These days, EVERYTHING is a damn right. This is why so many kids these days are belligerent, undisciplined, and socially ignorant. Public schools have absolutely no power these days, and parents (by and large) simply don't give a damn about anything beyond their own noses.
Give schools more power and strip them away from parents who don't deserve it. If they don't like it, they can resort to homeschooling and pray that their kids don't turn 18 and become socially inept and intellectually inferior.
Or we can do the voucher thing and let the system pick winners and losers. Frankly, some kids these days have time wasted on them if you attempt to teach them anything beyond giving change to a dollar and pushing the right button on the register.
Okay.. know your rights within reason, hope that's better! LOL Lots to respond to..and I have a lot of strong opinions/thoughts on this particular topic.
I have a lot of theories and opinions on why some kids excel and others do not. I think it is wise, and not overly lenient to factor in what environment the child lives in. Again, within reason and none of my ideas include anything close to being PC. I simply understand the cognitive, psychological and social impact of outside factors on a child's ability to learn (this includes teenagers since cognitive thinking is still developing late into these years). Thus why we need to TEACH cognition, etc previously mentioned.
These days everything is NOT a right. I submit the idea that no one in the system, not even some parents, can be bothered to say NO to a demand of "rights". No one makes them PROVE they have had their rights taken away, because no one wants to deal with the necessary steps NOR do they want to make the hard decisions and simply say... NO. That might make them look bad you see. Also, path of least resistance... yadda yadda..
Heck, I am not sure kids these days even KNOW what REAL legal rights ARE.. much less who is violating them and how. They have been raised in a society that thinks opinions are facts and wants are rights. And we are allowing it every single day, without so much as a comment. Perspective is missing. No one ever learns by being hand held through life but someone must teach "critical thinking" because it is a skill. And teaching this skill takes TIME. A commodity in short supply for many parents for varying reasons.
I am not a promoter of broad school administrative power either, to be honest. First I do not see them as capable of determining what actually falls under "their power" not even in private schools. I will not even comment on the majority of "charter" schools. Though not all of them are bad I realize. Second, I have seen, and been victim of, attempts by school administrators to exert control over issues that in no way could be considered "under their jurisdiction". Not once I might add... several times, across three different states. Both private and public schools. So, no.. school administrative powers SHOULD be limited.. but not to such a degree that a student is allowed to remain in a class where they have committed violence others (and other such issues). Schools could use some assistance in defining "weapon" though. LOL Expelling should be brought back. Followed closely by some form of corrective punnishment. EFFECTIVE corrective punnishment.
The issue is that we are demanding a
government to educate our children. And to be the dominant influence on their minds and behavior for a large part of the day. I never want my kids sole source of education to be a government system. It is MY responsibility to make sure my children learn not only how to behave but how to learn..how to form ideas, and how to execute those ideas.... for the rest of their lives. Also, it is my responsibility to make sure that my children learn how to be GOOD people. AND I see it as my responsibility that they learn the subjects they need to progress toward a degree. I refuse to lay it at the feet of the government.
*Note my children attend both High School and College concurrently. The school they attend gives them the chance to get the high school diploma AND an Associates degree by the time they complete the 12th grade.*
We have to stop accepting the lowest common denominator in behavior. I NEVER allowed my children to use the type of language, slurs, and behaviors that I hear (and witness) many, many other parents simply shake their head at and shrug.. some even laugh. THAT is where the problem starts. Yes, some kids are trouble issues, I know that. But MOST kids I suspect, are not. And THOSE kids are caught in the middle of the entire senseless mess.
Are my children perfect? No.. my point is, they know how to behave in mixed social situations and they know how to determine wrong from right. Does this have much to do with the education system? I believe it is ONE factor, very much so. Among many.
The frightening thing is that few people agree with any of my viewpoints on this subject labeling me a nut and refusing to honestly address the issues we see ALL are concerned about
as well as blatantly dismissing how parents factor into the entire process. I suspect that if we as a nation, do not have this discussion WITHOUT the teachers unions involved, without politics or politicians involved, and without special interest groups whining.... public education will not be WORTH saving.
All that drivel said, I
do not believe that the time invested teaching anyone (especially the young) is a waste... not in the begining at least. Maybe I am naieve, I know when to cut my losses, but it takes quite a bit of serious consideration before I consider a human being a waste of my time.