re: 20/20 show
[email protected]
Please don't get offended by me being here with this group, and I'm very
brand new in joining with you parents here. We're still not in the works of
taking my child out of school yet, but we're seriously thinking about it. In the
meanwhile, we're watching, researching, and etc. because I think for many
different reasons we're going to end up unschooling before next year's school
year. Unfortunatly I'm working with my 15 y.o. who loves all of her friends at
school, and therefore doesn't want to leave school for this reason ONLY. On
the other hand, I've been to the district, and pretty soon my next step is
going to be the Department of Education, because not only are they abiding by her
iep (individual Education Plan, due to having a severe case of a.d.h.d and
being real low in testing), but she's got a teacher who has stolen something
from my daughter (as unbelieavable as it is sounds, it is true), lied to us
many times, accused her of being a cheater then come to find out she corrected
the paper incorrectly, she's accused my daughter of not handing in
assignments, but later found them, she's told me it's not her job to pull my daughter
out of class for testing, but yet it is her job and it's on my daughter's iep,
this teacher makes comments to our kids that would make you fall over in
shock, and soooooo much more. Yet this teacher, even with the proof of theft,
has gotten away with all of this. What is the district's decision on the
matter? Let's just move my daughter to another team of teachers. So, needless to
say, the 20/20 drove home for me that these teachers have so many rights, some
time, as in my situation, too many rights. Just because these teachers are
protected by the union they get away with doing so many things to our kids, and
then they hide behind the protection of the union. I didn't believe it when
I asked my advocate on this, "Why is this school letting this teacher get
away with these things?" and her reply was, "because she's in the union, and if
the school did anything to her they'd have to cover their butts big time, so
they didn't get sued" I, of course, believed this, because I do know the
powers of a union, but boy did the 20/20 show drive this home for me, I was
totally amazed how this was a topic on there last night. Another thing is that my
state does have school choice, I'm in Delaware, and I can select to send my
daughter to any school I want as long as I provide transportation, of course
this just means public schools. Yet, I'm sorry, I don't see the competition
they were speaking of last night on 20/20. This school choice has been the case
for 9 years so far, and it's changed nothing. However, vouchers I think
would be a different school, I think if we pay school taxes, than OUR children
should receive that money. If our children are home schooled, than we parents
should receive that money for our supplies, etc. Lastly, the thing that got me
on the show the most was how bad our kids are behind in their education
because of the way their being taught. Not to mention when they showed the list
where South Carolina was on the bottom for being the worst on their kids
education, I saw where Delaware was like 4th to the bottom, that's a crying shame.
No wonder our country is outsourcing jobs to other countries, and etc. The
educational system stinks here in this country where you'd think we'd be one
of the best. It doesn't surprise me though. Thanks for letting me share, and
trust me I'm 100% convinced that my kids need to be home schooled or
unschooled, it's just convincing them about missing their friends. I've even tried to
explain that she'd have more time to spend with them instead, but that wasn't
enough either. Have any of you pulled your teens out and had a hard time
convincing them it's worth it?
Love,
Beth
mother to Nikki and Kayla
and always thinking of Brian
since his sunset on 09/07/05
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
brand new in joining with you parents here. We're still not in the works of
taking my child out of school yet, but we're seriously thinking about it. In the
meanwhile, we're watching, researching, and etc. because I think for many
different reasons we're going to end up unschooling before next year's school
year. Unfortunatly I'm working with my 15 y.o. who loves all of her friends at
school, and therefore doesn't want to leave school for this reason ONLY. On
the other hand, I've been to the district, and pretty soon my next step is
going to be the Department of Education, because not only are they abiding by her
iep (individual Education Plan, due to having a severe case of a.d.h.d and
being real low in testing), but she's got a teacher who has stolen something
from my daughter (as unbelieavable as it is sounds, it is true), lied to us
many times, accused her of being a cheater then come to find out she corrected
the paper incorrectly, she's accused my daughter of not handing in
assignments, but later found them, she's told me it's not her job to pull my daughter
out of class for testing, but yet it is her job and it's on my daughter's iep,
this teacher makes comments to our kids that would make you fall over in
shock, and soooooo much more. Yet this teacher, even with the proof of theft,
has gotten away with all of this. What is the district's decision on the
matter? Let's just move my daughter to another team of teachers. So, needless to
say, the 20/20 drove home for me that these teachers have so many rights, some
time, as in my situation, too many rights. Just because these teachers are
protected by the union they get away with doing so many things to our kids, and
then they hide behind the protection of the union. I didn't believe it when
I asked my advocate on this, "Why is this school letting this teacher get
away with these things?" and her reply was, "because she's in the union, and if
the school did anything to her they'd have to cover their butts big time, so
they didn't get sued" I, of course, believed this, because I do know the
powers of a union, but boy did the 20/20 show drive this home for me, I was
totally amazed how this was a topic on there last night. Another thing is that my
state does have school choice, I'm in Delaware, and I can select to send my
daughter to any school I want as long as I provide transportation, of course
this just means public schools. Yet, I'm sorry, I don't see the competition
they were speaking of last night on 20/20. This school choice has been the case
for 9 years so far, and it's changed nothing. However, vouchers I think
would be a different school, I think if we pay school taxes, than OUR children
should receive that money. If our children are home schooled, than we parents
should receive that money for our supplies, etc. Lastly, the thing that got me
on the show the most was how bad our kids are behind in their education
because of the way their being taught. Not to mention when they showed the list
where South Carolina was on the bottom for being the worst on their kids
education, I saw where Delaware was like 4th to the bottom, that's a crying shame.
No wonder our country is outsourcing jobs to other countries, and etc. The
educational system stinks here in this country where you'd think we'd be one
of the best. It doesn't surprise me though. Thanks for letting me share, and
trust me I'm 100% convinced that my kids need to be home schooled or
unschooled, it's just convincing them about missing their friends. I've even tried to
explain that she'd have more time to spend with them instead, but that wasn't
enough either. Have any of you pulled your teens out and had a hard time
convincing them it's worth it?
Love,
Beth
mother to Nikki and Kayla
and always thinking of Brian
since his sunset on 09/07/05
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
"Unfortunatly I'm working with my 15 y.o. who loves all of her friends
at school, and therefore doesn't want to leave school for this reason
ONLY."
But it should be her choice. You can make home more inviting, put out
lots of reassurance that you will make sure her friends can be over
often etc... but if you're going to understand unschooling, then
trusting HER choices is a good place to start.
If you force her home against her will, that is more damaging long
term than what she's getting at school. You can make school less
important by helping her do the things she loves and forgetting about
grades and all the other BS that goes along with schooling. Make her
interests and selfhood all important, and diminish the importance of
school....and let her choose.
That's my advice. Glad you found the list...
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
at school, and therefore doesn't want to leave school for this reason
ONLY."
But it should be her choice. You can make home more inviting, put out
lots of reassurance that you will make sure her friends can be over
often etc... but if you're going to understand unschooling, then
trusting HER choices is a good place to start.
If you force her home against her will, that is more damaging long
term than what she's getting at school. You can make school less
important by helping her do the things she loves and forgetting about
grades and all the other BS that goes along with schooling. Make her
interests and selfhood all important, and diminish the importance of
school....and let her choose.
That's my advice. Glad you found the list...
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
kkraczek1969
I agree, Ren. I have one child, my oldest, who chose to stay in PS
when I took the other two out. I have told him, since he will be going
to High School next year, that the door is always open for him if he
should decide that High School isn't for him.
To me, unschooling has so much to do with letting my children lead the
lives that they choose, even if that means staying in PS. (As much as
I don't like it!)
Kristin
when I took the other two out. I have told him, since he will be going
to High School next year, that the door is always open for him if he
should decide that High School isn't for him.
To me, unschooling has so much to do with letting my children lead the
lives that they choose, even if that means staying in PS. (As much as
I don't like it!)
Kristin
> "Unfortunatly I'm working with my 15 y.o. who loves all of her friends
> at school, and therefore doesn't want to leave school for this reason
> ONLY."
>
> But it should be her choice. You can make home more inviting, put out
> lots of reassurance that you will make sure her friends can be over
> often etc... but if you're going to understand unschooling, then
> trusting HER choices is a good place to start.
>
> If you force her home against her will, that is more damaging long
> term than what she's getting at school. You can make school less
> important by helping her do the things she loves and forgetting about
> grades and all the other BS that goes along with schooling. Make her
> interests and selfhood all important, and diminish the importance of
> school....and let her choose.
> That's my advice. Glad you found the list...
>
> Ren
> learninginfreedom.com
>