mom31257 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 My wonderful dh teaches public high school, bless his heart (I'm southern!!!). I'm SOOOOO UPSET!!! They told the teachers today that they are implementing "student-led" conferences this year so that students will take ownership of their education. He; however, will still have to keep the student's records (along with a bunch of documentation they are adding) and do all the contacting to arrange these meetings. They want the teachers to meet QUARTERLY with EACH student. He has 150 students a day! They've done away with the scheduled parent-teacher conference day because the budget is tight and they are requiring from 3 to as many as 10 furlough days this year. This is a school that hasn't scored well enough on graduation tests for several years. The student body is made up of a lot of kids from poverty situations. He said most of the time you can't even get a phone number for these kids family. How is he supposed to have 600 meetings a year? They continually take away their planning period for meetings, and make the teachers change subjects almost every year, so they always have new lesson plans to be working on. It's so stressful on him dealing with the kids day to day and their behavior. He wants to make a difference. He wants to be left alone and just teach with what works. They don't want the teachers to lecture anymore, or use the textbooks, or do any kind of worksheets. Most of these kids can't really even read. They don't have any technology in the classroom, nor budgets to do hands on projects. The kids can't even bring colored pencils to class for map work. He has to buy them out of his pocket and keep them there. Do they want him to use mental telepathy to get the information for those tests into their heads? Has common sense totally left public education or what? Thanks for letting me rant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 He is a social studies teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 How frustrating!! No real advice...just sympathy.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Wow, that is really scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Wow that sounds frustrating!!! I have heard really good things about student led PARENT teacher conferences for special needs kids but this sounds like insanity on sticks! Tell your dh that I admire him for his dedication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 That is crazy. I feel for your dh. I also taught in Georgia. After being out of the classroom for years, I went back from December 2007 through May 2008 (one of the middle school teachers had quit because he couldn't take it anymore, so I took over for him). That was enough to convince me that we were doing the right thing by homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 We had our first student-led parent teacher conference last year, and I hated it. I already know what my kid is going to say. I want to know the teacher's perspective. I found it a total waste of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 How is going to document any learning without worksheets or texts? :001_huh: Oh, I feel for him. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Our schools are kind of the opposite... in our district at least, in California. The teachers are teaching completely to the state standards and there is a LOT expected of the students. There are lots of projects, reports, homework, textbooks, etc. It is all very controlled. Even P.E. has lists of standards to be met... and we're not talking just running, push ups, sit ups and sports... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 They don't want the teachers to lecture anymore, or use the textbooks, or do any kind of worksheets. :blink: Has common sense totally left public education or what? It seems so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 He thinks part of the problem is that the administration or community doesn't want to address the real problems. They want it to fall on the teachers, but we have some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state. His school is about 70% minorities, most in subsidized housing. He teaches mostly 10th graders, but this year will have 9th graders. MANY of his students bring in pictures of their children, yes I said children, not child. Kids are raising kids. They keep having them, but don't grow up themselves. No one wants to criticize a large culture in our town that seems to not only accept unwed pregnancy, but celebrates it. How can they fix the problems when they won't even really acknowledge them for what they are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Oh you have my sympathies. It was that sort of rubbish that put dh's blood pressure up 40 points. Funnily, now he's given up and gone back to uni, it's come down 40 points. Not sure how teenagers are supposed to grow up if there aren't enough adults around to show them how. I think that's a problem everywhere, but it must be magnified in areas like your hubby is working. :grouphug: Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Our schools are kind of the opposite... in our district at least, in California. The teachers are teaching completely to the state standards and there is a LOT expected of the students. There are lots of projects, reports, homework, textbooks, etc. It is all very controlled. Even P.E. has lists of standards to be met... and we're not talking just running, push ups, sit ups and sports... In Georgia, schools are also supposed to strictly "teach to the standards," aka "teach to the test." That was one of the huge turn-offs for me and why I knew that I didn't want my son in public schools. He thinks part of the problem is that the administration or community doesn't want to address the real problems. They want it to fall on the teachers, but we have some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state. His school is about 70% minorities, most in subsidized housing. He teaches mostly 10th graders, but this year will have 9th graders. MANY of his students bring in pictures of their children, yes I said children, not child. Kids are raising kids. They keep having them, but don't grow up themselves. No one wants to criticize a large culture in our town that seems to not only accept unwed pregnancy, but celebrates it. How can they fix the problems when they won't even really acknowledge them for what they are? I've seen that type of situation, too. When I taught high school, it was in a rural area. In my general math class of 26 students (mostly tenth graders), 15 of whom were female, five of the students were pregnant. It was the third baby for one of them. It was the cool thing to get pregnant; girls would bring their positive pregnancy tests to show off at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verity Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I just completed my semester of internship in two public high schools in Florida and encountered alot of the same things the poster mentioned. In our case it wasn't that they didn't want us to use textbooks, the school simply didn't have them for most of the students. In the case of worksheets someone has taken the idea of Bloom's Taxonomy to the Nth degree and feel that using worksheets dumbs students down, nevermind that they can't read and don't care anyway. As other posters have said, getting my degree in education has encouraged me to homeschool my own children because I've seen what it's like out there. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titianmom Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 ...and let me guess, he doesn't do it for the money, either. I really don't know what to say, other than it'll probably bomb (quarterly meetings) and it'll be a dead issue before Christmas. Maybe some piece of mind with that? Kim My wonderful dh teaches public high school, bless his heart (I'm southern!!!). I'm SOOOOO UPSET!!! They told the teachers today that they are implementing "student-led" conferences this year so that students will take ownership of their education. He; however, will still have to keep the student's records (along with a bunch of documentation they are adding) and do all the contacting to arrange these meetings. They want the teachers to meet QUARTERLY with EACH student. He has 150 students a day! They've done away with the scheduled parent-teacher conference day because the budget is tight and they are requiring from 3 to as many as 10 furlough days this year. This is a school that hasn't scored well enough on graduation tests for several years. The student body is made up of a lot of kids from poverty situations. He said most of the time you can't even get a phone number for these kids family. How is he supposed to have 600 meetings a year? They continually take away their planning period for meetings, and make the teachers change subjects almost every year, so they always have new lesson plans to be working on. It's so stressful on him dealing with the kids day to day and their behavior. He wants to make a difference. He wants to be left alone and just teach with what works. They don't want the teachers to lecture anymore, or use the textbooks, or do any kind of worksheets. Most of these kids can't really even read. They don't have any technology in the classroom, nor budgets to do hands on projects. The kids can't even bring colored pencils to class for map work. He has to buy them out of his pocket and keep them there. Do they want him to use mental telepathy to get the information for those tests into their heads? Has common sense totally left public education or what? Thanks for letting me rant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 ...and let me guess, he doesn't do it for the money, either. I really don't know what to say, other than it'll probably bomb (quarterly meetings) and it'll be a dead issue before Christmas. Maybe some piece of mind with that? Kim Well, he actually feels thankful just to have a job. School budgets are being cut right and left here in GA. His only work experience is private Christian schools for 16 years and starting his 4th in public. We do want to move closer to family (East Tn and Ohio) but not sure he can even find something in public education in this economy. We have no family here and there are a lot of health issues right now with both sides. He really feels trapped. He went in to education because he wanted to make a difference, but he doesn't feel like he really can here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I've seen that type of situation, too. When I taught high school, it was in a rural area. In my general math class of 26 students (mostly tenth graders), 15 of whom were female, five of the students were pregnant. It was the third baby for one of them. It was the cool thing to get pregnant; girls would bring their positive pregnancy tests to show off at school. EWWWWWWW!!!!!:blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Wow!!! I feel for you and your DH! Like your husband, I went into education to make a difference, but it's nearly impossible to do so I've learned, precisely because of admin like your husband's. They tie your hands in too many ways. I'm so sorry he's dealing with this... I can't even offer advice because it's extremely difficult to find teaching jobs elsewhere right now. After all I learned as a teacher, it's prompted me to homeschool. The state of education just continues to decline. It's incredibly sad. Wishing you all the best! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Has common sense totally left public education or what? This has been suggested many times over many years, actually. :) I love homeschooling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I could tell you several public school horror stories, but I think the thread would be deleted! (Sorry!:D) Anyway, so sorry for your DH's situation. It is just beyond belief what is going on. I have NO IDEA how teachers deal with this stuff...I KNOW I couldn't do it. The scariest part here is our future....what future does our country have if what you say is happening in your school, is happening in hundreds of schools accross the country. ( and of course, it is and worse.) Yikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 I have to add that the teachers have now been told that they want these meetings to happen every 4 1/2 weeks. WWWHHAATTT???? How many parents are even going to have time to meet with 6 different teachers that often? Older students are saying they aren't going to do it. It's probably going to flop, but who's going to get the blame? I just hope I'll get to see my dh this school year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Our schools are kind of the opposite... in our district at least, in California. The teachers are teaching completely to the state standards and there is a LOT expected of the students. There are lots of projects, reports, homework, textbooks, etc. It is all very controlled. Even P.E. has lists of standards to be met... and we're not talking just running, push ups, sit ups and sports... Yeah, and the kids still score poorly on the tests, so what's that tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomLovesClassics Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 I don't know what to think about the public school system anymore. I could not be a teach in the public school system in a million years. It has changed so far from how it used to be. Now it is so confusing. It is sad when high schoolers can barely read. Yet the public school system calls it progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 If he can't lecture; can't use texts or worksheets, how do they expect him to teach. Assigned reading? Probably wouldn't work in his locale. ummmm, seriously. How can he teach? This is very saddening. We have been advised from friends in public schools that if we ever put our kids in school, it had better be in the honors programs; otherwise, they refer to the other option as "General Population." Scary. :grouphug: for you and blessings to dh. I hope someone encourages him that he is making a difference, even if that is not yet obvious. May God move your family when and where He sees fit and may your dh be able to enjoy His work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 just curious - what county/system does dh work in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tami Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Constructivism gone amuck, amuck, amuck! Nothing like using the kids as guinea pigs for the latest educational fads. Where have the grown-ups gone, and why are the kids in charge? Well, at least there's always Socratic questioning and Classic books. This doesn't require texts, worksheets, or lectures! Maybe your hubby should go strictly Classical, and see how the Powers That Be like THAT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Constructivism gone amuck, amuck, amuck! Nothing like using the kids as guinea pigs for the latest educational fads. Where have the grown-ups gone, and why are the kids in charge? Well, at least there's always Socratic questioning and Classic books. This doesn't require texts, worksheets, or lectures! Maybe your hubby should go strictly Classical, and see how the Powers That Be like THAT! Wouldn't that be great...he goes totally classic and the students actually test well...there'd be uproar for certain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 We have been advised from friends in public schools that if we ever put our kids in school, it had better be in the honors programs; otherwise, they refer to the other option as "General Population." Scary. I have been helping set up a more academic charter school, and one of its premises is that every child who graduates from that high school should have fulfilled all of the A-G course requirements for CA universities. That sounded pretty basic to me, but during one of the parent meetings we were told that in the 'normal' public high schools around here only 20% of the children graduated with those classes completed. And that's not just the requirement to get into the top CA universities--it's the requirement to get into ANY CA public university, even the second and third tier ones. Bottom line--80% of the kids who graduate from our 'normal' public high schools can ONLY go to private universities, out of state schools, or community colleges for post-secondary education; NOT to any of our superb and less superb state universities such as Cal Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, or even San Jose State. Sickening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.