I agree with this, was questioning your perception that blaming parents is "taboo." I don't know where that sentiment would be coming from (aside from deadbeat parents).
Education was always stressed by my parents....and the teacher was always right and to never be disobeyed or disrespected. I'm sure you and your wife feel the same.
Everything starts at home, for those lucky enough to have one. For example, narcissism, mean-spiritedness, racism, intolerance, etc., are almost exclusively personal characteristics learned from your parents, siblings and close Friends. That's why stopping occasionally and "introspectioning" are important. To do that, however, requires humility and a willingness to become a better person. For most of us, that's easier said than done.
What politician, school board official, teacher, coach has come out and ou licalky called out the parents for the issues In-N-Out schools? Who has said “our biggest issue is the lack of good parents. It’s not a funding issue, it’s not a curriculum issue , it’s not a political issue. It’s the lack of parents caring and trying in the homes of our students”. We dont see that. We see everything and everyone else get blamed. Not the parents… even though all teachers, all educators, admin, coaches see the problem and know where th biggest problem lies.
I married a teacher. After teaching for years, she became a consultant for a large Charter school network in our area. She has also homeschooled our kids and is now a teacher in a co-op that my son attends (Daughters have both graduated). Both of my parents played rolls in education (professional)as well. We are huge supporters of Charter schools as my wife spent over a decade in the belly of that beast. They have 100% impacted the local school system here by providing a better alternative for many and hy forcing a couple public schools to improve. My brother in law has taught in both, and will tell you that he saw both of those things as fact. The goal of education dollars should be just that. Education. If that means vouchers, more charter funding, or simply improving a public system that in some places is just failing, then I say do ALL those things. This whole public vs. private vs. charter vs homeschool nonsense is just sour grapes by all parties. Let the parents have their say on how THEIR tax money is spent educating THEIR children. That is a great way to keep parents from feeling a disconnect with their kids education.
I think it’s moreso that it’s pointless to “blame parents”. It’s basically like a boomer saying “kids these days”. It’s not addressing problems or offering any ideas, it’s just purely complaining. Schools can’t really do anything about kids with broken home lives, all they can do is mitigate it while the kid is in the school (I.e. school lunch programs so they can at least eat something) or for older troubled kids you might need alternative schools. Charter schools mostly don’t deal with any of that, problem children/teenagers get kicked back to the public school system.
The politicians and school board members know they will lost their next election if they do that. The teachers and coaches know they will get non-renewed at the end of the year if they do that. The parents have all the power in the schools, and that is one of the biggest problems with the schools.
It must be a nightmare to be a teacher these days, on the one hand you have kids from broken homes that have absent parents, then you have this new breed of Uber entitled “parental rights” types that get in the teachers face and accuse them of grooming if the child is assigned to read To Kill a Mockingbird. Not sure which set of kids is more challenging to deal with, but I’m sure teachers prefer the “normal” parents that are involved at home but NOT so involved at the school (beyond the occasional school function or volunteerism).
I think phil made an important point about the potential complications from blaming parents. That said, I think it happens. Instead of blame, school admins & teachers should use words like involvement and accountability. Teachers often blame parents for problem students Teachers Need to Stop Blaming Parents for Their Classroom Failures - La Comadre I’m so sick of blaming parents for these bad-ass kids https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-n...ailed-parent-teacher-relationships-back-track https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...blaming-stressed-out-moms-for-school-failure/ I'm not necessarily agreeing w the authors above, but pointing to the fact that parents do indeed get called out.
Because nothing can be done to / with the parents. The only thing left that can have an impact is to give the kids all the support the can in the school system. Including extra hours, meal programs mentorship, etc.
Unfortunately, you are probably right. I think that if parents want their children to receive a free education, they should be required to teach a kindergarten class 2x for 40min each. The challenge of structuring learning experiences for 20 5yr olds would wake some folks the heck up about the rigors of classroom teaching. Most would be counting the minutes down just waiting for it to be over. Might inspire them to be more involved in their kid's education.
Agree with this wholeheartedly if the Charter schools weren't able to pick and choose who they want in their school. If you get public money, you should have to take anyone who wants to go there, including discipline problems.
Problem is a lot of the parents don't have enough education / knowledge to teach kindergarten even. Ever seen that show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? The parents should be in class with their 3rd graders. Makes it tough on the parents when they don't know HOW to help with homework.
As with most things, charter schools are a mixed bag. Arizona is a leader in the Charter movement, and if you look at test scores, charters actually do just as bad in Arizona as public schools, if not worse. It's been my experience, there are some great charter schools. Others just don't care and want to make money off the state. I also agree parents are a kids' best teacher. You just can't substitute what a kid learns at home with school. Unfortunate, but true. And when charter schools opened in Arizona, too many sold parents that the charter was the answer, and they hired young, unqualified, cheap teachers, and the kids suffered. But the charter convinced parents public schools were bad, and charters were the answer, and the parent was doing the right thing keeping the kid out of a public school! That's not all charters, But too many to count. It's why 100s of Arizona charters schools have closed the last 10 years.
Arizona is a leader in the charter movement because of Eddie Farnsworth. State representative Eddie Farnsworth who has worked tirelessly over the years to make it easier for charter schools to make money. Charter school owner Eddie Farnsworth who has made multiple millions of dollars off of the state of Arizona taxpayers.
There is tons of data on the performance of charter schools, at it is a solid push. Now the shocking part, Charter and public schools that cater to wealthier households do much better. Sort of like becoming a top 5 University without that right thingy
Hey, I had Miss Smith for 10 th grade English. 60+ year old spinster who put the guys on one side of the class and the girls on the other side and downhill from there. Yep, not too popular.