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Thread: Public schools: parental influence, what should be taught?

  1. #11
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    ...
    I think it’s a terrible idea to expect public employees to inflict the latest fashions in ideological codswallop on little children. Call it Critical Race Theory, Values Education, Social Emotional Learning, or any other alias you think will fool the unenlightened public. We don’t need teachers in the role of therapist, commissar or guru. We need them to up their game on teaching math and reading. ...
    I couldn't agree more that a solid grounding in the basics should be emphasized, and that ed school fads should be looked at with a skeptical eye. Critical race theory doesn't, and never has, been a factor outside of law school, but American history shouldn't be whitewashed or sanitized.

    Also, mobs of screaming parents--many of whom have no connection whatsoever to the school boards under assault--threatening board members with mayhem, can reasonably be characterized as "terrorizing" people just trying to do their jobs.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    I couldn't agree more that a solid grounding in the basics should be emphasized, and that ed school fads should be looked at with a skeptical eye. Critical race theory doesn't, and never has, been a factor outside of law school, but American history shouldn't be whitewashed or sanitized.

    Also, mobs of screaming parents--many of whom have no connection whatsoever to the school boards under assault--threatening board members with mayhem, can reasonably be characterized as "terrorizing" people just trying to do their jobs.
    People spend a lot of time splitting hairs to convey that their latest foray into race essentialism isn’t technically CRT. Fine. Call it what you will, as the cartoon says “I say it’s spinach, and I say to hell with it”. I find it suspicious that so many districts resist publishing curricula for fear of people finding out what they’re teaching.

    As far as angry parents go, I find it telling that AG Garland seemed to solicit requests to set the FBI against people. The “mostly peaceful” standard doesn’t seem to apply here.

  3. #13
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    Unfortunately LDAHL, we do need teachers in the role of therapists. Because we don’t have easily accessible therapists. And I can’t teach a kid anything when they are mostly focused on not throwing up from anxiety, or not crying over whatever is making them want to cry, or not lashing out inappropriately with totally appropriate anger they have no way to channel.

    And we need to affirm kid’s identities and every healthy family, because kids don’t learn when they don’t feel safe.

    I had a class two years ago with one kid of a different ideology (an ideology I do not share btw) and I found myself arguing from his position with the rest of the class frequently. Because I knew he was afraid to stand up for it. Now and then I could get him to throw me a piece of supporting information. But not often. But you know what - he stayed in school. And his twin in another class group did not.

  4. #14
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    Maybe parents should have some influence as a group, but saying parental influence should be everything, no way. No way.

    You need a license to teach, you don't need a license to become a parent, and many parents are not fit for the job (but alas unless really extreme things are happening and child protective services gets involved, they can't be fired from it). So no people with no qualifications should not be able to dictate everything to licensed teachers.
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  5. #15
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    To respond to Alan--parents should be able to register their concerns, but not run the show. There are lots of private and/or religious schools and, of course, home schooling options available for parents who are afraid their children are being unduly influenced.
    Since my comments on the subject that JP1 raised are in another thread our trusty readers may have to go there to see that I specifically referenced public schools in my response. I'm sure you're correct in that parents who wish their children to be educated in victimization, oppression and gender studies could find a private school or simply teach them themselves.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  6. #16
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
    ...I'm sure you're correct in that parents who wish their children to be educated in victimization, oppression and gender studies could find a private school or simply teach them themselves.
    Not to mention religious indoctrination.

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    Based on my limited-time (so far) experience as a middle school custodian - if the conditions of bathrooms, classrooms and hallways at the end of EVERY DAY are any indication of what is going on in school - I would have to say a lot of destructive, defiant, "don't care", etc. attitudes and behaviors on the part of students and, yes, even some teachers. Granted I'm speaking from seeing the end results of a day in a classroom, but it must have been a hell of a day! (I'll spare everyone specifics.) Suffice to say that some teachers try and others don't; some kids are there to learn and others are not; some parents are involved and some are not - and some in good ways and others in bad ways! The kids don't seem to be afraid of the teachers, administrators and in some cases even their parents and their behavior and attitude show it. The state rules for public schools make it difficult for any disciplinary actions that seems to work. I don't have any answers, but this job has opened my eyes to the fact that sending a kid off to school is nothing like when I went off to school. I know I'm rambling and I don't have any answers, but unless you are somehow directly involved AND in the buildings - you really don't know what actually is going on. Things like gender issues, religion, etc. - while maybe nice topics to educate everyone about, is often way down the list when it comes to day-to-day issues.

    Again, rambling here. Sorry if it doesn't make much sense.
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  8. #18
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    Not to mention religious indoctrination.
    Of course we've had that discussion many times over the years. I find it curious though that the people most likely to fear the taint of religious indoctrination seem to be most welcome to other forms of indoctrination, although mostly for other people's kids it seems.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  9. #19
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    It was ages ago I went to junior high, for heavens sake I'm in my 40s, and it DID SEEM that bad then. It was chaos. So I'm not impressed that this is something new. Maybe it's even worse, but it was total chaos then too. By the way custodians finding things a total mess is a story I've heard from custodians in retail establishments etc., so it's not exclusively some school thing.
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  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore View Post
    It was ages ago I went to junior high, for heavens sake I'm in my 40s, and it DID SEEM that bad then. It was chaos. So I'm not impressed that this is something new. Maybe it's even worse, but it was total chaos then too. By the way custodians finding things a total mess is a story I've heard from custodians in retail establishments etc., so it's not exclusively some school thing.
    Well, just to clarify, I'm not talking just "a total mess". I'm talking actual filth. There is a reason custodians wear gloves!
    To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
    Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
    In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown

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