Parents and school involvement
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| 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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Me too, me too! I drive around town and laugh at the signs the school district have up that say Great Schools yet 7 of the gradeschools last year were on academic alert or watch.
Amy
Are you trying to be obtuse?
You can go to the finest restaurant and have a bad meal. You can buy the most luxurious car and find out it has a mechanical flaw or that your legs are just too long. You can buy the most sought after chocolate in the land but learn that you prefer milk chocolate to dark.
You can send your kids to the best school district in the country and get the teacher who should have retired last year. You can send your kids to the best school district in the country and realize that there will be no accomodations made for your kinesthetic learner. You can send your kids to the best school district in the country and find out that the reason they are considered the best is because they have stripped down classes like music and foreign language to make more time to prepare for standardized tests.
"It's always been my understanding that teachers WANT involved parents. And my research confirms that. I've also never thought teachers wanted the "in my face, susie can do no wrong, you need to do things my way" parent either."
ITA.
Robin
I agree that parental involvement is important. I just don't think that being involved or not hinges on how much one on one time you spend with a teacher. I think that many parents are doing a fine job supporting their kids' education even if they rarely meet face to face with their teachers.
Robin
"I doubt that Hazel would appreciate what I've learned about education and the purpose of education. I doubt she would be interested in Rousseau, Heidegger, and Dewey, cognitive revolution and how educational philosophies differ. I've spent years looking into the topic and don't really feel that the two of you have the necessary background to handle a conversation about what constitutes an appropriate education, or at least the kind of education I hope for for my kids, and how to determine if that education is being successfully executed."
There was more to the paragragh than if I would be interested.
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