The other thing about middle school is that they make the parents sign every single paper and the kids get a grade for their parent's signatures. It just seems wrong to me that a kid would get graded on parent behavior. Kids with parents who do as they are told get As. Kids whose parents are working two jobs or may not be home on a regular basis, are penalized. Don't get me wrong. I think parents should participate in kids' education. I just don't think a kid should be penalized if their parent doesn't.
Our kids (in grades 3 and 5) are also marked on this. The idea is that it counts towards their "personal responsibility" score, as in it's up to them to chase after us for signatures. DS8 is really awful at this (strangely, he'd be more responsible with a cell phone). DD9 is pretty good though - she always asks me if I've signed her stuff.
