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My youngest has only been out of high school a year now. When did the parent-teacher combination become so adversarial?
I never experienced the type of issues so many now claim to be the case, and I WAS involved in the schools.
To answer the original question, why can't teachers coordinate testing days? One of the schools my kids attended did that. English tests on Monday, Science on Tues, Math on Wed, etc. Now I hear from my friends that their students have 3 tests in one day. It makes no sense.
My company has that philosophy. Ever hear the old phrase that the "customer is always right"? I may think their wrong, but as my customer it's my job to meet their needs. I would never be condescending to or dismiss my customers needs simply because I thought they were wrong or that I was superior to them. Maybe that's why the company I work for is wildly succesful despite the current economic climate. A customer of ours no matter how big or small that has an issue gets the full attention they deserve from the top down...and I work for a multi-billion dollar company.
Sorry but that just does not apply to education and more importantly, it shouldn't apply. The majority of parents I deal with, even the very good ones who support the school and understand boundaries, are entirely about GRADES even at the expense of education.
The vast majority would rather THEIR child get an A, regardless of whether or not their child has shown mastery of whatever subject it is in. The same way the majority of customers would like to get products for free and not pay for them (or at least so cheap as to make no money for the business). If the customer is really always right, companies would end up giving away their products to the first person to demand them.
So really companies and their employees answer to their owners, or stockholders, and it is just lip service to say "they are always right". So I agree that parents are like customers, but like customers they aren't really anyone's boss. The super, boe, etc are the bosses because they are who the employees (including teachers) really answer too.
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Taxpayers (including parents) elect a school board....school board hires the superintendent....superintendent hires the principal....the principal hires the teachers. Where did the chain begin? It's not a move of superiority on the part of the parent, just a reminder to the teacher that they aren't the highest rung on the ladder and they need to respect parents and be attentive to their needs, same as I am responsive to my customers needs.
I own stock in Apple, think that entitles me to fire the local guy at the genius bar? Its the exact equivalent in your analogy, stock owners are tax payers, boe are board of directors, principal and supers are managers or ceo, and teachers are the guy at the genius bar.
Besides as a parent with a very specific and narrow focus (your own child) it is not possible to remain completely impartial. It is important for education as a whole to be able to see the big picture and sometimes the big picture clashes with individual parents wants. Hell, frequently one parent's wants frequently clash with another parent's wants. What is supposed to happen when one parent wants teacher to do things one way and another wants it done a different one? That is why we have actual bosses instead of reporting to parents.
Even physicians give lip service to the idea of 'customer service'. Yes, parents and children are your customers. They may not always be right (nor are a lot of customers) but they are deserving of your respect and consideration ~ unless they have proven themselves to be otherwise unworthy.
The customer is NOT always right in my profession either - but it's my job to have them walk away feeling like they were treated fairly. Even if they are not happy.
I think education providers could take a page from this book. Unfortunately, unless you are able to afford a private school - it's hard to 'vote with your feet' with regard to your particular school system. Were you able to put that into practice - you had better believe that schools would be bending over backwards to help both students and parents.
If our dysfunctional school system had to function in the private sector - attitudes would change and quickly.
Even physicians give lip service to the idea of 'customer service'. Yes, parents and children are your customers. They may not always be right (nor are a lot of customers) but they are deserving of your respect and consideration ~ unless they have proven themselves to be otherwise unworthy.
Of course they are, where did I claim otherwise?
What I did say, was that they are not my boss. Students nor their parents, are my boss.
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The customer is NOT always right in my profession either - but it's my job to have them walk away feeling like they were treated fairly. Even if they are not happy.
I think education providers could take a page from this book. Unfortunately, unless you are able to afford a private school - it's hard to 'vote with your feet' with regard to your particular school system. Were you able to put that into practice - you had better believe that schools would be bending over backwards to help both students and parents.
If our dysfunctional school system had to function in the private sector - attitudes would change and quickly.
As for privatizing schools, maybe a smarter solution is to look at some of the most successful schools in the world and mimic those strategies which have been proven to be successful instead of an unknown like privatization. Places like Finland, the other nordic countries, Singapore, etc. Widely successful, NOT PRIVATIZED.
Besides there is a very real concern about profit motives becoming more important than educational ones, as shown by the very large numbers of FOR PROFIT charter schools having issues inappropriate funding schemes and their failures in education itself.
My company has that philosophy. Ever hear the old phrase that the "customer is always right"? I may think their wrong, but as my customer it's my job to meet their needs. I would never be condescending to or dismiss my customers needs simply because I thought they were wrong or that I was superior to them. Maybe that's why the company I work for is wildly succesful despite the current economic climate. A customer of ours no matter how big or small that has an issue gets the full attention they deserve from the top down...and I work for a multi-billion dollar company.
My point was that many teachers (none that I have dealt with personally with my kids, but have seen it in the past) believe that they are somehow above the parents in the equation. They are not. Just as the President of the United States is not above the common citizen. We may invest people with our trust and powers in order to carry out a specific job, but they are ultimately beholden to the people they serve.
Taxpayers (including parents) elect a school board....school board hires the superintendent....superintendent hires the principal....the principal hires the teachers. Where did the chain begin? It's not a move of superiority on the part of the parent, just a reminder to the teacher that they aren't the highest rung on the ladder and they need to respect parents and be attentive to their needs, same as I am responsive to my customers needs.
Just responding to this part here...
But the teachers do not answer to the taxpayers, as a specific entity. The teachers answer to the board. If it were otherwise, then I, as a taxpayer who doesn't have any kids attending school, would be able to go into that school, and tell the teachers how to teach everyone else's children. Since - according to your rules, I'm a taxpayer, and I am therefore the teacher's boss. My children's grade, or lack thereof, should have no bearing on that, as long as my income is helping to foot the bill for your kid's education.
However, it just ain't so. My income IS helping to foot your kid's education (if I were in your town, of course, this is hypothetical). I have absolutely no sayso in how your child is educated. I leave that decision up to the board of education, whose superintendent was hired by the mayor, who I voted for - or voted against. The mayor answers to me. The board of education, and its employees, including the teachers, the janitor, the hockey coach, the principal of the middle school, does not.
1. My child has autism. Having dealt with this diagnosis for a LONG time, I know his legal rights and my legal rights, and I do know the least restrictive environment, I know what should be in his IEP, and I know that I don't have to sign an IEP that I don't agree with.
2. I really hate it when you (teachers) state that ADHD and Autism are over-diagnosed, and that 3/4 of your class that have diagnosis really don't need them, or that parents are getting diagnosis for money (I have had this said to me before). Believe me, I wouldn't wish autism on my worst enemy. And by stating that it's over-diagnosed, you are making those that have diagnosis feel that you don't believe that there are issues with their children.
3. I know my child is challenging, and maybe a brat sometimes, don't sugar coat it. Not every day is wonderful. Please don't paint my children as sunshine and roses.
4. My daughter is gifted, very gifted. When I tell you she's gifted, don't give me the eye roll and act like every parent knows their child is gifted. She's in kindergarten and doing addition, subtraction, and starting multiplication. She's a little beyond counting to 20.
As for some of the other points, I agree with the posters who ask the children for their side of the story, because not all teachers are forthright. In 6th grade I had a teacher, who hated me, and he made that hatred abundantly clear. There was one day I as attacked by a mob of other students (I have ADHD and sensory processing disorder), the teacher watched and laughed as I was poked and prodded by at least 20 students. Then he proceeded to discipline me instead of the other students. Each semester there was a pizza party, I sat out every pizza party, because he would find ways of taking the pizza party away. When I told my parents, they assumed I was doing something wrong, not the teacher, because teachers don't have favorite students. Later on, my mom told me that she wished she had removed me from his class, because she saw how different I was performing once I got out of his class. Because of this experience, I am suspicious of teacher's, particularly when they report something that is out of character for my children. I'm well aware that my kids may lie to get out of trouble, but I'm also well aware of the lasting psychological damage one bad teacher can have on a child. It took me until I was in high school (4-5 years) to recover from the damage this one person did to me. Teachers are supposed to above all else, protect their students. So yep, I ask my kids for their side of the story, and I probably would believe the teacher above my child, BUT if it's something out character, I will question it.
1. My child has autism. Having dealt with this diagnosis for a LONG time, I know his legal rights and my legal rights, and I do know the least restrictive environment, I know what should be in his IEP, and I know that I don't have to sign an IEP that I don't agree with.
2. I really hate it when you (teachers) state that ADHD and Autism are over-diagnosed, and that 3/4 of your class that have diagnosis really don't need them, or that parents are getting diagnosis for money (I have had this said to me before). Believe me, I wouldn't wish autism on my worst enemy. And by stating that it's over-diagnosed, you are making those that have diagnosis feel that you don't believe that there are issues with their children.
3. I know my child is challenging, and maybe a brat sometimes, don't sugar coat it. Not every day is wonderful. Please don't paint my children as sunshine and roses.
4. My daughter is gifted, very gifted. When I tell you she's gifted, don't give me the eye roll and act like every parent knows their child is gifted. She's in kindergarten and doing addition, subtraction, and starting multiplication. She's a little beyond counting to 20.
As for some of the other points, I agree with the posters who ask the children for their side of the story, because not all teachers are forthright. In 6th grade I had a teacher, who hated me, and he made that hatred abundantly clear. There was one day I as attacked by a mob of other students (I have ADHD and sensory processing disorder), the teacher watched and laughed as I was poked and prodded by at least 20 students. Then he proceeded to discipline me instead of the other students. Each semester there was a pizza party, I sat out every pizza party, because he would find ways of taking the pizza party away. When I told my parents, they assumed I was doing something wrong, not the teacher, because teachers don't have favorite students. Later on, my mom told me that she wished she had removed me from his class, because she saw how different I was performing once I got out of his class. Because of this experience, I am suspicious of teacher's, particularly when they report something that is out of character for my children. I'm well aware that my kids may lie to get out of trouble, but I'm also well aware of the lasting psychological damage one bad teacher can have on a child. It took me until I was in high school (4-5 years) to recover from the damage this one person did to me. Teachers are supposed to above all else, protect their students. So yep, I ask my kids for their side of the story, and I probably would believe the teacher above my child, BUT if it's something out character, I will question it.
I agree with most of this. However re the bolded: isn't that pretty average? I thought counting to 100 was actually average for someone starting Kindergarten. The rest of the math you listed is pretty average for a child starting Kindergarten.
1. My child has autism. Having dealt with this diagnosis for a LONG time, I know his legal rights and my legal rights, and I do know the least restrictive environment, I know what should be in his IEP, and I know that I don't have to sign an IEP that I don't agree with.
2. I really hate it when you (teachers) state that ADHD and Autism are over-diagnosed, and that 3/4 of your class that have diagnosis really don't need them, or that parents are getting diagnosis for money (I have had this said to me before). Believe me, I wouldn't wish autism on my worst enemy. And by stating that it's over-diagnosed, you are making those that have diagnosis feel that you don't believe that there are issues with their children.
3. I know my child is challenging, and maybe a brat sometimes, don't sugar coat it. Not every day is wonderful. Please don't paint my children as sunshine and roses.
4. My daughter is gifted, very gifted. When I tell you she's gifted, don't give me the eye roll and act like every parent knows their child is gifted. She's in kindergarten and doing addition, subtraction, and starting multiplication. She's a little beyond counting to 20.
As for some of the other points, I agree with the posters who ask the children for their side of the story, because not all teachers are forthright. In 6th grade I had a teacher, who hated me, and he made that hatred abundantly clear. There was one day I as attacked by a mob of other students (I have ADHD and sensory processing disorder), the teacher watched and laughed as I was poked and prodded by at least 20 students. Then he proceeded to discipline me instead of the other students. Each semester there was a pizza party, I sat out every pizza party, because he would find ways of taking the pizza party away. When I told my parents, they assumed I was doing something wrong, not the teacher, because teachers don't have favorite students. Later on, my mom told me that she wished she had removed me from his class, because she saw how different I was performing once I got out of his class. Because of this experience, I am suspicious of teacher's, particularly when they report something that is out of character for my children. I'm well aware that my kids may lie to get out of trouble, but I'm also well aware of the lasting psychological damage one bad teacher can have on a child. It took me until I was in high school (4-5 years) to recover from the damage this one person did to me. Teachers are supposed to above all else, protect their students. So yep, I ask my kids for their side of the story, and I probably would believe the teacher above my child, BUT if it's something out character, I will question it.
Autism and ADHD ARE over diagnosed..as are all the other acronyms. Yes, your child may be legitimate, but there are others that are not and a good nights sleep and some discipline at home would make all the difference in the world. No one is saying it doesn't exist but when lazy parents can find a Dr that is telling them that their child is that way because of some acronym, it's an easy out for a lot of parents. Teachers DO see this ALL the time. There is no way that 3/4ths of the kids in a school should NEED an IEP, EVER.
As for your "gifted" kindergartner, she sounds like an above average student. MANY, MANY kindergarten students can do that and more. That is probably why you are getting the eye rolls. When our son was in kindergarten he was multiplying 3 and 4 digit numbers in his head--he ins't 'gifted' he just liked math (and still does). Math comes easy to him and he is an above average student, but compare him to the kid our older son graduated with that was doing a specialized math program at MIT as a 9th grader, scored 5's on 27 Ap tests, ranked as one of the top Chemistry and Math students in the nation--he is gifted...there is a difference.
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