what's wrong with schools these days

**Miss Z** · 05-01-2006, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Cataholic

I would just have to add, "what is wrong with PARENTS these days...".

The schools only have the child for 7ish hours, and not all of that is instructional time. The parents have them the rest!

Turn off the TV! Read (and otherwise interact) with your children. Don't leave it up to the schools to do it all.

Yes! You are spot on there. My mother taught me to read, write, spell, count etc, way before I went to school. I went to school being able to count to 1000, knowing my times tables up to sixes and having read loads of books with my mum. My dad always used to read children's classics to me at bedtime, like the Railway children and the Wizard of Oz which all stimulate a child's mind. Surely any parent can just take the time to do that?

**caseysmom** · 05-01-2006, 12:25 PM

Actually I think the schools are doing a better job than when I grew up, I certainly never had homework in kindergarten like my kids did.

I think they expect a lot more, my daughter is going into 9th grade next year and taking algebra 2, spanish, biology, a political academy, I never took more than algebra 1 in high schoolk for math.

**Samantha Puppy** · 05-01-2006, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by caseysmom

I never took more than algebra 1 in high schoolk for math.

Really? I was in high school 14-15 years ago and they had us taking Algebra I and II, Geometry, Statistics, Calculus, etc. I think there were even classes beyond that, but I didn't get that far (I sucked at math).

**caseysmom** · 05-01-2006, 12:53 PM

I didn't say they didn't have those classes I just never took them because I didn't have to. I see my daughters doing a whole lot more than I ever had to do.

**Vela** · 05-01-2006, 12:55 PM

I home schooled my kids until my youngest was going into the second grade and my oldest was in fifth. I wanted to insure their basic education base myself to give them the tools to excel in school. I think nowdays it is a combination of lack of parenting, leading to disrespectful children, and a lack of enough teachers who care enough to make the kids work hard. The teachers get so burnt out dealing with the bratty kids that result from lack of parenting, that they have a hard time doing the rest of their job in a lot of cases. I have always told my kid's teachers that if they are struggling in something, to send it home and I will help them. I don't expect the teachers to be able to spend all their time with my student if he/she doesn't understand something well and as a parent it is my job to help the teachers and my child. At least this is how I feel about it. I have always done this and will continue to do this because it takes ALL involved to raise children to be respectful of adults, respectful of their peers, and to care about the world around them. Yes I work and it's hard to find the time all the time, but my kids' future is at stake, why in the world should I let their future rest on someon else's shoulders? They are my kids. I don't think blame can be placed squarely on one cause, it is cumulative from all sides, IMO.

**Cataholic** · 05-01-2006, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Vela

Yes I work and it's hard to find the time all the time, but my kids' future is at stake, why in the world should I let their future rest on someon else's shoulders? They are my kids.

Vela, I commend you. I know it can't be easy, and since Jonah isn't at that level yet, I can only hope I will rise to the challenge.

Slighty off topic, but, I received an email from a friend today, who is married and has two children. He ended the email with, "I never have any time for me anymore". It left me with a bad taste. My time with Jonah, as precious as it is during the week, IS my time. I work so much, and begrudge nearly every moment of it, as it is time away from him. I had 38 years of "me time". If I didn't get it all out of my system then, well, shoot, it couldn't have been that important.

I hate to be corny, but, our children are our future. They must be more important than most everything else in our lives.

**Dixie Belle** · 05-01-2006, 05:08 PM

I remeber starting school, I knew my ABC's, how to count, how to write my name, and my colors. I was so bored in kindergarden until they tought us how to read. But my neice and nephew didn't start learning to read until first grade.

A lot of it is parents. I have an perfect example. My husband has a three year old brother. Our oldest son is two. Our child was talking, learning his ABC's, how to count, and his colors. It wasn't until we moved closer to them and they were around him a lot before they realized that he could do a lot of stuff their son couldn't. Now they are putting in a little time with him and he is catching up. It's not that hard to sit down and spend five minutes with your child. We plan on sending our kids to a really good private school when the time comes.

**WolvesRawk** · 05-01-2006, 06:57 PM

It really is sad. When I was in kindergarten, I was the only one who could read, write, and type. My teacher HATED me for it! I could ave easily skipped 1st and 2nd grade. I could do 5th grade math in 1st grade. None of this is a lie. But, now the kindergarten kids can't even spell their own names. Some don't know their abc's untill the END of 1st grade! It's sick how no one is teaching their kids a thing!

**MariaM** · 05-01-2006, 07:02 PM

I learned to read in Kindergarten. I remember the teacher taking us aside in Kindergarten, and asking us to count as high as we could. Most kids never made it past 20, while the teacher told me to stop once I hit 100. I don't think 100 in Kindergarten is that much to ask. Now I look back on it, I'm surprised the other kids couldn't count higher. (There were about 7 others). They had all went to preschool as well, and I hadn't. My mom never really taught me anything, I just always caught on quick. I agree though that parents should start teaching their children before school starts.