans are dissatisfied with American schools, worried that our kids are not being prepared for life, and that they're not at an even academic level with the rest of the world. I so agree.
People! The problem with our schools isn't necessarily the schools. It's the parents. I say this as someone who spent a lot of time in the my kids' classrooms. I'm not a teacher. But this is what I observed. Johnny is a disruptive child in class. He doesn't do his work. Speaks up when he's not supposed to. But Johnny's teacher can't do much about it. Johnny's parents don't really care if he does his homework or not, because Johnny's parents are most likely divorced/alcoholic/drug abusers/overwhelmed with their own lives. Johnny's parents will complain to the teacher that Johnny has too much homework if the teacher complains that Johnny isn't doing his work. Johnny's parents will say the reason why Johnny can't read is because the teacher isn't doing a good job. In other words, Johnny's teacher tries, but Johnny's parents don't back the teacher up and insist that Johnny read when he gets home from school. Johnny's parents, instead, will degrade the teacher in Johnny's presence. Johnny sees his parents don't respect the teacher, so why should he?
Johnny's teacher can't lay one finger on Johnny. Johnny can now be as disrespectful as he likes to the teacher, and the teacher cannot "make" him do anything. Teacher sends Johnny to the office. Johnny is happy because now he doesn't have to sit in the classroom. He can sit in the office and watch the activity there, or even better, he gets to sit outside the office in a "punishment" desk which is even better, because it's outside and there's no one breathing down his neck, so he can get up and talk to people walking by. Meanwhile, the next day, Johnny's parent come down to the school and chew out the principal for being mean to their poor little darling. Because, yes, they know he has problems, but it's NOT HIS FAULT!
The problem with education is we have taken away any sense of power from the teachers. You may *think* this a good thing, as some teacher are power-hungry, incompetent poops. But in reality, there are many good teachers out there whose hands are tied in regards to discipline.
And don't get me started on the top-heavy state administrators who seem to have to justify their state salary by creating endless paperwork and such for the teachers. Inservices, state mandated testing, state mandated subject matter. I'm not saying it's not good that they're trying to make sure all teachers teach the same thing, but there is such a thing as going overboard there.
When I was in school, if you talked back to the teacher, you were going to get a paddling, or at least a visit to the principal, and then when you got home with your parent, because they sure as heck were going to call them to come get your sorry ass, you got another good talking-to, if not an outright whipping, and you were grounded for the rest of the week. I can't imagine my parents marching down to the office and telling my principal that it was the teacher's fault I was in trouble -- even if it had been.
Yeah, I'm old-fashioned. And yes, when my kids were young, I signed to say that I did *NOT* want my kids paddled by their teacher (yeah, back then they gave us an option, I'm sure that's gone by now, because there's no way they would let a teacher even touch a student now). But never, ever bad-mouth a teacher in front of your child. Seriously.
I have the utmost respect for teachers. Whatever is wrong with our education system, it isn't the teachers.
*steps down from soap box*
People! The problem with our schools isn't necessarily the schools. It's the parents. I say this as someone who spent a lot of time in the my kids' classrooms. I'm not a teacher. But this is what I observed. Johnny is a disruptive child in class. He doesn't do his work. Speaks up when he's not supposed to. But Johnny's teacher can't do much about it. Johnny's parents don't really care if he does his homework or not, because Johnny's parents are most likely divorced/alcoholic/drug abusers/overwhelmed with their own lives. Johnny's parents will complain to the teacher that Johnny has too much homework if the teacher complains that Johnny isn't doing his work. Johnny's parents will say the reason why Johnny can't read is because the teacher isn't doing a good job. In other words, Johnny's teacher tries, but Johnny's parents don't back the teacher up and insist that Johnny read when he gets home from school. Johnny's parents, instead, will degrade the teacher in Johnny's presence. Johnny sees his parents don't respect the teacher, so why should he?
Johnny's teacher can't lay one finger on Johnny. Johnny can now be as disrespectful as he likes to the teacher, and the teacher cannot "make" him do anything. Teacher sends Johnny to the office. Johnny is happy because now he doesn't have to sit in the classroom. He can sit in the office and watch the activity there, or even better, he gets to sit outside the office in a "punishment" desk which is even better, because it's outside and there's no one breathing down his neck, so he can get up and talk to people walking by. Meanwhile, the next day, Johnny's parent come down to the school and chew out the principal for being mean to their poor little darling. Because, yes, they know he has problems, but it's NOT HIS FAULT!
The problem with education is we have taken away any sense of power from the teachers. You may *think* this a good thing, as some teacher are power-hungry, incompetent poops. But in reality, there are many good teachers out there whose hands are tied in regards to discipline.
And don't get me started on the top-heavy state administrators who seem to have to justify their state salary by creating endless paperwork and such for the teachers. Inservices, state mandated testing, state mandated subject matter. I'm not saying it's not good that they're trying to make sure all teachers teach the same thing, but there is such a thing as going overboard there.
When I was in school, if you talked back to the teacher, you were going to get a paddling, or at least a visit to the principal, and then when you got home with your parent, because they sure as heck were going to call them to come get your sorry ass, you got another good talking-to, if not an outright whipping, and you were grounded for the rest of the week. I can't imagine my parents marching down to the office and telling my principal that it was the teacher's fault I was in trouble -- even if it had been.
Yeah, I'm old-fashioned. And yes, when my kids were young, I signed to say that I did *NOT* want my kids paddled by their teacher (yeah, back then they gave us an option, I'm sure that's gone by now, because there's no way they would let a teacher even touch a student now). But never, ever bad-mouth a teacher in front of your child. Seriously.
I have the utmost respect for teachers. Whatever is wrong with our education system, it isn't the teachers.
*steps down from soap box*
