It is time to seriously evaluate our current educational system to figure out what is going drastically wrong and challenge the status quo.
This is a subject that weighs heavily on our lives because I have a son in middle school and certainly, I think than anyone with school aged children will relate to my concerns.
Let me begin by saying that my son is getting straight A's, yet it is not reflective of his actual knowledge.
Yes, we know that schools are overcrowded with 30 plus kids per classroom, of varying academic and behavioral issues all integrated into one cozy room to learn the same recycled material.
At morning drop off, my son thunderstruck me, "Mom, 95% of the kids in school are bad." I was absolutely floored and he kept giving me example after example.
At breakfast, he said that he knows why one girl has been absent for months, she told kids that she was feeling like hurting other children at school and spent time at a mental facility. My son and everyone else is afraid of her.
One science teacher returned a large packet and marked 12 problems incorrect when they were actually correct. When we mentioned this to her, she remarked, "I guess you are teaching your son at a higher level so I will credit you extra credit points if it pleases you."
The math teacher gives each child 100% if they complete their homework regardless if the results are correct. She does not take the time to grade anything except for quizzes. She gave out a major exam and told the kids that she would be proud of them if they received 50% due to the difficulty. This is the test that shows how effective her teaching methods are for her students.
Cell phones were requested by teachers at the beginning of the year so that the kids can conduct "research" in class.
Language arts teacher allows the kids to listen to music on students' cell phones during class time regardless if they actually completed their assignment and makes a habit of not collect weekly assignments half of the time because she does not have to grade it. Subsequently, I have pulled the plug on my son's cell phone service because I see it more as a distraction to his learning.
One school rule that really gets me is where the kids get penalized for going to the restroom during class and they are only give 3 minutes between periods to get from class to class. My son often comes home without drinking any water all day to prevent going to the bathroom!
Every day after school, our kid comes home to complete homework, we check it, he makes corrections, and this goes on for 2-4 hours each evening.
Our kid often comes home without a clue on how to do the math homework assignment at least half the time, because the teacher neglects review examples before the children leave the class. I checked with another excelling student and he confirmed that the teacher is known for handing out the sheets of homework without even going over the material. Perhaps, this method of teaching is via osmosis?
How do our schools continue to allow poor behaved kids to continue to attend school and give chance after chance to known bullies while allowing other kids to suffer at their hands, often in silence?
Many kids choose to suffer in silence due to shame and repercussions and the effects are lifelong.
I have been thinking of the possibility of homeschooling at home and many people including my closest friends say that the reason we send kids to school is to "socialize" them and I find this answer absolutely laughable.
Today is the last day of the 3rd quarter and the kids who were good all year get rewarded to play half the day outside while their peers stay inside. This morning, my son told me that the teacher suggested to the kids who are not allowed to play outside, to stay at home instead of going to school altogether!
Additionally, one of the best academic students and the child who has earned "teacher's pet" for voluntarily taking out the trash every day, etc. is not allowed to go because he got a referral to the Principal for "chewing gum." This is an awesome and responsible kiddo by all measures.
God forbid a minor error by a respectful, smart, and mature student, but let's ensure that bullies continue their education. Trust me, every administrator, teacher, and student knows who these kids are.
Let me end with the stupidity of awards ceremonies. My son historically picks up a barrage of them each quarter and I am okay with the academic ones that the kids actually earn. The school introduced the "scholar" award and the first quarter, it was given to a child who appears to have short term memory as she asks the same question over and over. The second quarter, it was given to a child who does not regularly attend school, but the teacher selected him because he has nice handwriting and shares his class notes with his classmates. I know this child and he regularly misses school because he plays video games until the wee hours.
I have to say that one of the above teachers won the teacher's award for her sensitivity. OMG! How about focusing on actually teaching the material to students eager to learn?
Let me just say that there are plenty of awards that fit other categories and perhaps, they should continue creating more fake awards so that kids and their parents can live in an illusion that scholar must mean something other than being a good student.
Please accept my sincere apologies for ranting
