Teachers need something to work with. The product of too many American families are snot nosed brats which need their a$$ busted more often than not for their behavior and attitude. That doesn't happen because their mommy and daddy raise hell and threaten a lawsuit if their poor child, who is victimized by the school, is embarrassed. Let alone touched by an administrator. Take the politics and lawyers out of schools and bring God back. Yes, throw out the NEA also! BTW, they aren't too strong here in my neck of the woods.
Another rant. Slap some intials behind some students and give them "special" status because they're LD, BD, ADHD, EMH, and they pretty much have the run of the school. Not all, but too many of these kids need these intials, L.A.Z.Y. And the parents as well. Yet these are the parents that scream foul the loudest. In my experience it should often be the other students parents whose child is held back because the teacher has to deal with the integrated classroom. I know this isn't going to be a popular view and I do have compassion for those parents with special needs children that truly try to do the right thing. However, many of the parents I see in this situation are more concerned with the extra money they can get on the welfare check because of the intials attatched to their kid. This becomes a crutch some kids rely on to bully their way through school. I recently had to take a 6th grader to Juvenile because he sexually assualted his teacher. His first words to me when I entered the room were, "I have an IEP, you can't touch me!" Surprise, surprise. All the way to lock up he kept telling me he had forgotten to take his medicine. Sorry about that, that doesn't mean you can grab your teachers breast and tell her you want a headjob. She should have kicked him in the sack for what he did to her. That would have been the best lesson he could have learned. Of course, she was afraid to defend herself for fear of getting into trouble. Education be damned.
We reward good behavior as something exceptional. Bull$hit, that's something that should be expected as routine!
Want to blame teachers? They work for near poverty wage and are required to have a Masters Degree! They spend $60,000 on an education and are required to continually keep refreshed with the latest techniques and tools. Fine. Pay them accordingly. A line worker in any auto shop ruled by the UAW with a High School or GED education that slaps the bumper on a mini van makes 3 - 4 times their pay. You could train a monkey to do his job. Teaching is a skill, a near art form. Skilled educators have fun teaching and their students have fun learning. Teaching is a calling, one of compassion. I cannot begin to tell you how many pairs of shoes, coats, clothing items, eyeglasses, field trips, special lunches, ect. my wife and I have paid for. We are not exceptional. Lot's of teachers do the same for their kids. They do so because they CARE. Where's the justice?
Teachers are no longer responsible for teaching a reasonably well behaved child the subject lesson. Now the schools are saddled with literally raising children and providing child care services for parents too irresponsible and lacking the skills necessary to raise their own offspring. Schools feed them breakfast, snacks, lunch, and with some programs after school dinners. Schools teach character education and health, even sex education. These are things that should be taught at home by responsible parents. Kids should not be at school from 7A.M until 7P.M. through some sort of after school program. Discipline is best handled at home. If a kid gets in trouble at school, there should be real consequences for their actions. The Principal shouldn't be the one they fear, it should be the father at home who is going to reinforce personal responsibility for their behavior.
Better look closer to home I say. Want better kids and schools? Be better parents America!
That concludes my rant. Flame away...
