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: 09-04-1997
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 10:32am
It is a problem for me that the school spends a lot of time drilling for standardized teaching because it is time that could be spent in truly creative, valuable learning. It is time that could be spent challenging the children's imaginations, or doing projects that require higher order thinking skills, or any number of things. I have *seen* what has been cut from the curriculum in the past five years as the schools spend more and more time worrying about test scores, and I am not happy about it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2006
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 10:50am

that c/b the difference then. i have *not* seen what,if anything has been cut from curriculums because my kids have only been in the public schools 5 years. what we see is all we know...perhaps my opinion might be a bit more skewed had my girls been there longer. maybe not though,either.

edited to add a hypothetical p.s. would you switch churches or stop going all togehter if tptb decided it was important to add a second gospel reading which would require cutting back on some of the music time during mass/service?




Edited 9/7/2007 11:06 am ET by egd3blessed

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:06am

Perhaps in your experience, but that hasn't been mine at all.


Good luck.


PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:10am

I agree and I would further add that I

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:15am

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:16am

I haven't seen that example anywhere in this debate, can you provide a post number where this was stated?


Thanks!


PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:19am

"would you move your child if you determined that your neighborhood school was no longer meeting your expectations and no longer providing the best possible education for your child?"


It depends.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:20am

But one doesn't need to talk to a parent to know the curriculum being used in the traditional schools, they are normally listed on the internet, at lease in my experiences.


Why does a homeschooling parent need to know what is going on in public elementary schools when they don't have any intention of sending their children there?


PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:20am
Great. You don't WOH 45 hours a week either.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 11:22am

Only because he knows he would have a connection for baseball tickets?

PumpkinAngel

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