Ok I was told to always start with the positive .....what a beautiful snowy day it is. Sun glistening, boys playing in the snow, girls sitting here reading aloud to each other. AHHH got to love it!!
I should be doing my after lunch exercising, but I can not get this one thing out of my mind.. its haunting me ....chasing me.... like nagging thoughts often do. So there is only one thing for me to do, get it out....vent a bit....rant a tad....blow off some steam and then go on with the day!! Sorry I wish I could let this one pass me by ...can't do it....
Ok so this morning listening to Christian radio I heard a news clip.....Florida public schools may start in 2011-12 school year, having the teachers along with giving out the student grades (on report cards), they will be "grading" the parents performance based on their involvement at the school. Like "E" for excellent, "S" for satisfactory, and the dreaded "U" for unsatisfactory!
Ok so now most of you know I am not against parental involvement ...since of course I am the pinnacle of parental involvement home schooling my own kids. So where the rub really lies for me is in the public school requiring one adult to "grade" another!! I mean come on.....is that really necessary ? Have we become that inept as parents that we need our peers to grade us? Yes our peers.....I know we need to guide our children to respect their teachers. But are they our teachers?? They should be part of a "team" effort to educate YOUR child.....but you should both be coaches of that team. This puts the parent and child on one level and the teacher superior to them both.
That does not sit right with me.....not that you could not have guessed that by now ;-)
I find this policy very manipulating if nothing else.....OK parents you aren't volunteering on your own so now we will embarrass you into it. We one group of adults(teachers) who are getting paid by another group of adults(parents) will grade you. Which means for most of you, that you will have to take time off from work or find sitters for other children, tweak schedules etc....and if not my perception of what your effort has been will be written in bold on your child's next report card. So not only will you know that you have "failed" as a parent but your child will know it too!! How sad is that!! As if we as parents don't put enough pressure on ourselves.
Oh my !! I can tell you what I think.....I think if anyone should be getting grades it should be the teachers and the school departments. Now I know many great teachers whose hearts are in their jobs. So don't think for a minute I am putting the blame solely on them.
My point is not to give teachers a hard time. Let's be honest they are not the ones that put this policy in place. Its just another thing for them to do...another thing to take time away from the students. Its the higher ups that would love to control just a little more of us. It's like when you send your kid to school now a days...they "belong" to the school ...no longer yours....and apparently that wasn't enough for them....they want you too! If you don't fall in line with that your report card will reflect your unwillingness!
Don't get me wrong I think if your kids are in school you should be involved....I did the drill...."room" mother for the few years my kids were in school. If there was a need and I could help the teacher, for the good of my child I was there. Two key words in that last sentence "could" and "if". I did not think it was my job to make the teachers job easier.... just my child's school experience more enjoyable. I think the lines have been blurred a little.
Hey you know what would make me feel much better about this situation? If the teachers can volunteer to come home with those parents who volunteer in the clasrooms in Florida. Do some laundry, finish the undone work projects, do a few errands, wash some dishes....... and then the parents could grade them....its only fair!
Come people lets be careful not to give it all away......... we better wake up before its too late and we no longer have any rights as parents !!
Ok rants done.....ahhhhhh I feel much better.......off to exercise!!
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