T
Trent
Guest
i feel that the local public school system is failing my child.
the teachers are condescending and apathetic. they refuse to return the graded work to the students. without these assignments, the kids have no idea what they did wrong, what to study harder on, or if there was a potential grading error. when asked why they won't return the work, they say because students could resubmit it at a later time for credit. i've never heard of such a thing, my teachers have always returned my work. or at the very least allowed me to review it in detail...
the curriculum is dumbed down and acceleration or ambition to learn/grow faster than the predetermined rate is actively shunned and quashed. there is no continuity in what the children learn. they learn typing each and every year, but only for part of the year, and then are told they can't type any of their assignments in other classes. why learn something you are not allowed to use?
they do spanish, or other foreign languages, but only sporadically. this essentially equates to the children learning the spanish alphabet, numbers, and a few basic terms like greetings and colors over and over in such a way that none of it is retained year after year.
the classes are geared around teaching to the test. critical thinking is actively discouraged. asking questions is actively discouraged. working ahead is actively discouraged. independent study is actively discouraged. basically, the kids are taught to sit, be quiet, learn only what is forced upon them, and only in the depth necessary for the teacher to satisfy his or her requirements. basically: blend in, be mediocre.
there is no consistency in homework. sometimes they have it, other times they don't. when they do, it's so sporadic, that the directions are often confusing and the kids are not familiar with what it is exactly that the teacher wants turned back in the next day.
my daughter was told they were going to do a project where they had to keep a robotic baby for the weekend. they were told this baby would wake them up in the middle of the night. they were told they could opt out of this and do an alterate assignment. a form was provided. i completed the opt-out form and my daughter promptly turned it in.
my daughter has a chronic health condition and does several hours of medications per day. she goes to bed late, she gets up early, and her baby sister died six months ago (edit: her half-sister, not my child)...all good reasons for her NOT to have to take care of a robotic baby.
weeks went by and when my daughter approached the teacher and politely asked her what if anything she was supposed to be doing for the alternate assignment...this "teacher" told her to "sit down and be quiet".
is this how we are preparing our kids for the future? is this what the government has to offer us as a means of educating and inspiring tomorrow's leaders?
the worst thing about this, is that it does NOTHING to prepare these kids for college or the real world.
the teachers are condescending and apathetic. they refuse to return the graded work to the students. without these assignments, the kids have no idea what they did wrong, what to study harder on, or if there was a potential grading error. when asked why they won't return the work, they say because students could resubmit it at a later time for credit. i've never heard of such a thing, my teachers have always returned my work. or at the very least allowed me to review it in detail...
the curriculum is dumbed down and acceleration or ambition to learn/grow faster than the predetermined rate is actively shunned and quashed. there is no continuity in what the children learn. they learn typing each and every year, but only for part of the year, and then are told they can't type any of their assignments in other classes. why learn something you are not allowed to use?
they do spanish, or other foreign languages, but only sporadically. this essentially equates to the children learning the spanish alphabet, numbers, and a few basic terms like greetings and colors over and over in such a way that none of it is retained year after year.
the classes are geared around teaching to the test. critical thinking is actively discouraged. asking questions is actively discouraged. working ahead is actively discouraged. independent study is actively discouraged. basically, the kids are taught to sit, be quiet, learn only what is forced upon them, and only in the depth necessary for the teacher to satisfy his or her requirements. basically: blend in, be mediocre.
there is no consistency in homework. sometimes they have it, other times they don't. when they do, it's so sporadic, that the directions are often confusing and the kids are not familiar with what it is exactly that the teacher wants turned back in the next day.
my daughter was told they were going to do a project where they had to keep a robotic baby for the weekend. they were told this baby would wake them up in the middle of the night. they were told they could opt out of this and do an alterate assignment. a form was provided. i completed the opt-out form and my daughter promptly turned it in.
my daughter has a chronic health condition and does several hours of medications per day. she goes to bed late, she gets up early, and her baby sister died six months ago (edit: her half-sister, not my child)...all good reasons for her NOT to have to take care of a robotic baby.
weeks went by and when my daughter approached the teacher and politely asked her what if anything she was supposed to be doing for the alternate assignment...this "teacher" told her to "sit down and be quiet".
is this how we are preparing our kids for the future? is this what the government has to offer us as a means of educating and inspiring tomorrow's leaders?
the worst thing about this, is that it does NOTHING to prepare these kids for college or the real world.
