I think it is hard for most parents on here to be fair judges of public school systems because we have such unusual children.
While every kid is entitled to free and appropriate education, figuring what that means in a statistical outlier is difficult when you consider that kids are developmental moving targets. As soon as you think you have their issues identified and a plan in place, they grow and mature and outgrow old problems and develop new ones.
That's an excellent point.
What I have found most distressing is the level of callousness and inertia, though. I've become so cynical that even mediocre educators (just looking objectively at WHAT they are doing relative to what I know from my own background in education) seem to "shine" in comparison with most of the shenanigans that go on in curriculum and instruction these days. Teachers aren't really "teachers" anymore. They are "content delivery specialists."
Well, that doesn't say much about what happens when a child needs different CONTENT, though, does it? Which goes a long way to explaining why teachers resent and fear inquisitive and bright children more than they ever have before (and it was never awesome, let's face it). A mirroring effect can be observed in meetings with school administrators-- bright and inquisitive parents are not seen as "helpful partners" but as PROBLEMS to be "solved" or "eliminated."
Yes, I'm cynical to the core at this point. I'm also exhausted after over 8y of this happy horse-puckey. My dad was a person who had a colorful and profane quip for every occasion, and I find myself channeling him when a system is so messed up that it seems unrecoverable--so I have an increasing itch to SHOUT at school administrators
"Don't tell me it's raining!!" for whatever that is worth.
I'm also not alone. I know VERY few parents of recent high school graduates that have anything positive to say at all about public education. Educat
ors, yes-- mixed bag. I have my gold star list there, as well. Many of them are no longer in the profession, however, and I find that alone to be very telling.
I cannot
wait to be quit of this in June. Can.not.WAIT. I loathe my dd's school. There are some fine teachers there, but frankly, the world would be a better place if a 900-year-old alien who lives in a blue phone box would appear and send Pearson and all of its many subsidiaries into an alternate dimension. (Yes, I know-- but a girl can dream...) Heck, I'd settle for a Dalek invasion if David Tennant is busy. LOL.
