Education in North Carolina: 9-7=3

Education in North Carolina: 9-7=3

by Liv | Published on March 26th, 2009, 8:41 am | Life

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Watched the movie "Perfect Parents" yesterday. Good movie, though not as good as The Second Coming, but it's timely as me & Shan are desperately doing everything we can to get our children into a charter school. There's a private school we'd love them to go to, but at $26,000 a year... I can only dream at this point. The charter school is a drastic change from public though... Sunlit classrooms, teachers who are smart and educated... even the parking lot was full of Hybrids when we toured. In comparison, Chance brought a "math worksheet" home from his teacher at his current public school with 9-7=3 as an example... and several other similar mistakes, which have become a daily phenomenon. I understand teachers are humans, and make mistakes too... but there's a point which one must question their dedication to the craft when the mistakes are overwhelmingly persistent.

Anyhow the movie is about two atheist parents whom pretend they're Catholic in order to get their child into a Catholic school because they can't afford private.

Too bad, that in our world, our beautiful, wonderful world.... children are given educations based on their parents bank accounts.

Even our kids, if by a miracle both get into this school will exemplify our cultures need to punish the poor and privilege the rich. I'm not rich. Let's get that straight... very not rich. But we own a car, and we can drive the kids to school. Some parents can't drive their kids 10 miles to a charter school. Some families don't have a car.
Those kids won't learn 9 minus 7 doesn't equal 3.... those are the same kids that grow up, and become the people you try to have a rational conversation with... but can't because they don't understand what that is.

I don't think we ever would have thought to put our son in a private school. Cost was one thing, but the primary concern in my mind (at least) was supporting the important role of public education. And that included parental support and feedback for the teachers. Within the first week of our son's first year at school, we had some disagreements with how the teacher was acting. Instead of stewing about it and complaining about the poor quality of classroom management, we had a conference with the teacher to discuss our concerns.

This was a pet peeve of mine when I was a Boy Scout leader. Parents seemed to think that Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were glorified baby-sitting services. Schools are perhaps more so. Any parent who thinks that their only involvement needs to be handing the kids over and expecting to get a college-ready 18-year-old at the end of a black-box process is deluded. The best results come from working with the teaching professionals and making sure the student gets the best overall education possible.

I agree that the public schools need major improvements. But those CAN come from parental involvement. Parental flight only damages the schools more, and damaged, inferior schools do nothing but harm society in general.

I wish I had his homework to scan for you...

no, really it's pretty bad.... I don't know how to approach this issue without insulting the teacher... I mean some of it is logic issues...

There was one question in which she asked.... and I knew what answer she wanted, but if you read the question for what the question asked.... the answer was the opposite....

Part of my problem has been my lack of involvement... well, I was aware there was some issues... but now that I'm home more, I'm beginning to realize how serious the issue is...

I mean, I'm no genius... (obvious).... but... how do you tell the teacher.... She's an apparently not proof-reading her materials or even not educated enough.... without sounding like a raging lunatic lesbian?

Heh. Taking a copy of the worksheet in question to the teacher and saying "Did you MEAN to do this?" might could be done in a non-confrontational manner. Shoving it under her nose and shouting "Look at this crap, you incompetent COW!" might put her back up a bit.

But you know... when it comes to hurriedly putting things together and publishing them without a thorough proofread, I know many of us can relate. Surely you can find it in your heart to handle a discussion on this topic with a little understanding and compassion? :wink:

Oh of course... Hey I know I'm the queen of dyslexic, spelled wrong, grammar faulty writing....

but.... I'm not being paid by the Government to teach children...

I'm always nice, I'm always compassionate.... that's me....

But are you going to have brain surgery by someone who doesn't know what an artery looks like?

Seriously....

I so wish I would have scanned it now.

I'm no expert, and obviously can't tell whether you're dealing with someone who slipped through the cracks of the licensing and interview process. If you have concerns, and can't resolve them with the teacher, talk to the principal. I had to do that on a couple of occasions, and they're generally really good people to talk with... and they recognize that their primary responsibility is to the students.

The key is to do all you can to help the system. I strongly believe that public education is a central tool in the survival of a free society.

Wow I didn't know only Lesbians could be raging lunatics.

jlhissong wrote:Wow I didn't know only Lesbians could be raging lunatics.

An interesting point. A raging lunatic parent is the normal encounter for teachers...

jlhissong wrote:Wow I didn't know only Lesbians could be raging lunatics.

It's a quaint little category

A Person wrote:
jlhissong wrote:Wow I didn't know only Lesbians could be raging lunatics.

It's a quaint little category

You people.

Liv wrote:I wish I had his homework to scan for you...

no, really it's pretty bad.... I don't know how to approach this issue without insulting the teacher... I mean some of it is logic issues...

There was one question in which she asked.... and I knew what answer she wanted, but if you read the question for what the question asked.... the answer was the opposite....

Part of my problem has been my lack of involvement... well, I was aware there was some issues... but now that I'm home more, I'm beginning to realize how serious the issue is...

I mean, I'm no genius... (obvious).... but... how do you tell the teacher.... She's an apparently not proof-reading her materials or even not educated enough.... without sounding like a raging lunatic lesbian?

Goodness, Liv! What has your sexual orientation got to do with this? You are a parent in this situation. Nothing more and nothing less. I believe in approaching the person I have a problem with first if at all possible. Can't you simply make an appointment with the teacher and show her the sheet and your concerns with it? Perhaps it hasn't occurred to you yet, but the teacher may have simply copied a sheet out of a workbook. Yes, she should have proofed it, but maybe that was the job of her teacher aid (if she has one) and she didn't have the time.

If in fact, she made up the worksheet, it would be beneficial to her if you met with her privately to go over the sheet and your concerns. You will, of course, have to gauge the response. But the first step is to meet directly with the teacher. Maybe, if you have time, you could offer to proof some of those worksheets for her.

Well, orientation has everything, and nothing to do with it all at once.

I live less than a few miles where the fundamental southern baptist religion was birthed. Shannon was told be her very own Boss that if people get a load of our relationship that there would be severe consequences.

Some of it's talk, some of it's not.

Shannon was forced to transfer to a more "central city" Greensboro location on her job to escape someone who was retaliating against her.

Being able to Google my name doesn't lead to the most conservative of beliefs.

We try to balance things the best we can. I have been approached by the media before as well, and honestly we do our best to keep things like that as distant as we can...

I do not want our children to pay the price for someone retaliating their beliefs on our children.

We are openly out, and probably the only "out" couple in the suburb we live in....

...but as anyone in an alternative relationship can attest to, sometimes people make assumptions because the idea of two women bringing up children doesn't even register on their radar....

most of the time they think we're sisters.... which is always a bit disturbing for me

but it provides a bit of safety living in the shadows....

Although the teacher is aware, I don't want her to make things more difficult on my child because of it.

That said, I'm taking this very seriously... I'm waiting to get the paperwork back to see what came of it... and how it was addressed. I also went over in high detail with my child how I felt about this.

Liv wrote:Well, orientation has everything, and nothing to do with it all at once.

I live less than a few miles where the fundamental southern baptist religion was birthed. Shannon was told be her very own Boss that if people get a load of our relationship that there would be severe consequences.

Some of it's talk, some of it's not.

Shannon was forced to transfer to a more "central city" Greensboro location on her job to escape someone who was retaliating against her.

Being able to Google my name doesn't lead to the most conservative of beliefs.

We try to balance things the best we can. I have been approached by the media before as well, and honestly we do our best to keep things like that as distant as we can...

I do not want our children to pay the price for someone retaliating their beliefs on our children....

And these monsters call themselves Christian. I would love to confront them and ask them how the justify retaliating against innocent children for the situation of the people rearing them with their so-called Christian faith.

Retaliation?

That implies that there is some harm that you've done, doesn't it? How does a homosexual relationship harm strangers? I mean, I know the myths from the Old Testament have some claims that few Christians are barely aware of, but that's supposedly not valid any longer. I'd really like to know what goes through such minds.

My theory is that it's a form of tribalism. Religion, race, language... all sorts of things are means of discriminating between in-group and out-group membership. If you're out-group, you get treated like trash. And that is one of the primary sources of human suffering in the world, I think. If we could get people to stop that one set of thoughts from activating (which is hard -- probably a primal instinct from evolution) it would lead to solving an awful lot of our problems, I expect.

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:Retaliation?

That implies that there is some harm that you've done, doesn't it? How does a homosexual relationship harm strangers? I mean, I know the myths from the Old Testament have some claims that few Christians are barely aware of, but that's supposedly not valid any longer. I'd really like to know what goes through such minds.

My theory is that it's a form of tribalism. Religion, race, language... all sorts of things are means of discriminating between in-group and out-group membership. If you're out-group, you get treated like trash. And that is one of the primary sources of human suffering in the world, I think. If we could get people to stop that one set of thoughts from activating (which is hard -- probably a primal instinct from evolution) it would lead to solving an awful lot of our problems, I expect.

Perhaps I used the wrong word. However the so-called "Christians" abusing these children do believe that homosexual people are sinning and somehow they think that may bring God's wrath down on everybody. So in their twisted minds, that means that the first wrong was done by the children's parents.

Regardless, harming children for any perceived fault in their parents is brutal, unfair, and totally unchristian.

Children do indeed suffer the CONSEQUENCES of their parent's sins but not the PUNISHMENT. The bible is clear on that.

Very clear

Genesis 9:21-25
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father .... And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Exodus 20:5 , Deuteronomy 5:9
I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Exodus 34:7
Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Numbers 14:18
Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Deuteronomy 23:2
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 28:18
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body.

2 Samuel 12:14
The child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

2 Samuel 21:6-9
Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD .... And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD.

1 Kings 2:33
Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever.

1 Kings 11:11-12
Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

1 Kings 21:29
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

2 Kings 5:27
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.

Isaiah 14:21
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers.

Jeremiah 16:10-11
Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? ... Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:32
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed.

Jeremiah 32:18
Thou ... recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them.

Zephaniah 1:8
I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

Questioner wrote:Perhaps I used the wrong word.

You went with Liv's word. And really, I think it's valid. I think that when religion is the basis for mistreatment of outsiders like gays, it is done with the mindset that the mistreatment is retaliation for offenses to God. In the minds of the abusers, it "justifies" actions they'd never dream of taking against fellow Christians.