Parents and school involvement

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-17-2003
Parents and school involvement
2586
Thu, 08-23-2007 - 8:49am

My question stems from a personal experience. My middle child is starting kindergarten next week. I've become fairly close with one of my dd's friend's moms- this is her first child entering the school system. She WOH, I do not, plus I have experience with the school, so she's been calling me with questions and comments.

It started to go bad when she called to complain that the kindy orientation is during the day- when she is working. Then it led to complaints about the parents' read aloud program (when the kids are in library) and other opportunities for volunteerism in the school. I get that these things aren't convenient for her, but I'm getting annoyed with the complaining. How can the kids have an orientation at night when they go to school during the day? None of these events are mandatory for parents or kids. And plenty of activities are scheduled for evenings: Back to school night, the PTA picnic, etc.

She thinks because she can't participate, no one should be able to, apparently. Plenty of WOHP do show up for these things. I think she's being unrealistic if she thought she could put a couple of kids through school without ever taking a vacation day. Am I wrong? Am I missing something here?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:02pm
You would if the school was good enough to accomodate your child's needs each and every year. My dd has ADHD and has had great teachers. If she didn't, I would make sure that she would be accomodated with another teacher that could help her more then. I don't think switching schools is the answer unless the district is so bad.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:04pm
the most they could is the key phrase. when i moved my dd out of the public school in texas i could have talked to the teachers until i was blue in the face, they wre not going to be able to do anything about the time devoted to state test preperation and that was not something i was ever going to be happy with. so we moved.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:05pm
Did you speak to the principal or someone higher up about them not doing their job?
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-14-2007
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:06pm

Why would she? The teacher WAS doing his/her job.

Sometimes it just isn't about the teacher. Or the school. It's about your kid.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:09pm
i think our school is outstanding but i still evaluate each year to make sure it is still meeting the individual needs of my children. i did the same thing when my dd was in private school. it goes back to what i was saying earlier about some parents being more hands off when it comes to their kids education and others being more hands on.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:26pm
Well I don't consider myself hands off at all. My daughter has ADHD and some months are very hard with the notes and calls from the teachers but we have always worked it out and her grades have never lacked because of it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:49pm
No, not among our close friends here.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2006
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:50pm

and this is where we don't see eye to eye....i'm having a hard time grasping where the problem is in this scenario - so the school spends too much time prepping for the standard testing. why is that a problem? my kid was sent drill after drill home a couple weeks prior to the taks,too. i can't for the life of me see why my favortism should lie in what my child *thought* about something instead of dealing with expectations. there's loads of things my dd doesn't like about school,one of which is the science test she's studying for. and gee,there's loads of things i don't like about things i have to do,too but i do them anyway. and what perplexes me even more is your dd appears to be the star pupil ever teacher would die to have in their classroom. the model other kids would strive to be like. instead,you moved.

this education debate is a dead horse with me but thanks for spelling out more precisely what bothered you so much..i'd love to move back home,too but it won't be because schools just aren't cutting it here.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:51pm
Yes, I think that's

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2004
Thu, 09-06-2007 - 9:53pm

I agree. I think it is valuable for kids to learn to deal with less than ideal situations occasionally.

Robin

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