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: 07-17-2007
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:12pm
couldnt agree more
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2006
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:15pm

absolutely.

nclb is a heated debate in alot of different forums aside from ivillage. have you read greatschools? doesn't change the fact that there are just as many people who stay,just as many parents who are in fact happy in public schools because their opinions/attitudes are different.

i'm curious if there's a report,statistic of how many people leave in *droves* like you said,though. really. i know many families whose convictions are one school over antoher for reasons like montessori philosophy,christian emphasis,but swapping schools because one school didn't cut it for them? honestly,i don't know many but am curious.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:15pm
we just fundamentally disagree on this issue then. i would do whatever it took to make sure my kids got the best possible education, for each of them. i would not force one child to flounder so the other could thrive. and i would and have paid for private school for all of them at one time or another - to me it was money well spent.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:19pm
I have spoken to her teachers without having a problem but I don't feel the need to talk to the principal.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-06-2004
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:22pm

How can the kids have an orientation at night when they go to school during the day?


Our school doesn't have orientation but we have open house.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2006
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:25pm

jackie!!! welcome back!!!

lots of these new posters with bf siggies reminded of you for some reason this week. it's good,good to see you. your siggie's adorable. hugs.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:26pm
What are you judging by then if it is not their grades of how well they are doing OR if they are happy?
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-14-2007
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:26pm
ITa. Drilling for standardized tests mostly results in rote memorization. And rote memorization is only truly useful in certain areas. I don't want my kids learning by rote; I want them truly LEARNING, and understanding, and digesting the information, not just memorizing.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:28pm

I agree and I also

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
Fri, 09-07-2007 - 12:28pm
i am a huge believer in public schools, even when my dd was in private school i volunteered at the public school because i do believe in them. i am happy with public schools. what i was not and will never be happy with is a school be it pubic or private which spends as much time and places as much emphasis on a standardized tests as the school district we were in in texas did at that time.
i doubt you are going to find a study that says why people are leaving schools since one does not have to give a reason to move their child from school to school or to even pull them from school completely.

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