It's a NEWS story on OneNewsNow. Conservative folks must be looking preeeetty askance at public education if it makes news when someone from their camp says it's ok to send your kid to school. It sounds like something out of the Onion or something... an Evangelical pastor who ACTUALLY uses the public ed system! *gasp*
You know, when I took journalism classes we were explicitly taught that the news was to involve the unusual. "Dog Bites Man" is not news, but "Man Bites Dog" would be. Here we have a NEWS story that says "Your Child Can Thrive in Public School." Well, it's possible, anyway, the reporter implies. Maybe. If you do your devotions in the morning. Go read the article for yourself and see if you don't come away with that idea.
The entire story is really just a plug for a book written by parents of eight children who have been through/ are going through public schools.
I've said this a billion times, but it bears repeating. Patrick and G are in public school. The staff I've seen at this particular building have been helpful for the most part and considerate. I even had one email me a couple days back and ask how she could help G do well in drama class, and related that she had already contacted his case manager to find out more about him. Isn't that great? Doesn't that scream, "I want to include this child and be aware of how his autism is going to need to be accomodated in my class?" Well, it did to me. It was a very sweet and concerned letter.
Oh, drifting off course... correcting...
So the older boys are in public school. I'm not going to disagree with the idea that your child "can thrive" in public school. Whatever.
But...
Maybe it's just me thinking this...
The tone of the news stories on OneNewsNow seems to be a "take back the schools" rallying cry. Some of these schools aren't worth taking back. Some of these places, I can't imagine sending a child I love into those buildings. Not that your child isn't worth saving. Not that your child isn't worth "taking back" the schools. I'm just parenting MY kid, though, and imperfectly at that. It isn't that I don't care. It's just that I'm too overwhelmed with my own problems to take on yours, too.
But books like this just kill me. I clicked the "about" the authors on their website. It appears (unless district lines are drawn funny) they live in this district with only about 2500 kids, located in "rural/suburban countryside nestled between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound, and is surrounded by farmland and seven lakes."
Um, are you feeling that you're going to get really rough and tumble advice from this book about how to deal with problems in YOUR school district? Gimme a break.
I have to call it as I see it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
lol - do I sense just a tad of sarcasm here? You did make me want to go check the link out, so now I'm off to it!
ReplyDeleteWhat I got from their website was "Your child can thrive DESPITE being enrolled in public school." That's not the greatest selling point, at least for me.
ReplyDeleteI had a Christian school teacher mom tell me that our children should be a light; that's why her kids are in ps. Um, yeah, but can you honestly say that your child's light is unextinguishable when they are bombarded by negative influences all day long? They aren't little adults. Their faith needs to be nurtured and matured before they are thrust into worldly situations (and they will be, homeschooled or not, and all too soon).
My husband works at and for the public schools. He has said, unequivocally, that our children will not go to public school because he sees it all. It's not an option.
Pam, I'm just seeing an article that screams "I wanna make a lot of money by giving advice in a book when I don't know you!" I'm not saying you CAN'T do well in p.s. or that you should or shouldn't go. But doesn't that article sound silly? Like, the mom and dad's credential is getting their kids through the nicer p.s. district and then they want to recommend someone else send their kids somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteBTW, in Pasco County when I lived in FL there were RIOTS at the high school. Bad stuff. You made it sound like Richie Rich and his friends all moved in so maybe it's better now.
Claire, I'm sure your husband has some *interesting* conversations with his coworkers about school starting, and what grade is your girl in and etc...
Oh, I hadn't looked for an excerpt! Thanks. I looked at some of the other links on that site and, apparently in addition to prayer, they consulted their PASTOR and PARENTS as to what to do with their children's education.
ReplyDelete??
Ok. Well, it's their kid. I hope my mom isn't waiting around for that phone call, though, because for *me,* no way that's happening. I can honour my mom and dad and listen to what my pastor says (really listen, pray and apply when needed, not just "hear,") BUT these are my kids.
And my husband's. Right now D feels very strongly that the older ones are in p.s. One thing the website talked about is that you can't do things so that you look ok to outsiders. So, maybe I am less of a hs-ing mom to some b/c Patrick and G are in public school. Or maybe I am weird to my public school mom peers. I guess you can't win if that's what you go by.
Did you read the part of the excerpt where this kid pulled a KNIFE on her child? And they invite the kid's mom and uncle and the boy to dinner? WITH their child??? Oh, that poor kid. I'm glad it turned out well for them, but I just can't imagine.
I'd have called the cops. We had one little hood in the neighbourhood constantly trespassing and one day threatening to shoot Patrick while he was on the bus. We called the bus department to see if they had it on video and make a report and do you know what they did?
They asked Patrick what HE DID to CAUSE this to happen.
Yes, they did.
I don't think inviting the kid and his mom and dad to dinner would solve a thing, though I guess if God LED this family to do that then more power to them.
That's how I felt when I found Chaz's teacher at his previous school. She was amazing and she truly cared. :) They are one in a million sometimes it seems. I wish I could have kept them there but the kids were so bad at that school and classrooms were way overcrowded.
ReplyDeleteMrs. C, my husband is really outspoken about homeschooling. He went to the schools in our town, and sees how they've changed. The district superintendent knows we homeschool, and she's met our kids. He doesn't get a lot of guff, since they can't argue with success. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, Virginia. Even the best teacher in a crummy setup is going to do badly. AND worse still the reverse is true also. :]
ReplyDeleteClaire, I'm glad your district is supportive of homeschooling. Wouldn't you think with school overcrowding EVERYONE should be? Less work for them.
I have heard of the Pritchards, though I haven't read their book- just an excerpt. Your situation is the mirror image of my own, so I "feel" your pain, Mrs. C.
ReplyDeleteI will say that I didn't know that this family raised their children is a rural, small school district. I now have no interest in reading their book because they have no "real" help for me.
My big kids are in school in the second largest school district in one of the top 5 most populous states in the country. Not the same as navigating within a small, rural district I can assure you.
If only I knew 10 years ago what I know now!! But then, you can't know then what you know now, can you?
As one who went to a public high school with the mission of changing it for the better, I was rather disappointed when my efforts were less than successful.
ReplyDelete~Luke