Them vs. U.S. - The Two Americas ...

[old salt]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

[Farfromgeneva]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

[Farfromgeneva]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

Fair enough guess I don’t know how to motivate her. Maybe I’ll figure it out before it’s too late. She’s getting an above average set up in life which will float her enough I’d imagine but at risk for sure.

I use these two lot at least w Jr: we do thing things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do in life; and

It’s all about creating as many options in life as possible. Create them by doing, observing and questioning but moving.

Or variations of those.

I wonder if it’s worse for a upper middle class or better kid being somewhat naturally gifted and generally obedient/dutiful with advantages as an adult or the same but without advantages call it lower middle class not level
Where just surviving is a signal of accomplishment.

[old salt]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

That's not surprising. Based on your posts, you align well with the national Teachers Unions' political positions.
You obviously live in an affluent area, with well funded schools, which can attract the best faculty available.

[Farfromgeneva]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

That's not surprising. Based on your posts, you align well with the national Teachers Unions' political positions.
You obviously live in an affluent area, with well funded schools, which can attract the best faculty available.

So what is your direct experience with public schools? I didn’t catch that part in the reply there. I’m interested too. I suspect I know the general answer but you never know.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

That's not surprising. Based on your posts, you align well with the national Teachers Unions' political positions.
You obviously live in an affluent area, with well funded schools, which can attract the best faculty available.

I am a product of one of the worst public schools systems in the country.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

Fair enough guess I don’t know how to motivate her. Maybe I’ll figure it out before it’s too late. She’s getting an above average set up in life which will float her enough I’d imagine but at risk for sure.

I use these two lot at least w Jr: we do thing things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do in life; and

It’s all about creating as many options in life as possible. Create them by doing, observing and questioning but moving.

Or variations of those.

I wonder if it’s worse for a upper middle class or better kid being somewhat naturally gifted and generally obedient/dutiful with advantages as an adult or the same but without advantages call it lower middle class not level
Where just surviving is a signal of accomplishment.

Had lunch with a client yesterday. We laughed about folks in Darien not wanting to send their kids to the bad middle school and New Canaan guys sending their kids to the local private school. My son went to a local private high school. Not because we thought it was a better academic experience but because he wanted to go there since 3rd grade. It had better sports so he had always been attracted to it. He could have gone to Culver or any NEW Prep if he wanted and probably wouldn’t have paid but we PAID to send him locally and we PAID to send him to college despite meaningful offers from “dream” schools.

My neighbor was Principal of our middle school and his wife was a math teacher at the public high school. She tutored both of my kids in math. Her daughter is a USNA grade after her public schooling, as was another kid in town. If aligning with the Teachers Union produced those two, more people need to get on board.

[old salt]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

Fair enough guess I don’t know how to motivate her. Maybe I’ll figure it out before it’s too late. She’s getting an above average set up in life which will float her enough I’d imagine but at risk for sure.

I use these two lot at least w Jr: we do thing things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do in life; and

It’s all about creating as many options in life as possible. Create them by doing, observing and questioning but moving.

Or variations of those.

I wonder if it’s worse for a upper middle class or better kid being somewhat naturally gifted and generally obedient/dutiful with advantages as an adult or the same but without advantages call it lower middle class not level
Where just surviving is a signal of accomplishment.

Had lunch with a client yesterday. We laughed about folks in Darien not wanting to send their kids to the bad middle school and New Canaan guys sending their kids to the local private school. My son went to a local private high school. Not because we thought it was a better academic experience but because he wanted to go there since 3rd grade. It had better sports so he had always been attracted to it. He could have gone to Culver or any NEW Prep if he wanted and probably wouldn’t have paid but we PAID to send him locally and we PAID to send him to college despite meaningful offers from “dream” schools.

My neighbor was Principal of our middle school and his wife was a math teacher at the public high school. She tutored both of my kids in math. Her daughter is a USNA grade after her public schooling, as was another kid in town. If aligning with the Teachers Union produced those two, more people need to get on board.

Interesting anecdotes. How are things in the public schools you attended ?

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

Fair enough guess I don’t know how to motivate her. Maybe I’ll figure it out before it’s too late. She’s getting an above average set up in life which will float her enough I’d imagine but at risk for sure.

I use these two lot at least w Jr: we do thing things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do in life; and

It’s all about creating as many options in life as possible. Create them by doing, observing and questioning but moving.

Or variations of those.

I wonder if it’s worse for a upper middle class or better kid being somewhat naturally gifted and generally obedient/dutiful with advantages as an adult or the same but without advantages call it lower middle class not level
Where just surviving is a signal of accomplishment.

Had lunch with a client yesterday. We laughed about folks in Darien not wanting to send their kids to the bad middle school and New Canaan guys sending their kids to the local private school. My son went to a local private high school. Not because we thought it was a better academic experience but because he wanted to go there since 3rd grade. It had better sports so he had always been attracted to it. He could have gone to Culver or any NEW Prep if he wanted and probably wouldn’t have paid but we PAID to send him locally and we PAID to send him to college despite meaningful offers from “dream” schools.

My neighbor was Principal of our middle school and his wife was a math teacher at the public high school. She tutored both of my kids in math. Her daughter is a USNA grade after her public schooling, as was another kid in town. If aligning with the Teachers Union produced those two, more people need to get on board.

Interesting anecdotes. How are things in the public schools you attended ?

Like I said, among the worst in the country, despite that most of my friends that weren’t dead by 25 have done reasonably well and some exceptionally well.

[old salt]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

That's not surprising. Based on your posts, you align well with the national Teachers Unions' political positions.
You obviously live in an affluent area, with well funded schools, which can attract the best faculty available.

So what is your direct experience with public schools? I didn’t catch that part in the reply there. I’m interested too. I suspect I know the general answer but you never know.

My direct experience is too distant to be relevant. My wife was a public school teacher from 1970 - 2002. Never joined a teacher's union.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

That's not surprising. Based on your posts, you align well with the national Teachers Unions' political positions.
You obviously live in an affluent area, with well funded schools, which can attract the best faculty available.

So what is your direct experience with public schools? I didn’t catch that part in the reply there. I’m interested too. I suspect I know the general answer but you never know.

My direct experience is too distant to be relevant. My wife was a public school teacher from 1970 - 2002. Never joined a teacher's union.

Un huh. Unions are bad.

[Farfromgeneva]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

Fair enough guess I don’t know how to motivate her. Maybe I’ll figure it out before it’s too late. She’s getting an above average set up in life which will float her enough I’d imagine but at risk for sure.

I use these two lot at least w Jr: we do thing things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do in life; and

It’s all about creating as many options in life as possible. Create them by doing, observing and questioning but moving.

Or variations of those.

I wonder if it’s worse for a upper middle class or better kid being somewhat naturally gifted and generally obedient/dutiful with advantages as an adult or the same but without advantages call it lower middle class not level
Where just surviving is a signal of accomplishment.

Had lunch with a client yesterday. We laughed about folks in Darien not wanting to send their kids to the bad middle school and New Canaan guys sending their kids to the local private school. My son went to a local private high school. Not because we thought it was a better academic experience but because he wanted to go there since 3rd grade. It had better sports so he had always been attracted to it. He could have gone to Culver or any NEW Prep if he wanted and probably wouldn’t have paid but we PAID to send him locally and we PAID to send him to college despite meaningful offers from “dream” schools.

My neighbor was Principal of our middle school and his wife was a math teacher at the public high school. She tutored both of my kids in math. Her daughter is a USNA grade after her public schooling, as was another kid in town. If aligning with the Teachers Union produced those two, more people need to get on board.

Interesting anecdotes. How are things in the public schools you attended ?

Like I said, among the worst in the country, despite that most of my friends that weren’t dead by 25 have done reasonably well and some exceptionally well.

I’d imagine you get more barbelled outcomes in those situations. I’m surprised at how many ended up in the “corridor” going to college then reading Binghamton for Albany/Rochester/Buffalo, maybe a few went to bigger cities and then came home to Binghamton. Work state jobs or socials workers, teachers. I expected more to do very well or be stuck in the mud in or around the southern tier of Ny. I always sort of looked down on, even if some were friends or imparted with, the kids who had been born with by so very much and gave absolutely zero f**ks about taking any action to use those gifts. Most may have g**ked around too much and had less consequences at that stage but still did something you could point to. But the ones who just decayed all their privilige, some not even partying like killer rock stars but even that being a let down, were just pathetic.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Point of order a Fan. There is a large number of parents who choose homeschooling because they have lost faith in the ability of "trained professionals" to properly educate their children. It might be that they are unimpressed with the curriculum being offered to their children. It takes a huge investment in time and dedication to teach your child at home. No need to be concerned about what your child is learning at school. The downside is your childs interaction with kids their own age becomes limited

Not at all! I'm 100% supportive of homeschooling. Engaged parents are shown to do a pretty good job of it. But much of that is: it's a one on one interaction. Easier to teach one than 35, obviously.

What I'm reacting to, and what you and I have discussed before is for PUBLIC schools.

A. parents aren't trained to teach. Teachers are.

B. if we're going to let untrained parents decide what and who kids are taught: who are the lucky parents that get to make that call? Do I get to make the choice for ALL the other parents in my daughter's school?

In short, it's impossible to let parents choose how and what we teach our kids. You have to ELECT someone to do that, and/or APPOINT a rep. Which is exactly what we have been doing.

2023 RightWingers have been taught that among other enemies, teachers are their enemy. Read that out loud. Tell me you think that's right.

My head maltster's wife just left teaching after just 3 years in. Why? Piddly Denver pay coming from Colorado's right wingers, coupled with an unsafe work environment coming from left (and right, believe it or not) wingers.

A kid bit a teacher at her school last week. Know what happened? Nothing. Police weren't called. Kid wasn't expelled or suspended.

We are asking teachers to be the ONLY workers in America who aren't entitled to a safe workspace. And until we fix this? America will continue to circle the drain.

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

When did you have a kid in a public school system? You ever sit down with a guidance counselor to discuss class choices for your kid? You have a parent teacher conference? I don’t want to hear about what you have heard about someone else’s experience. My kids went through the public school system and got a 1st class education. I don’t know about you.

Mine are TBD but they are at a “top 3 ranked aps elementary school” so I guess
Its fine. Son is testing too 98-99% on national stuff and generally getting As/testing into gate etc but gets into trouble For distractions stuff and general disobedience. Daughter is As but more linear thinker and never hear a peep but she’s worried about the wrong stuff (I don’t have many friends-she’s like 50 because we’re always cutting her invite list and they all show) but I don’t get the sense their doing much to help her maximize her intellectual curiosity. Feels like part of a teachers job. Not that it’s easy but that’s where I’d start to view quality in education when they get more or the most out of the kids. Not the national tests which my son get flu through blindfolded but if we don’t get him straight he will end up like me.

But all in all this abstraction of what’s going on in public schools is a joke. And people talking about it without skin in the game need to just stop. Just find some other culture war to fight and leave my kids alone.

I just had a 10 year old kid in my office while his mom was conducting some business….nice kid with his hoodie on. Sitting in my office for 2 minutes after I didn’t let him off the hook with some simple answers to a couple of questions I posed, the hoodie came off and he sat up….my advice to him was this: if all you are doing is what you are assigned in school, you aren’t doing enough. If that’s what the average kid does and that’s what you do, you will be a average…with an average job, with an average house, and making average money. I told him what little I have gathered about him, his situation isn’t “average” and he really doesn’t want to be average. He asked me if average meant poor…I told him unfortunately, by his standard yes…the average person is poor when you get right down to it. I told him to ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED. A teachers job is to get you sufficiently educated and that’s a wide range. It’s your job to make yourself exceptional. That’s what I told my kids and that is what I tell kids that participate at the youth organization in which I am a board member. My kids never went on a vacation without me bringing along workbooks and other stuff for them to spend a little time on.

Fair enough guess I don’t know how to motivate her. Maybe I’ll figure it out before it’s too late. She’s getting an above average set up in life which will float her enough I’d imagine but at risk for sure.

I use these two lot at least w Jr: we do thing things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do in life; and

It’s all about creating as many options in life as possible. Create them by doing, observing and questioning but moving.

Or variations of those.

I wonder if it’s worse for a upper middle class or better kid being somewhat naturally gifted and generally obedient/dutiful with advantages as an adult or the same but without advantages call it lower middle class not level
Where just surviving is a signal of accomplishment.

Had lunch with a client yesterday. We laughed about folks in Darien not wanting to send their kids to the bad middle school and New Canaan guys sending their kids to the local private school. My son went to a local private high school. Not because we thought it was a better academic experience but because he wanted to go there since 3rd grade. It had better sports so he had always been attracted to it. He could have gone to Culver or any NEW Prep if he wanted and probably wouldn’t have paid but we PAID to send him locally and we PAID to send him to college despite meaningful offers from “dream” schools.

My neighbor was Principal of our middle school and his wife was a math teacher at the public high school. She tutored both of my kids in math. Her daughter is a USNA grade after her public schooling, as was another kid in town. If aligning with the Teachers Union produced those two, more people need to get on board.

Interesting anecdotes. How are things in the public schools you attended ?

Like I said, among the worst in the country, despite that most of my friends that weren’t dead by 25 have done reasonably well and some exceptionally well.

I’d imagine you get more barbelled outcomes in those situations. I’m surprised at how many ended up in the “corridor” going to college then reading Binghamton for Albany/Rochester/Buffalo, maybe a few went to bigger cities and then came home to Binghamton. Work state jobs or socials workers, teachers. I expected more to do very well or be stuck in the mud in or around the southern tier of Ny. I always sort of looked down on, even if some were friends or imparted with, the kids who had been born with by so very much and gave absolutely zero f**ks about taking any action to use those gifts. Most may have g**ked around too much and had less consequences at that stage but still did something you could point to. But the ones who just decayed all their privilige, some not even partying like killer rock stars but even that being a let down, were just pathetic.

I talk to my best friend every day. We first met for 5th grade basketball…..anyway we were determined to go to college. Our senior year, he was working extra hard as he was waitlisted at Case Western….his mother told him a man from ITT Technical Institute wanted to talk to him….the guy came by his house and tried to sell him on Technical School….. my buddy told him he was either going to Case Western or another small liberal arts college and the guy told him this: “Be realistic…kids like you don’t go to those schools”…..my buddy told him to get the Fcku out of his house before he beats the out of him”…the guy was stunned. Anyway, went to school, got accounting degree, became a CPA at Deloitte. We laugh about that story all the time…we also laugh about him working hard to “get off the waitlist” while the rest of us had already decided on schools.. he never did get in! Anyway, I still remember many of my public school teachers. They were good given the circumstances. I met a guy at a function in CT. He told me he had been brought it to consult on the school system and had been superintendent for a year. He said it was so screwed up it was hard to believe….

[NattyBohChamps04]

The funniest and saddest part about the people who eat this kind of stuff up? Their current solution is to vote in a silver-spoon Ivy League New York City "Billionaire." The mainstream media they consume does its best to suggest he's looking out for the workers of America while these "coastal elites" are the biggest bogeyman.

He only got into an Ivy for a MBA. He didn't get into an Ivy as an undergrad. His undergrad school is now in the PL.

He transferred to Penn from Fordham as an undergrad because of his rich daddy/brother connections. And he "earned" a B.S. Don't see anything about an MBA.

So he was accepted into an Ivy as an undergrad transfer. Because he was rich and potential cheating.

So he's a silver-spoon Ivy League grad New York City "Billionaire" through and through. Even if it took being a nepo-baby to do the Ivy thing.

Any more fact checking chief?

[Typical Lax Dad]

The funniest and saddest part about the people who eat this kind of stuff up? Their current solution is to vote in a silver-spoon Ivy League New York City "Billionaire." The mainstream media they consume does its best to suggest he's looking out for the workers of America while these "coastal elites" are the biggest bogeyman.

He only got into an Ivy for a MBA. He didn't get into an Ivy as an undergrad. His undergrad school is now in the PL.

He transferred to Penn from Fordham as an undergrad because of his rich daddy/brother connections. And he "earned" a B.S. Don't see anything about an MBA.

So he was accepted into an Ivy as an undergrad transfer. Because he was rich and potential cheating.

So he's a silver-spoon Ivy League grad New York City "Billionaire" through and through. Even if it took being a nepo-baby to do the Ivy thing.

Any more fact checking chief?

Isn’t Fordham an A-10 School?

[PizzaSnake]

The funniest and saddest part about the people who eat this kind of stuff up? Their current solution is to vote in a silver-spoon Ivy League New York City "Billionaire." The mainstream media they consume does its best to suggest he's looking out for the workers of America while these "coastal elites" are the biggest bogeyman.

He only got into an Ivy for a MBA. He didn't get into an Ivy as an undergrad. His undergrad school is now in the PL.

He transferred to Penn from Fordham as an undergrad because of his rich daddy/brother connections. And he "earned" a B.S. Don't see anything about an MBA.

So he was accepted into an Ivy as an undergrad transfer. Because he was rich and potential cheating.

So he's a silver-spoon Ivy League grad New York City "Billionaire" through and through. Even if it took being a nepo-baby to do the Ivy thing.

Any more fact checking chief?

“Professor Kelley told me 100 times over three decades that “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” I remember his emphasis and inflection — it went like this: “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddamn student I ever had.” Kelley told me this after Trump had become a celebrity, but long before he was considered a political figure. Kelley often referred to Trump’s arrogance when he told the story that Trump came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything. ”

https://www.alternet.org/2017/10/former ... i-ever-had

[a fan]

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Keep it up, then. Stick it to those horrible, mean ol' public teachers. And keep paying them sh(t wages so we can keep getting the worst teachers we can find. Let the libs in places that think differently than you get great educations, and all the great jobs, and let them run everything. Fine by me.

[old salt]

This is a dodge. The issue isn't teaching skill, it's what's in the curriculum, beyond the basics.
The teacher's unions' political influence on curriculum has made them the enemy.
They should have stayed neutral in the culture wars & not supported, or endorsed, either party or any candidate.
The Hatch Act should apply to Teachers Unions & their members, just as it does to the military, imho.
You're trusting them with shaping your children's minds & characters.
This just in : the NEA is threatening to un-endorse Biden until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Keep it up, then. Stick it to those horrible, mean ol' public teachers. And keep paying them sh(t wages so we can keep getting the worst teachers we can find. Let the libs in places that think differently than you get great educations, and all the great jobs, and let them run everything. Fine by me.

Let the NEA determine our foreign policy & national security strategy.

Now children, let's all say -- from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free.