parental involvement

KLS,

Please consider posting this in the Teacher Forums as well.

I’m not a teacher so I really can’t help. I can tell you that as a single parent who must work full time outside the home to support her family and with two special needs children, I can not always do everything all the specialist ask of us. I try to figure out what is really, really important and what falls into the “it would be nice” category and go from there but I’m sure I fail sometimes. Perhaps if you could figure out why the parent isn’t as involved as you would like you could make suggestions? Do they have other children that also require their time? Maybe a suggestion of a babysitting exchange group. Do they not understand what you are asking of them and are to afried to ask? The jargon of LD is intimadating. Is there a language or cultural barrier which must be overcome?

I hope others can give you more concrete ideas.

Barb
(Please excuse the spelling errors. I usually use a spell check but do not have one handy now.)

ball,

That was uncalled for.

Barb

Parent involvement is in the eye of the beholder.

I consider myself an involved parent. We review what happened in school nightly and discuss what is coming up. Homework and school work is reviewed and discussed. I volunteer to chaperone 90% of the field trips although it means taking time off of my job. I encourage my children to partake in extras such as the science fair. I coach my fourth grade LD son’s drama group, which meets weekly. I get my sons to most of the weekly speech, OT and other counselors that have been recommended. We have done this schedule for years and I anticipate doing it for many years to come.

School is very, very hard for my LD fourth grader. He gives it his all, all day long and then has at least double the homework of his brother or his non-LD friends. Between all the specialist/doctor’s appointments and this burden, he has very little free time. The time he looks forward to the most is the time he spends in day-care before school. He can socialize and just hang out with friends.

Because David “hangs back” in class, ie doesn’t volunteer answers, the school suggested I put him in an early morning program run by one of the teachers. I was told this program uses drama (one of David’s loves and strengths) to get children confortable with being in front of a group so that they them might be confortable answering questions in class. I hesitated but the principal suggested we give it a try with the understanding that David could drop out at any time. It turns out that my very high IQ son was put with a group of children 2-3 years younger than himself and instead of doing drama, this group did self esteem things like color around the outline of their hand and than put one good thing about themselves in each finger. He was bored senseless. I wrote the teacher a note asking her to call me. She never did. After a week of trying to get ahold of her, I simply wrote the school that David was dropping “Reel Time.”

I found out today that the teacher ran into David’s daycare provider and commented to her how uninvolved and uninterested I must be in David’s welfare to pull him from the program. I was livid.

Don’t judge your parents till you have talked to them and understand where they are coming from.

Barb

I do agree that I would like to know what consitutes “standard procedures.”

Barb

Actually, I think that remark was utterly uncalled for,Bell. I happen to have several members of my family that are, or have since retired from being educators. However none of them teach for the Wichita Public Schools…and I have to admit that my opinion of USD 259 is especially negative…But not ALL teachers are deserving of the castigation and condemnation you threw their way- there are good teachers and bad ones….and unfortunately there are many that are burned out, in some cases due to dealing with children who are out of control and ARE NOT disciplined at home….So,don’t lay it all at the educator’s feet….There has to be a combined effort at home AND at school….it’s a team effort! In other words, get BOTH sides of the story before you go flinging aspersions, castigate, and condemn others….Just something to think about…
Nita

Good post Lil. My experience has been that teachers are at school more then the average person thinks. They arrive early to prepare for class, to have conferences with parents, to tutor students, ect. They also stay after for these same reasons. They are required to get X amount of continuing education on their own time, ect. Their pay for what they do is dismal. Why is it that someone who can catch a football, hit a baseball, shoot a basket or whatever gets paid more then someone who has our childrens future in their hands?

My take on parental involvement is that our society is too fast paced and too much demanded. In most homes both parents work, run their students from activity to activity, volunteer somewhere doing whatever for whoever. Sometimes the parent may be involved in a way not noticible to others such as tutoring their child, taking them to outside therapy, ect. I know with my own two boys I partner read with them, teach them life skills such as cooking, take them to the bank, shopping, and the like. I review their homework, scribe when needed, ect. I work full time, a lot of time over time (AD military member), go to school part time myself, and still try and maintain the household. Sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day.

Lisa,

I think you hit the nail on the head on when you discussed “unnoticed” work done by parents.

I appreciate all the input of the “specialist” but when you work with 6 or so specialist and each make even a minor request of you, it adds up. Luckily for my younger son, his “team leader” makes it her business to understand what everyone wants and she helps me to prioritize. She also helps smooth the feathers of those whose requests don’t make it very high on the list. The team leader of my eldest isn’t that organized and I have three specialist all telling me his/her request is of upmost importance.

Barb

Hm, I must live on fantasy island then. I have 3 children in school, they all attend different schools due to how they are structured. I have 1 son at the high school, a daughter at the 5th/6th grade center, and a son at the elementary. My son’s high school starts its day at 0700 in the morning with the early bird class and ends its day at 1550 with the “after school” classes. I should say these are the class times, the teachers who teach early bird have to get in early enough to start class right at 0700 and the ones who teach the “after school” class have to stay until they have cleaned up and prepared for the next day. The teachers who don’t have an early bird class or after school class choose one of these times to tutor there students. For example this morning my son was at school at 0700 to get 1 to 1 tutoring with his language teacher. This tutoring was provided free by the teacher and suggested by her. The 5th/6th grade center and the elementary school also have a after school tutoring program provided by the teachers. These same teachers also act as coaches, activity chairpeople, ect.

As for parents not caring about reading you should not make such a broad statement. I hate football, I think the players get paid way to much. I think reading is one of the most important skill our children can use and I have worked 1 on 1 with all my children to be sure their skills are where they should be. My oldest son claims I am a big pain because I am always telling him the importance of doing well and learning and good work ethic. At the same time he knows I do it for his own good and says he would have it no other way.

I fully agree that educators ARE NOT paid a wage equal to the work they do!
However, there are good teachers and nightmares….I had some of both…good and bad…And yes, my dim opinion of my local school system makes me all the more determined that when I have my kids they will NOT be enrolled in my local school system- I’ll do anything to avoid cursing my children with a substandard education, closed minded redneck stupidity,self righteous redneck,mid west bigotry, even if it means moving to either Florida, Ohio, or California and beg my cousins to home school my children! But on the whole, maybe the reason educators are getting such a bad rap is because there are SOME parents- NONE here, mind you that don’t give a damn! As long as they can dump off the responsibility and blame onto someone else….or someone that expects too much when in fact there’s too little that has to do SO MUCH!
Also another area where I see problems is that the school administration can either vote to use funds to provide them selves with some NICE pay raises, cushy offices,ect- rather than see the funding go where it needs to go- paying the educators/ teachers better wages and budget more for materials and programs that WILL do far more good than making things nice and cushy for the big wigs that sit on their dead asses in their cushy offices whining about the deficit in funding, and how they’re going to have to cut things that kids need while in school- you sure as hell don’t see them offering to forego their cushy offices and nice little raises and other perks! They can only do what they’ve got to do with….no wonder there are so many horror stories! Think about that!
( For instance here, where I live, the State had to cut millions of dollars in funding for the schools, and there were at least two times I know of that there was a real fear that there wasn’t going to be any $$ to meet payroll for at least two months!- and other issues…also we had to vote in a school bond just so there would be funding for repairs, remodelling and new schools being built- and some of these repairs,ect was just to get the building back up to code and in working order! You’d think that the school administration’s focus would be educating children not providing nice cushy offices for hot shots to sit on their dead asses, and you’d think that their priority would be to get the materials,ect needed TO EDUCATE our children!? I can just imagine how frustrated these people have to be- if they can’t get the materials,ect they need to do their job- then have someone want to slam and diss, and complain about how substandard a job they’re doing if they CAN’T do the job if they DON’T have the required materials to do so? So, is it the educator’s fault that there are these problems? Just another angle to think about! Also I happen to agree with what all the mothers and those that CARE about these kids have to say about parental involvement…but totally abhor those that just want to stir feces and shoot people down because they lack either the common sense or the mental acuity to get their heads out of their rectums and look at both sides of the coin!

Someone that gives a damn about educating our children!

Ball,

Actually, Ball, bad teachers are the *exception*. And, sorry to inform you, but I’m here from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., with a 50-minute planning period and a 22-minute lunch. And those hours don’t include after-school phone calls to parents and attendance at IEP meetings (held after school to accommodate the parents). No, I’m not complaining, because I love what I do! But, please, don’t refer to my job as part-time. I used to work in the private sector. Anything over 40 hours worked would be considered comp time. Do you honestly think anyone cares how many hours over 40 I work now? (Actually, my husband and son do, especially on those nights when I’m unavailable because I’m helping someone else’s child.)

Really, Ball, do you think just because you once sat in a classroom, you’re some kind of expert on educators? That’s no more true than you becoming a medical expert after some doctor’s visits.

Let’s see…you hate educators, you hate any politician, you hate voc rehab agencies. Gee…I think I’m beginning to detect a pattern!

Have a good, positive-thinking day, Ball!

If Ball or anybody has a problem with a school district, they are free to move. Scores are out there for the entire world to see before choosing to live where they live. I know many people who complain about their district but when I ask them about their “School Report Card” and whether or not they did the research before they bought the house, I get a deer in the headlights look. They bought the house because of things they SAW and never did the research.

Yes you can stay and choose to fight the district, but that is like tilting at windmills. Also do research before you vote for our public officals. Voters in my state chose a governor without looking at the horrbile state that the district was in where he had been mayor for 8 years. These are the things that need to be changed. Money buys votes, and people don’t often research who they are putting into office and what their record is regarding education.

Getting upset and moaning about it does nothing, action does. If you are not happy with your district, vote out the Board of Education. Yes, there are teachers who stink but I it has been my experience that they work in a district that does not put education as a prioity as a whole. Townships who continually vote down budgets and then complain that the computer lab had to be closed to make room for another fourth grade need to evaluate their priorities. How many Art teachers are willing to work for a district that has relegated them to “art on a cart” because they needed the classroom space for more students? A district that has lousy teachers usually has lousy legislators that were voted in by uninformed voters. People who chose to move to a district with lousy schools are usually uninformed consumers.

I am not saying that money is the answer but the districts that are having the teacher problems are having them for a reason, and lack of parental involvement can sometimes be a reason. If you want a house on a lake, don’t buy a house that’s not on a lake….if you want a good school move to a good school district. Do the research. My parents did not and I spent 12 years going to private school, my kids are in public school (and yes I teach for the district) in a house that I bought because of the district it was in. The home I had bought prior to kids was in a top notch k-12 district but a poor Regional High School district so I moved.

That is just my opinion of your opinion that “most” teachers are “sit on their butters” who do nothing but count the minutes until their next prep period.

I am both a special ed teacher and the parent of an LD child. While I always tried to do a good job, it wasn’t until I watched my own son go through the system that I fully understood why so many of my middle school parents did not seem involved. There is so much negative for both the child and the parents. Enough has been said about this aspect already for you to recognize the strong feelings people have. SO, I would suggest that you find as many POSITIVE ways to communicate with parents as you can - good notes, good phone calls, good work sent home with positive comments. Organizational things like a homework folder with a place for parents to sign that they have looked at the work or schedule, etc. Help these children find their strengths and talents. Give then realistic skills and hope.

Actually , if I may state my opinion, I think Ball has a CHIP- a HUGE chip on his shoulder, and is bitter or resents anyone in education,or has a better job than he does, or anyone in any position of authority….It may not seem like it, but I DO respect what educators do, what their job involves, as well as the sacrifices they make to be a part of a profession they dearly love….That I understand and respect- as many of my extended family are educators, or HAVE BEEN educators, and have since retired…You have my admiration and respect, Ma’am….you may not hear it enough, and I don’t know you, but I’m willing to bet that you truly do make a marked difference in the lives of the children you teach day in and day out!
Nita

Really, Ball. There are people in the world who actually might know a bit more- at least about some situations- than you do. And really…are you so arrogant that you’d actually resort to questioning someone’s honesty when you haven’t even met him? My lunch hour is from 11:40 - 12:02. My math tells me that is 22 minutes. Try the math yourself!
Private music lessons? C’mon, Ball. Would those be held from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., with 50 minutes of planning time and 22 minutes of lunch? And I’m sure you spend hours, many hours “off the clock,” writing special plans for those students and conferencing with their parents. Give me a break!! You are living in la-la land if you think those qualifications give you more of a right to speak to the state of the education profession than I.
Your ignorant comments caused me to digress…
In response to the “how best to engage parents” question. I learned long ago that every parent wants to hear something positive about their kid. They need to know that someone else finds value in the child. I try really hard to call parents more often with positive comments than with negative ones. And if I do have to report something negative, I also try to say something nice. It’s just a matter of treating the students and the parents with respect. Be positive!! There is *always* good to be found, probably even in Ball!

One more thing, Ball–—

“I should have followed my instincts and beaten that
pervert to death.”

You were kidding, right? You were just angry and rambling, and you’re not really a violent threat to others, right?

Excuse me,Ball, there you go again talking that bra and panty shite! I never said Collumbine was a “GOOD” school system….For the record, I am NOT on Prozac, nor have I ever been on any form of Psychotropic, or anti depressive drug! Also for the record, the school system where I live DOESN’T put up with teachers shagging their students, they don’t put up with drug and alcohol usage,ect….in fact when I was attending jr. high, the teacher that handled the after school tardy confrences was busted for dope…it was ALL OVER the local media- hell, even one of my uncles- (the one that’s a college professor ripped into the old boy for how he treated me for being polite and respectful..I was nothing but, yes, sir, and scared out of my wits..LOL I was terrified of the man, but I was more terrified of the ass whipping I was going to get from my father and stepmother when I got home that afternoon..)….in fact, even one of my teachers was KNOWN for attempting to mess with the females in his class, my Dad ,AGAINST his WIFE’S wishes took time off work and came, personally pulling me out of that class and changing my schedule, and a few of my teachers! All it took was me mentioning to one of our neighbors that I was in this person’s class, and she went and told Dad what had happened to her! So, don’t blame it on schools, teachers,ect…Hell, our school system wouldn’t even put up with married teachers having affairs…one of my favorite English teachers was fired because of her affair she was having, and wound up moving to England! How’s that for doing something right…although since then our school system’s been shot to hell in a major way! However I do not agree with or would allow any child of mine, or any child under my care to be placed in a class room with a homosexual or lesbian teacher…unfortunately our school system DOES allow that to happen.
As for the zero tollerance stuff- I think that no child should have to endure being a target, or get the cowboy shite beat out of them, and should be able to defend themselves- that I do encourage..I do agree with the zero tolerance for gang activities,weapons, and drugs on school grounds and in the schools! That’s a very good thing, as far as I’m concerned.(Again, that issue is another one that starts at home..)

As for the death penalty, if the crime meets the guidelines for that punishment, and the defendant HAS been found guilty, and that IS the sentence- then go for it! But on the whole, I think that there should NOT be any appeals,ect- to make the process go on for years and years…they do the crime, go to trial, found guilty, and sentenced- carry out the sentence ASAP- no appeals,ect- Even a lynch mobbing would be good…just render the sentence and get it the hell over with- let the families these people destroy SEE their justice ASAP so they can heal and get on with their lives and get closure- not watch the people that destroyed their families get a free ride at the tax payers expense!They sure as hell didn’t give their victims that right when they did what they did to them!So, why should we extend them the same exact rights they denied their victims!?- also I think for child molesters and rapist, and other sexually sick puppies out there, rape them molest them and DO TO THEM what they did to those they victimized! No excuses!Let’s see how they like how it feels and makes them feel to KNOW what it feels like to be subjected to the same treatment they dished out to their victims! You try living less than forty minutes away from the death house for male inmates in your state…and know that the source of your nightmares are housed there, while they ride out the lengthy appeals process in an attempt to ward off the death penalty…You try waking up, in a cold sweat, scared out of your wits, in tears because you’ve had the same nightmare you’ve had for two years….of seeing you and your father killed and left in a bloody, snowy soccer field with bullets in our brains by the two brothers that killed, raped and murdered five innocent people, raping, stealing and car jacking…the nightmares were far worse when they were housed in the county jail- not even fifteen minutes from my house…you try living with that,Ball..you try it! It doesn’t happen every night,but it does happen…and on those nights, I don’t sleep…I can’t sleep…So with that in mind, I am definitely for the death penalty,but am so against the lengthy appeals process, and numerous stays of exeuction death row inmates get time and time again…A waste of our tax dollars- could be better spent on better things…Why give rapists,killers,child molesters, and other sick puppies the rights they selfishly denied their victims!? Why do that? Just hang,shoot, lethally inject, put ‘em in ol’ Sparky- and get it the hell over with- give them the same lack of mercy they gave their victims! Subject them to the same cruel,unusual, inhumane treatment they gave their victims- before giving them their final curtain call, of course…instead of catering to them, why not dumb it down to their level- they’ve made it perfectly clear just what they DO UNDERSTAND! betcha dollars to doughnuts they’d understand THAT!- Also would give the victims families justice, and closure…let them heal, instead of opening the wounds they inflict with every appeal and stay of execution!(I also think that the above should also go for child abusers- doesn’t matter what type- physical, sexual, even emotional/mental/psychological abuse…they should be stripped of all rights as parents, or if it’s in a professional capacity, they should be stripped of all rights, prosecuted,ect al…and there should be a data base- just like there is for sex offenders- and it all be made a matter of public record- and make damn good and sure that they’re never allowed around children- or given the chance to abuse them again- EVER! Children are our future- and in abusing them we, in essence destroy our future…..)
As for the comments you made about your kids learning the lesson that life isn’t fair, instead of just letting your kid take it or whatever, call them on it, raise hell- but my God, don’t ensue violence…However, my father wasn’t fair about that- if the teachers said I did something, or ridiculed me, I pretty much had to take it- and was expected to enjoy it….But lucky for me, I had one advocate in my school years- the Native American Student Advisor, Mrs. Brach (She was the Para in my first grade all day LD class room, that year.)….She was a god send…an angel in disguise…(I didn’t find out till years later that I am native american though.) It’s the parents responsibility to teach their kids to stand up for themselves, and also stand up for and defend their kids in those situations…kids learn by seeing what their parents do….rather than the shite they say- so, it’s a case of a parents talk matching their walk,really…

Actually you got it wrong about who ‘Does well’ in our school system- majorly wrong in a sense- it’s not those who do those things that do well- it’s the ones who have two parents, aren’t LD or any other disability- more like it’s those that have the $$….and those that help the schools win their state titles, or are cheerleaders,ect….those that are thin, attractive, or bloody geniuses….yeah, those things you mentioned are some of the things they’re very good at…Again, I repeat, it starts at home, the parent has a responsibility to teach their kids HOW to behave,their morals, and other important life lessons that educators aren’t obligated to fufill and teach- It’s a two way street, parents do their job, and teach their kids the non academic lessons, the teachers handle the academics…Think of it as an algebra problem- you have a two sided equation- or even a set of old fashioned scales-the kind you balance… ok? the object is to weed out the variables and identify them…but all durring the process, you have to work both sides of the problem/equation…what you do to one side of it, you have to do the same exact thing to the other side of it….Ok…with school- you have one side that’s labeled parents- the other side is labeled school…
the student is the variable in some cases, in others it’s the teacher…or could even be the parents there is always a variable,though…..but the answer to the equation, either way you look at it, is the outcome or answer is a well adjusted, well educated student capable of making it in the real world. So, in working the equation, the whole object is balancing those scales- could be that the parents need to do more to do their part to balance the scales or work their half of the equation, or it could be the educator…with the student- it could be dealing with a LD, or disciplinary problems, or behavior issues- I think on the whole kids DO want to learn, and do well..but it takes more than just the school system to do it, it also takes their parents working in concert with the school system and the educators. Not working against each other… It takes all three working together to make the equation work or balance the scales…So, in blaming one faction or the other , and other non productive, negative behaviors does no good whatsoever to work the equation or balance the scales…and the only one it really harms is the child…
So, in that, I’d have to say, you’re just stirring shite, causing conflict…and your words tell me in essence you don’t care about kids, their needs and their right to a good education- because the system failed you- so why should they get what you didn’t get…pretty petty, immature and selfish if you ask me…..hell, it failed me…through no fault of my own, but I don’t condemn the system or educators as a whole..
ok, fine, yeah, it’s healthy to vent your resentment and anger due to it…but I really think there has to be a better way to handle it, instead of the way you’re going about it….do it in a healthy,mature responsible manner….instead of ripping strips off the education system’s and teacher’s hides- why not take that anger, rage,ect, and channel it in to DOING something more positive, and get results that will help other kids in the system…instead of doing a Hitler type manifesto proproganda blitz to stir the shite, and make things worse and continue the misery and hell you live in and want to drag others into with your words and attitudes….Do what you can to make things better for those that are in the system after us….instead of sitting there preaching, stirring the shite, and playing,”I wanna be LD’s Adolf Hitler”….The way you’re going about it clearly isn’t working…rather, for the most part, I think you’re also leaving a bad name for other Adult LD’s, but also a bad taste in others mouths due to your approach, attitude and determination to condemn,castigate,belittle the system that failed you with your choice of words, and the way you present them and present yourself on this board..(I wonder if you’re just as hostile, bitter, and condemning and judgemental off line, as you seem to be when you get on these boards?Maybe you are the poster boy for the old poem I’ve seen so many times- you know- “A child that is condemned, learns to condemn…” ….Instead of making things better for all involved- and for all on this board, you’re making it far worse…
Just something to think about!
Nita

very good post, Beverly, if I may complement you on your wisely chosen words! I have seen art on a cart in my public school system,too….and I also agree with the school report card thing, as well….As much as I gripe and complain about my school system, there IS one school I’d enroll my kids into, if I had kids…it’s one of the Magnet schools we have here. My cousin Mark’s kids both attend that school….Emerson….I’m really impressed with how good a job they’re doing with Benjamin and Rebecca….and I do agree…I also think that a parent should also drop in and visit the schools their kids would be attending to see for themselves, before buying a house…that way they’d KNOW what was going on in that school! (Kind of like how a parent shops for Day care providers) - and with you being an educator AND a parent,Ma’am, you,better than most KNOW what’s going on, and the strengths and weaknesses of each school your children are in….It’s sad that most parents don’t think of their children’s educations as the idea of them being the consumers comparison shopping for the best product or package in terms of education for their kids!

And yes, I do agree about the issue of voting out the BOE if you don’t like the current one you’ve got in there…LOL just an idea…what if someone wrote a book that covers these issues- like the comparison shopping idea, voting out the school board..might prove to be a really good tool to help both parents AND educators both….sort of like a parents handbook to assist them in helping them get the most out of the educational system for their kids, and maybe even some creative solutions and ideas to assist in the area or parental involvement?
Just a thought.
Nita

Genita, we did just as you suggested in your above post. Before buying our house we checked the school report cards, we visited the school, talked to the administrators and the teachers. We chose our current town based on our research. We of course were somewhat limited in that we are military and had to be somewhat close to our base. There was about a half dozen or so districts for us to choose from. We chose the district that had the most to offer our children. I am happy to say we made a good choice, we are very pleased with the school system we chose. Both my LD boys have made outstanding progress. Since July 2000 my oldest son went from a 3rd grade reading level to now about a mid 7th grade level. He takes mainly regular ed classes (only exception reading) and is doing well. My youngest son went from a non reader in 2000 to about a 3rd grade level know. In our last district which was a school on base we were told the boys would never be good at academics and basically to forget it. Now we are looking forward to the oldest son “graduating” special ed completely before he graduates high school. It is still too early to tell for the youngest but we know he has made great progress. It is just amazing what the right atmosphere, teaching, ect can do for a student. Yes, I as a parent do help to teach my children. I reinforce academics, teach life skills such as cooking and budget balancing, ect. I also instill in them that they must have manners, be respectful, ect. Teaching our children is a team effort, parents, teacher, the community, everyone hand in hand be sure we sure our future.

Cool! I’m glad that you got the services and other things you needed to meet your kids’s needs! And I wish them the best of luck in terms of graduating from Special Ed….Very glad that they’re both doing so well! Way to go! Lisa! Kids! Yay You!!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t mean every parent DOESN’T teach their children and work with the school- there are too many that don’t!- that was what I was getting at…WOW! he’s doing really good in his reading- a non reader just three years ago, and now reading at the 3rd grade level?! WOW! I bet he’s so proud of himself that he’s bursting at the seams! Bet you are too, for that matter. That’s one little boy that deserves some HUGE hugs for that accomplishment!
(At least I think so! WOW!) LOL…ok, I’m NOT a parent,but I do have a HUGE heart where kids are concerned!- I saw something on tv earlier- about a program called EyeQ…it’s some kind of computer program that’s really supposed to help turbo boost reading skills…. (Has all kinds of stuff on it…the Japanese developed it..)they even mentioned LD specifically- that’s what got my attention….anyway…I’m going to look for the website- if there is one…and post on the board. Might prove to be useful for someone here…Just thought I’d mention it…anyway….That was the worse thing they could’ve said to you,especially with it being a school on an AFB….Isn’t there some kind of program that the Air Force has that makes sure that kids of Air Force Parents get the services,ect they need? Not many know about it- and I don’t remember the name of it off the top of my head..but I do know that you’d have to registier for it- it doesn’t harm or hinder the careers of those families- it just makes sure that your family is stationed in places where you can get the educational services,ect you need for LD or Special Ed kids..might be worth checking into!
Nita

That’s good that your Step Son passed is LSAT’s! Way to go!
I’ve got a horror story like that in my past school experiences…It wasn’t a principal or administrator- more like it was one of the teachers I had…To explain- my school system,at the time, didn’t have a LD resource room in the elementary school two blocks away from my Dad’s house…So, once we knew I was in need of LD- after going through Kindergarten twice…Dad found out that I needed LD…and Rea Woodman didn’t have it, at the time…So, for 1st grade, I was bussed to another school that had an LD all day class room…I was the only first grader in the class…every one else was second and third graders…That’s where I met Mrs. Brach…Apparently, I did so well, that it was decided that I didn’t need an all day LD class room,just a resource room, and regular class room the rest of the day….( I think I went to LD either every day, or every other day for either thirty minutes or an hour…something like that.)…
So, I was in that till I was in fifth grade….Against the School Psychologist’s recommendation, I was pulled out of LD because my Day Care provider didn’t drive, and didn’t want to be bothered with finding transpo for me to continue at Rea Woodman that year.( My fifth grade year, Woodman had LD…btw.)
Anyway, my nightmare was my fourth grade year….by then I was used to changing schools…( First grade I went to Sims, second and third- Stanley, Fourth Cleveland…fifth-Woodman/Kelly)…I liked my other schools…so, I went in thinking I’d like Cleveland, too…LOL looking back, I think I was rather like a lamb going to the slaughter, setting foot in that pihrana pit! I had no clue that that school year was going to be hell on earth…That I’d be made a target for many reasons- not just my being LD, but also being the only child in the class I was in that came from a single parent household- where the parent just happened to be a father, rather than a mother….(didn’t help matters any that my Dad didn’t have the first clue how to raise a little girl, drank like a fish, and was abusive when drunk…),and was over weight….I was singled out and targeted bullied..in class,out of class…on the play ground…after school, it was normal that one other kid would try to slam my arms in the bus door…- the teacher I had that year, the school administration did absolutely nothing about it….There are still several things that still stick out in my memory about that school year- being denied recess and forced to do sentences- thousands of them,literally…(Close to 2,000.)(With the LD’s I have it had to have been cruel and unusual punishment to expect that in light of my LD’s…. The teacher I had that year expected my family to deprive me of any Christmas festivity to do those sentences over Christmas break that year…No, I didn’t have to do that…and no I NEVER completed those sentences. Dad, and my Grandma Love made it quite clear that not only was 300 sentences MORE than enough punishment in light of my LD, but was also too harsh a punishment,to expect more than that..) One student in particular delighted in trying to slam my arms in the doors of the school bus every chance she got, There was also the shame and humiliation of not being able to complete or do a Social Studies project we had that year- the infamous Family Tree project….it required family participation to do it…anyway, Dad just up and told me THEN I was adopted (Till then I never had a clue that I was adopted.)…And that he wasn’t going to fool with it…So, when it was due, I had to tell her I didn’t have the assignment finished, and couldn’t do the assignment as I was adopted. That just gave that blonde headed B**ch yet another reason to target me and punish me…Then I was punished for flunking that subject at home too….Just meant more sentences,no recess, and a trip to the principal’s offices…and meant that I was going to get kicked by Dad behind my knees with his steel toed shoes,AND I wasn’t allowed to go over to Aunt Lou’s and Uncle Allen’s either…(At that time, that was the WORSE punishment I could’ve been given…getting kicked behind the knees with Dad’s steel toed shoes was nothing compared to being told I couldn’t go to Aunt Lou’s and Uncle Allen’s - like I did almost every weekend after my Mom died..)- on TOP of dealing with finding out I was adopted….
Let’s just say after that year at Cleveland, I didn’t trust new schools or new teachers- really made me stand offish where they’re concerned..until I knew they weren’t going to hurt me, or any thing like what Jane Brannen put me through…After that, I was terrified of starting new schools, and new teachers…at least till I started Junior High…. So, I KNOW about horror stories…(LOL..I was literally terrified for my honarary neice,Ashley when I found out she had to attend Cleveland….I tried to warn her Mom….and my stepmother about the place….they didn’t listen…They put Ashley through sheer hell, too….Due to what they did to her there, she had to repeat fifth grade ! Believe me that school’s a hell hole and a torture chamber!)
Nita

Hi,

I am a teacher who has been, for a very long time, concerned about the numbers of students who have been unsuccessful with reading. When I first began teaching from the reading series I was given, I realized that phonics and decoding were a confusing mystery to many of my students.So, I began to wonder how to make it all make sense.

I came to the conclusion that students would have more of a chance if phonics and decoding were presented in a multi-sensory method, using words that were truly connected to the reading material. So for 20 years I have been presenting words in a completely multi-sensory manner.And all of my students who have followed the method have become successful readers.

The other teachers want their students to be successful readers, too. Many have asked me what I was doing with my students Parents have also expressed much interest. So I have just published a book that teaches this commonsense method, and demonstrates multi-sensory decoding for the common vowel patterns. It is, I hope, a book which will get all our students reading finally.

It has been lots of work to get this done, but I did it because it helps students. And, I will add, I know lots of teachers who really ARE there to help students. We have missed school due to weather this winter, and many of the teachers have expressed frustration about all the breaks in learning time.

My book is THE SOUNDS OF WORDS, and it has just today become available to order, at 1stbooks.com. I hope that anyone who knows someone who continues to find phonics and decoding a mystery will get a copy and try to help that person by using all (except smell and taste) senses.

Many teachers do care, a lot. I know I do.

Anla

I also grew up in the days of the SRA boxes with their colors. Forunately I had a different experience as I was one of those who did well. In our district, instead of a daily SRA card, comprehension tests are given at the beginning of a story selction that the students work on for a week. The students read the story aloud and then silently and take a comprehension test. The rest of the week is spent on the story, discussing different parts and learning grammar lessons that go with the words in the story. This is used district wide beginning in first garde through third grade with a shift to using novels in fourth grade. I think a longer term approach to a selection with more emphasis on aspects other than just comprehension works much better than a 2 page card with a story and questions that don’t get discussed since each student in the class has a different card with a different story.

As far as ridicule, I know our district does not tolerate it. Even a facetious remark can lead to trouble. We have a district with extremely involved parents and that type of behavior on the part of the staff is not tolerated.

I do know that having spent 12 years in Catholic School while having a different last name than my parents due to divorce and remarriage was not a piece of cake. The nuns did often make examples of the students who had difficulty and those were the days of “tracking”. I was genetically lucky enough to be in “group 1” but those students who were in “group 3” were often made fun of. Most of the students who were in the “smart” group have their Bachelors or Masters while mosts of those in group 3 have service related jobs not requiring a college education. I have often argued the use of this type of grouping in sports as I truly feel that this type of classification served as a self-fulfilling prophesy. I don’t think the kids in the thrid group ever thought of themselves as good enough. This is the reason that schools don’t use this type of system anymore.

On another note, it has been my experience that those students who have the most problems (other than an LD) have parents who do not check that they have completed their homework. They have parents who do not send in the party money, who do not send in the emergency contact forms, who fail to come to conferences as scheduled. When the teachers do not get support from the parents, it makes their job all that much harder.

Right on about lunch - I have taught for 20+ years and have always had a short lunch. My organization is a professional organization not a union, if it were a union we’d make a lot more money with a lot less education. If you think you are making the teachers of the world angry, you have got to be kidding! I find Ball entertaining and it tends to support some of the postions I have taken on other posts. Thank heavens the majority of parents are literate and have the ability to process information in a logical manner.
Here’s another piece of information you don’t have correct - even though you ARE an expert.
1. Teachers are not paid during the summer, some decide to receive their checks spread over 12 months for money management reasons but they are not paid for time they do not work
2. During vacations teachers are not being paid for those days. What a joke this is - we are technically “laid off” during those times. We sign a contract for X number of teaching days a year. The only paid days off we have are personal days. That varies from district to district but the most I know of is three. That means you could teach for 20 years and only have three days a year you can select as time off. In the “real” world I would have 3 weeks of paid vacation.
3. Great benefits? Who are you kidding???? Many school districts don’t offer any type of health plans and if they do many teachers are paying upwards of $500 /month for a family plan (yes some of us are parents)

I don’t know where you get your information but your expertise appears to have some holes in it!

Amen, Samantha! Your are correct on all points, especially the point about using Ball’s posts as entertainment. It always amazes me when people falsely assume that teachers get time off with pay during the summer. How easy it would be to find out the accurate information. Most don’t, however, because then they would have to actually admit that all the bs they’ve been spreading is a pack of lies. And, I can relate to JB’s lunch situation. Mine is 23 minutes long, which is why I keep a pack of Rolaids in my desk. Since I teach high school LD students, I at least get a duty free lunch. (Many of my elementary counterparts must share their lunch period with their students.)

Correct on all points…and…

Actually, in the ‘real world’ you could get as much as 8 1/2 weeks of combined vacation, sick and personal leave after working 20 years. The catch is that you have the same yearly production quotas as the new folks with only 1 or 2 weeks of leave.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence…but you still have to mow it :)

John

How interesting you are and how I must thank you for supporting those of us who are educated, qualilfied, and recognized as doing a superior job by not only our peers but the parents of students we have the opportunity to educate, through your tax dollars. Instead of providing educational services to kids too often we are dealing with irrational and ignorant parents. Thank goodness I have great parents to work with most of the time. Jill and I must have really hit on a raw nerve with our facts since your responses have taken a turn to illiterate, this is a sign that you are so angry that your emotions have not allowed blood to reach your brain. Also, I never complained about the money I make. It was my choice to go into a profession with these limitations. I feel really sorry for you because you obviously are in a profession you hate and feel it is the responsibility of the educational system for putting you there. I’m glad I like what I do!
PS - I have a 135 IQ, oops you were wrong again!

How sad! You have now lowered the bar so much that I will no longer respond to your ramblings. I do hope you find peace with your life and your children grow up to be positive contributing members of society. If someday you have the opportunity to have grandchildren - I hope they can look at their grandfather with admiration and not contempt. Good bye and good luck, you will definitely need it.

Well if they are burned out then they sure don’t need to be teachers, they need to get out and go find a job that will be fulfilling and rewarding to them, but not in education where it can do damage to children’s futures just because they are “burned out”. That is part of what is wrong with the system now. We have a lot of teachers that are “burned out” and that they are there just to collect a paycheck they don’t care if the student learns anything or not. We don’t need those kind of teachers in our school systems, and furthermore, the Children don’t need those kind of teachers, because afterall a teacher touches the future, by teaching children, which is a gift that keeps on giving if people allow it too. I don’t understand teachers who are “burned out” why they stay in a profession that makes them that a way? Why not get out and go do something else? Besides, if they did that they would be doing themselves and countless children a favor if they did. The teacher wouldn’t be “burned out” anymore, and he or she would probably be a lot more happier to, and the children would benefit by actually being able to have a teacher that they learned something from.

It astounds me that many people just don’t get what Ball is talking about. What is everyone so afraid of? He is so right on so much of what he says. If everyone else on this board was as brutally honest, we might actually get somewhere. I am amazed at how defensive some are.

In my school district in Connecticut, teachers, aides and nurses dealt drugs in the classroom, messed up IEP’s, were often neglectful and verbally abusive to disabled kids. Some of this is really ugly. You should all be as indignant and passionate as Ball. Parents and teachers need to work together and support eachother. Both sides have room for improvement. I wonder what you all think of the little angels that were caught on video tape hazing their classmates.
Our schools are really screwed up and are hell for many kids. Many systems foster the type of behavior we saw in the Chicago suburb. I refuse to keep my head in the sand.

I work for the school system. And the more I have seen of it from a parent point of view, the more I hate it. Oh, I know that there are good teachers out there. But so far we’ve only had one.

In grade one my son’s teacher constantly yelled at the children, so loud you could hear her at the other end of the hall. She never ONCE had anything good to say about my child, just “Guess what YOUR son did today”. My son is not violent, aggressive, or rude. He was active-and what we know now….learning disabled. She didn’t communicate with us at all, lied to us, lied to the principal, and even insinuated that our son was making up stories. If anyone hates a profession that much, then find a new one.

In grade two my son’s teacher was on an ego trip. He had his agenda, to hell with the parents. Never mind that a field trip he planned over night to another town was way out of many parents reach financially. He played up the trip so big to the kids that what parent could say no? He even stated that he purposely did that so that he could take the children. This teacher constantly stated that our son was lazy, unwilling, and disobedient. When we suggested that we felt he was learning disabled, the teacher quickly suggested that he felt our son is ADHD-maybe ritalin would be good? I’m sorry, but he is a teacher-not a psychologist. It’s not his place to diagnose our son. Who-might I add-is NOT ADHD at all, but gifted LD.

I am a teacher’s aide. I know the system. I helped out whenever I could, I read to my child every night, signed every form, did everything possible to support the classroom as much as possible. I did not badger the teachers, I tried to work with them. But I’ll be damned if they are going to tell me how to raise my kid or try to diagnose him. I’m his mother. I know him better then any teacher ever will. I would give them suggestions to modify work that they refused to do because they assumed my son was “lazy”. I tried my best to support them, but my son comes first and when it comes to the point where he hates school and the teacher is treating him poorly, I lose the nice attitude.

So. I know there are teachers out there who work hard and are good at what they do. But so far, my son hasn’t had any.

I think most people including parents care but get discouraged or even alientated and give up. Someone once said that most people live lives of quiet desperation and living that kind of life can lead to a stupor where caring doesn’t seem to happen.

I’d say treat parent lack of caring - or the appearance of it - like a disorder . what do we do with disorders? You can’t change the harsh reality of their lives so if you’re unable to cure the disorder, treat the symptoms.

What are the symptoms of parental uncaring as you see it?

In my school we use this term in a very odd way I find. any child whose homework goes undone is deemed to have parents that “don’t care”. I find that a bit extreme but I trust it’s only my school that leaps to such unproductive conclusions. At my school when we say ‘parents don’t care’ we seem to mean the parents aren’t compliant with the requirements of the school. To me uncaring and a lack of compliance aren’t necessarily one and the same thing and to lump them together doesn’t get the problem solved.

Good luck.