They're merely dealing with rampant parental apathy.  Yes, there are bad teachers, but by and large the majority of poor performance and discipline issues are a direct result of lazy uninvolved parents.  Low standards in the schools are an increasing historical result of this.

I agree! I don't understand why it's always the teachers fault! You've got parents that don't teach their children even basic manners and it's the teachers fault the kids have no desire to learn!!

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

I agree! I don't understand why it's always the teachers fault! You've got parents that don't teach their children even basic manners and it's the teachers fault the kids have no desire to learn!!

 

THis is true. 

 

Not only that, but you have parents that will always have the mindset that any issue "can't be my little Johnny's fault"...and you essentially get enabling of the bad behavior. 

 

As I said before...Joe Clark had the right idea. 

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They're merely dealing with rampant parental apathy.  Yes, there are bad teachers, but by and large the majority of poor performance and discipline issues are a direct result of lazy uninvolved parents.  Low standards in the schools are an increasing historical result of this. 

 

This is totally true.  I've told the story before about my sister in law who is a teacher in the DCPS.  She taught at a high risk school in a pretty bad neighborhood fresh out of college.  She still thought she could save the world at this point, but the parents gave her a dose of reality pretty quickly.   She'd have kids who would come to school without proper supplies, or without being fed, or without decent clothing.  In each instance, she'd try to help the kids by buying the supplies they need, or keeping snacks in the room for her students.  She had one particular kid who was just not cutting it, so she had a parent teacher conference.  The parent (singular) showed up and became indignant because my sister in law dared to suggest that this child would benefit from a little more attentiveness from the parent to get the reading skills where they needed to be.  The parent told her in a pretty matter of fact manner that it was HER (my sister in law) job to teach the child how to read, and that the conference was done.

 

This situation was repeated more than once during her time at that school, and in every instance, all that was happening was a perpetuation of the same cycle from one generation to the next.  The mother probably couldn't read well enough to help her child, so she dumped any responsibility on the teacher to take care of that despite the fact that the teacher was dealing with 30+ students daily who all had needs. 

 

DCPS has been doing everything they can to make it difficult for teachers.  They've cut budgets, and squeezed schedules while simultaneously forcing teachers to take on more.  A new policy is being implemented now for the morning care programs.  In the past, breakfast was provided to the underprivileged kids each morning, but apparently much of the food was being discarded because the kids weren't eating it.  So, the superintendent, in his infinite wisdom, decided that it will now be up to the teachers to serve these breakfasts in the classroom starting 30 minutes before class begins in order to assure the kids eat.  Again, assuming the role of the parent here, and taking away from their planning time at the beginning of the day. 

 

DCPS has become a joke.  There are some good schools, but the problem is that there's incompetent leadership at the top, and that incompetence trickles down.  Pair that with indifferent parents, and suddenly you've got teachers caught in the middle who have their hands tied. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

I agree! I don't understand why it's always the teachers fault! You've got parents that don't teach their children even basic manners and it's the teachers fault the kids have no desire to learn!!

 

It all starts at home, but the problem here is that you've got generations upon generations of families who don't have the first clue how to break the cycle, or they simply don't care to do so.  The kids wind up being the victim, and they pass that along to their kids. 

 

I won't get into the breakdown of the family and how it has impacted this situation, but those who dismiss it as being a farce are really part of the problem. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

This is totally true.  I've told the story before about my sister in law who is a teacher in the DCPS.  She taught at a high risk school in a pretty bad neighborhood fresh out of college.  She still thought she could save the world at this point, but the parents gave her a dose of reality pretty quickly.   She'd have kids who would come to school without proper supplies, or without being fed, or without decent clothing.  In each instance, she'd try to help the kids by buying the supplies they need, or keeping snacks in the room for her students.  She had one particular kid who was just not cutting it, so she had a parent teacher conference.  The parent (singular) showed up and became indignant because my sister in law dared to suggest that this child would benefit from a little more attentiveness from the parent to get the reading skills where they needed to be.  The parent told her in a pretty matter of fact manner that it was HER (my sister in law) job to teach the child how to read, and that the conference was done.

 

This situation was repeated more than once during her time at that school, and in every instance, all that was happening was a perpetuation of the same cycle from one generation to the next.  The mother probably couldn't read well enough to help her child, so she dumped any responsibility on the teacher to take care of that despite the fact that the teacher was dealing with 30+ students daily who all had needs. 

 

DCPS has been doing everything they can to make it difficult for teachers.  They've cut budgets, and squeezed schedules while simultaneously forcing teachers to take on more.  A new policy is being implemented now for the morning care programs.  In the past, breakfast was provided to the underprivileged kids each morning, but apparently much of the food was being discarded because the kids weren't eating it.  So, the superintendent, in his infinite wisdom, decided that it will now be up to the teachers to serve these breakfasts in the classroom starting 30 minutes before class begins in order to assure the kids eat.  Again, assuming the role of the parent here, and taking away from their planning time at the beginning of the day. 

 

DCPS has become a joke.  There are some good schools, but the problem is that there's incompetent leadership at the top, and that incompetence trickles down.  Pair that with indifferent parents, and suddenly you've got teachers caught in the middle who have their hands tied. 

 

Its not just DCPS, FBT and I'm sure you know that. 

 

The scenario you spoke of above happens just about everywhere, nowadays. 

 

I keep referencing "Joe Clark had the right idea" but I guess no one remembers that reference. (Lean On Me). 

 

In that movie there pretty much was a parent JUST LIKE the one you were referencing....and all she cared about was trying to get Principal Clark out of the school and her drug addicted good for nothing slug back into the school, despite her son doing nothing of benefit while there. 

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Its not just DCPS, FBT and I'm sure you know that. 

 

The scenario you spoke of above happens just about everywhere, nowadays. 

 

I keep referencing "Joe Clark had the right idea" but I guess no one remembers that reference. (Lean On Me). 

 

In that movie there pretty much was a parent JUST LIKE the one you were referencing....and all she cared about was trying to get Principal Clark out of the school and her drug addicted good for nothing slug back into the school, despite her son doing nothing of benefit while there. 

 

I'm well aware it's not just Duval County.  That's simply my point of reference. 

 

Sadly, there are parents out there who only see their children as a dollar figure.  It's unfortunate, but that mindset has been almost encouraged by the way the system is run these days.

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

I'm well aware it's not just Duval County.  That's simply my point of reference. 

 

Sadly, there are parents out there who only see their children as a dollar figure.  It's unfortunate, but that mindset has been almost encouraged by the way the system is run these days.

 

I agree. 

 

Its a downward cycle that seems to have no end in sight. 

 

 

It obviously needs to start at home.....but I do know that the school system would be better off if there were a Joe Clark type mindset and ability to lead with every principal in the public school system. 

 

People nowadays seem to hate that word discipline, but without it, you get what we have evolved to today. 

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I agree. 

 

Its a downward cycle that seems to have no end in sight. 

 

 

It obviously needs to start at home.....but I do know that the school system would be better off if there were a Joe Clark type mindset and ability to lead with every principal in the public school system. 

 

People nowadays seem to hate that word discipline, but without it, you get what we have evolved to today. 

 

That's never going to happen.  Not with the way public education is run in general.  Those days are long gone.  Joe Clark would be run out on a rail in today's climate. Everything is about status quo, and letting the little angels run the asylum.  Teach the kids to pass a test at the end of the year and advance them along no questions asked.  Don't challenge your students because that breeds competition, and competition is something that's unfair because it creates winners and losers, and we can't have our children being on the losing end of anything.  That's just unfair. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

It all starts at home, but the problem here is that you've got generations upon generations of families who don't have the first clue how to break the cycle, or they simply don't care to do so.  The kids wind up being the victim, and they pass that along to their kids. 

 

I won't get into the breakdown of the family and how it has impacted this situation, but those who dismiss it as being a farce are really part of the problem.

I couldn't agree more!!!

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

That's never going to happen.  Not with the way public education is run in general.  Those days are long gone.  Joe Clark would be run out on a rail in today's climate. Everything is about status quo, and letting the little angels run the asylum.  Teach the kids to pass a test at the end of the year and advance them along no questions asked.  Don't challenge your students because that breeds competition, and competition is something that's unfair because it creates winners and losers, and we can't have our children being on the losing end of anything.  That's just unfair.

A trophy for everyone!!!!

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

A trophy for everyone!!!!

 

No need to accomplish anything when there's someone there to offer a free ride. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

It all starts at home, but the problem here is that you've got generations upon generations of families who don't have the first clue how to break the cycle, or they simply don't care to do so.  The kids wind up being the victim, and they pass that along to their kids. 

 

I won't get into the breakdown of the family and how it has impacted this situation, but those who dismiss it as being a farce are really part of the problem. 

 

I agree.

 

However the hardworking parent who is committed to their children's education has to put up with substandard teachers as well. Im not saying that plays a major factor, but that exists as well. 

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Whether someone has a liberal, or conservative viewpoint, a authoritative figure should not lock a thread for the sole purpose to get the last word in all the while prohibiting someone else from being able to respond.