Questions for Public School

[warriormom]

My Dh wants me to go to the local public school and ask them any questions that I may have for my son's kindergarten year. I am almost sure that I do not want ds going to public school. I have the opportunity to sit down with the principal and ask any question that I may have. Reluctantly i will go check it out. So far here are some of my questions:

 

1. Do you offer spanish classes during school or after school?

2. What do you do with a child who is already reading and is becoming strong in comprehension?

3. Do you "teach to test"?

4. What type of Math curriculum do you use (new math)?

5. I want to get a list of the curriculum they will be using.

 

Anything I may be missing?

 

cabreban

[boscopup]

Is reading taught by phonics, sight words, or a combo of the two?

Are young students (first grade, etc.) required to keep journals?

 

(The first answer will probably be a combo... Most schools teach the Dolch sight word list, many of which do not have to be taught as sight words... The second answer is probably yes, which is very frustrating to many young children, especially boys)

[grace'smom]

I might think of a way to rephrase your "teach to the test" question so you can get more information, because they're going to avoid saying yes to that. You might ask how they prepare their students for testing, what types of testing they do and in what grades, etc. That way they'll give you more information without sensing your possible views on it and padding their answers in that direction.

[boscopup]

I agree with the PP about teaching to the test.

 

Another one I thought of... Does each student get their own textbooks, or are textbooks shared among students in different classes? Sharing of books is getting more common, and it means that the child can't bring home their book for you to see how the material is being presented so that you can help them figure it out.

[newhsmom]

I recommend spending some time observing the kindergarten classes. I think you will be surprised by all that you can learn just by observing.

[wapiti]

Much of that you may be able to find out on-line, such as the state testing standards (what test, what years they do testing; our state does not test until 3rd grade). First check the school district website - which is likely to be extensive - and the individual school website. There might be quite a bit of curriculum info. For example, our district used to have specifics of what was to be learned each grade level, though now they refer to the state standards for that (then you'd look at the state dept of ed's website). Some schools even list specific name-brand curricula, but that's more likely to be found on the individual school's website, because different school in the same district might use different curricula. Also, if the specific curricula are not on the district website, consider emailing one of the K teachers for the name of the math curriculum, for example (usually teacher email addresses are available on the school's website). Or ask around to anyone you know who has a child in K at that school.

 

I personally would not bother a principal for a meeting over these sorts of questions. I would save principal meetings for bigger things (e.g., I absolutely have to have a teacher switch, etc.).

[wapiti]

I recommend spending some time observing the kindergarten classes. I think you will be surprised by all that you can learn just by observing.

:iagree:

[Sandwich in Wi]

I would also find out whether it is play-based. We live in one school district but send out children (my Freshman and my kindergartener) to another. The children in 4K in our home district were learning what the children in the district we attend learn in K. Our attending district is play-based and our home district is much more academic and book-based (work sheets, etc.) My neighbor, whose kids attend PS in our home district said teachers were disappointed SIX WEEKS into K that her son was not yet reading Dr. Suess books. They expected him to be.

 

We have opted for the play-based K due to our son's lower maturity (he was adopted internationally at 2.5years). He is attending public school primarily for speech, secondarily because he needs more structure than our rather loose HS provides right now. I did not need him to be reading or adding by the end of K. Academics I can teach at home. (although he has made huge strides, from not recognizing all his letters in Sept. to beginning to sound out words in Jan.)

 

So I would look at the expectations at methods of the K in your district. You may want the traditional school structure and greater academics. Or you may want the looser, play-based structure. Something to consider.

 

Blessings,

Sandwich

[ElizabethB]

Is reading taught by phonics, sight words, or a combo of the two?

Are young students (first grade, etc.) required to keep journals?

 

(The first answer will probably be a combo... Most schools teach the Dolch sight word list, many of which do not have to be taught as sight words... The second answer is probably yes, which is very frustrating to many young children, especially boys)

 

:iagree:

 

And, it is not just frustrating for about 30% of children, it is heartbreakingly debilitating and makes teaching them phonics very hard, you have to do a lot of breaking guessing habits before they can start to learn to read well.

 

Here is a how to teach the Dolch words phonetically:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html

[mom2scouts]

Since my five kids all went to public school before this year, I could probably answer all those questions for you, at least in my district.

 

1. Spanish classes? Foreign language classes don't start until middle school unless you need ESL.

2. We have no clue of what to do with kids who are already reading. They mess up our lesson plans but they do make our test scores look good.

3. Of course we teach to the test, but we would never admit it.

4. We use the latest experiment in math, probably "fuzzy math", but we make it sound really good.

5. Curriculum, uh, we rarely let the parents see the actual curriculum

 

OK, I admit I have a bad attitude, but my experiences have been less than wonderful.:blink:

[kristinannie]

:bigear:

 

 

 

God told me to homeschool and I feel so deeply that it is the right thing for our family, but my DH wants to go to the PS and ask questions as well. Let me know how it goes! I would love to hear what people have to say about this!

[SailorMom]

Since my five kids all went to public school before this year, I could probably answer all those questions for you, at least in my district.

 

1. Spanish classes? Foreign language classes don't start until middle school unless you need ESL.

2. We have no clue of what to do with kids who are already reading. They mess up our lesson plans but they do make our test scores look good.

3. Of course we teach to the test, but we would never admit it.

4. We use the latest experiment in math, probably "fuzzy math", but we make it sound really good.

5. Curriculum, uh, we rarely let the parents see the actual curriculum

 

OK, I admit I have a bad attitude, but my experiences have been less than wonderful.:blink:

 

 

:iagree:

 

Completely 100% my experience as well.

Do not expect them to believe you or care that your child may already be reading. They will be silently laughing at you about the Spanish (in 95% of ps's).

[Homemama2]

God told me to homeschool and I feel so deeply that it is the right thing for our family, but my DH wants to go to the PS and ask questions as well. Let me know how it goes! I would love to hear what people have to say about this!

 

If God called you to homeschool...He will remove any obsticles including your husband's doubts. Keep praying and dh will change his mind! I felt called to hs when my oldest was about 3. I mentioned it to my dh and he said, "NO!!!" I didn't bring it up again but kept praying and about a year later his mom came up to me and said, "Dh says you're going to homeschool!" She was very happy about it (which was a total shocker in itself). I was totally confused and asked dh if he told his mom that and he said, "well, yeah. I thought we were planning on it." That was the first time hs had been mentioned between us since he had said "NO!" :D So I'd go to the meeting or whatever your Dh is wanting, but God is in control. ;)

[melmichigan]

Since my five kids all went to public school before this year, I could probably answer all those questions for you, at least in my district.

 

1. Spanish classes? Foreign language classes don't start until middle school unless you need ESL.

2. We have no clue of what to do with kids who are already reading. They mess up our lesson plans but they do make our test scores look good.

3. Of course we teach to the test, but we would never admit it.

4. We use the latest experiment in math, probably "fuzzy math", but we make it sound really good.

5. Curriculum, uh, we rarely let the parents see the actual curriculum

 

:iagree: They love when I call ahead and ask that they bring the books my DC will be using so I can preview them at the meeting. Luckily I've had enough meetings with the district that I usually get to see the books.

Edited January 27, 2011 by melmichigan

[kristinannie]

If God called you to homeschool...He will remove any obsticles including your husband's doubts. Keep praying and dh will change his mind! I felt called to hs when my oldest was about 3. I mentioned it to my dh and he said, "NO!!!" I didn't bring it up again but kept praying and about a year later his mom came up to me and said, "Dh says you're going to homeschool!" She was very happy about it (which was a total shocker in itself). I was totally confused and asked dh if he told his mom that and he said, "well, yeah. I thought we were planning on it." That was the first time hs had been mentioned between us since he had said "NO!" :D So I'd go to the meeting or whatever your Dh is wanting, but God is in control. ;)

 

Thanks so much for your support. I completely agree. He is onboard...to an extent, but I think he only wants to do to it for kindergarten. I am sure that after we have a year of it and he sees how great it is for DS, that he will allow it to continue. That is awesome that you MIL was so great about it. I am very nervous to tell my inlaws. They were so rude about breastfeeding, I can't even imagine telling them this! I have talked to my family about it and they have been supportive which really surprised me. I'm not sure what they are saying behind my back, but to my face they haven't been negative. I truly believe that God called me to this (even though it was never anything I had ever considered until that happened) so I know it will be what is best for our family. Thanks again!

[BabyBre]

1. Do you offer spanish classes during school or after school?

2. What do you do with a child who is already reading and is becoming strong in comprehension? This will likely vary by teacher, and you may have to continually ensure that something is being done for your child. No one will answer, "Well, once they reach proficiency, we're relieved to be able to devote the time we were spending with your student to those who haven't reached proficiency yet."

3. Do you "teach to test"? Of course they do. Funding depends on student performance. Interested to hear the answer they give.

4. What type of Math curriculum do you use (new math)? "New math" red flag words include, but are not limited to, discovery based, student centered or student lead, constructivist, investigations, explorations, group work, etc. Even if it doesn't sound like fuzzy math, fuzzy methods may be deeply embedded and you may not see it until the homework comes home.

5. I want to get a list of the curriculum they will be using. WONDERFUL idea. More parents should do this. Get specific titles and check them out online. The Afterschooling board is a good place to get feedback on public school curricula.

 

Anything I may be missing?

 

My experience is that the answers to your questions will vary by teacher, and you'll have to determine as you go what that's worth, but administrators (principals) will primarily give you rhetoric. It's their job. They don't know you and so will likely say things that are terribly PC and currently trendy.

 

Good luck.

[FairProspects]

Be prepared for them to tell you that they have "walking schools" which means kids can walk to different classrooms for reading. In our school district, this is not all it is cracked up to be, because kids must still be placed in a reading group and if they are above the level of all set reading groups they are not allowed to progress individually but must stay at the level of the highest group available. Alternatively, they are excused from reading and end up doing additional seat/busy work or teaching other students.

 

The reality here (and many other places I'm afraid) is that teachers are dealing with such overloaded classrooms of social issues and low academic ability that they just have no time or energy to challenge kids who are above standard or are already reading. Nor do they get any compensation for doing so, unlike the low contingent of the class which must be brought to standards or the teacher's job is in jeopardy.

 

Also, about the teaching to the test, I would check with a parent who is in the district, and is involved if possible, and ask them for their opinion. I called my friend with upper elementary students (who had previously been PTA president) to ask about test prep and how much time was spent teaching to the test. When she told me that 3rd-6th graders spend most of the morning (2+ hours) for the entire school year working on test prep for the MSPs, I knew that was NOT something I wanted for my kids.

[skueppers]

You might also care about the discipline strategy used in the classroom.

 

Another issue that often comes up is bullying- what does the school do to reduce bullying and address it when it happens?

[annlaura]

:bigear: I'll be watching this thread too, although I'm visiting a nearby parochial school open house. Just for the sake of thorough research to present to DH, as I'm quite certain about HSing in my heart. I think many questions will be the same for PS & parochial. I wish there was a good way to ask questions about labels placed on the children. And about whether children who aren't always dressed in Hanna Andersson or Gap Kids are looked down on by either classmates or teachers. I was able to look at the school report card online and get some ideas about the school. I noticed there is a big drop-off in enrollment after first grade, for example. :lurk5:

[RanchGirl]

Personally, I would suggest your dh go in and ask questions if he has questions. If you have questions, you should ask them.

 

(Either way, I kinda doubt that a bunch of questions are going to be either welcomed or answered honestly... in my experience public schools prefer to let you know what your kids need, not have you ask them questions!)

 

Here are some of the most important factors to me in an elementary education:

 

What are the class sizes for each grade?

How do you identify and teach to varying learning styles and speeds with X number of kids in the classroom?

How do you identify and accommodate advanced learners?

How much busy work and homework is expected at each grade level?

How much fundraising is expected of families each year?

How do you prevent bullying?

Do wiggly children have freedom to move while learning or are they confined to their seats?

How do you teach reading? How successful have you been at inspiring children to love books?

How do you instill a love of learning and a life-long intellectual curiosity and vitality in children?

[Irishmommy]

I might change that "teach to the test" question to something like, "In the grades in which the standardized tests are given, how much time is devoted to test preparation?" "Do you do benchmark tests before the actual tests?" - Those are "pre-tests" given usually at the beginning of the year to judge just how much time they need to spend teaching to the tests. Also, you might ask how many tests will be administered to your child in K.

[HS Mom in NC]

This is my recommendation to anyone making an education decision for their children.

 

I think a different set of questions needs to be asked of you and your husband before you make an education decision. This will take time. It will also let you know if you two are on the same page or not when it comes to the nuts and bolts of education.

 

1. List/discuss everything you learned in your K-12 education that was good and/or useful.

 

2. List/discuss everything in your K-12 education that was not good and/or useful.

 

3. List/discuss everything you wish had been included in your K-12 education because it would have been good and/or useful.

 

4. What do you think a child should know/master by the time (s)he graduates from High School that prepares him/her for adult world of academics, relationships, and life skills?

 

5. Describe the ideal education you wish for your children if it could magically happen.

 

Many people use similar vague terms like "well rounded education" and "a liberal arts education" but when they specifically describe what they mean by those kinds of terms, it turns out they mean completely different things. How can a parent recognize the right kind of education for their children if they haven't clearly described what they think the right education looks like?

 

Once you know the answers to these questions it will make selecting a homeschooling method/approach (IF you decide to go with and stick with hsing) and then a specific curriculum (if your preferred method/approach uses one) soooo much easier. You'll save all kinds of time, money, and energy.

[anabelneri]

I agree with a lot of the PPs... definitely ask about their curricula, etc.

 

Here's my extra thought: unless you're definitely planning on pulling your kids out after Kindergarten, I'd make sure to ask about the upper grades as well. What do those classes look like?

 

Here's the "behind the scenes" for this... I have a friend who is currently a student teacher. Her current assignment is with 4th graders at an Ok school (good community reviews, meets its testing standards). The class only gets 1 hour of science each week. One. Total. Actually not all the kids get to participate in that hour of science; only the ones who have met their basic requirements (aka passed their tests) are allowed to do science. And they don't have much time to work on social studies either (which should be CA state history in 4th grade), since they're trying to build these scores.

 

So, I know that's here and not where you are, and I know there are likely a ton of extenuating circumstances that I don't know the half of. But I still think it would be useful to know how much science the 4th graders (2nd graders, etc) are getting. How much history? How much art?

 

Also, ask about fees and other financial expectations. I remember a friend was shocked that, by Christmas of her first child's Kindergarten year in public school, she realized she had spent several hundred dollars in various fees and expenses. It might be useful to factor that into your homeschooling conversations at home. :D

[Haiku]

3. Do you "teach to test"?

 

 

Don't expect a straight answer on that one. No school will ever admit to teaching to the test.

 

Tara

[Sebastian (a lady)]

:iagree:

 

Completely 100% my experience as well.

Do not expect them to believe you or care that your child may already be reading. They will be silently laughing at you about the Spanish (in 95% of ps's).

 

What access will kindergarteners have to the school library? (I guess first you would need to ask if they have one, if it is staffed and open to the students. More and more school districts are cutting libraries for budget reasons.)

 

I've seen libraries where kids were restricted to just the picture book section in lower grades, even if they could read other higher level books like early chapter books.

 

I would also ask about programs like Accelerated Reader and how they are applied in the classroom. This probably isn't an issue for kindergarten, but would give you a sense of the school. One of my neighbors was very frustrated because her 4th grade daughter was required to pick free reading books that were "at or above" her lexile reading level. But because she was a really strong reader (7th grade or higher) it had the effect of really restricting what the teacher would accept for a reading book selection. It was squeezing a lot of the joy out of reading for her.

 

I would ask about recess and PE, which has also been cut from a lot of schools' days (and is something that kids need IMHO).

[Ellie]

4. What type of Math curriculum do you use (new math)?

5. I want to get a list of the curriculum they will be using.

This is where homeschoolers' use of "curriculuml" may stumble you up.

 

"Curriculum" means "the content of the subjects being taught." If you ask "What type of math curriculum do you use?" you may be handed a scope and sequence. So you will also want to know the *publisher* and any other instructional materials being used. Ditto for #5: you want to know the publishers of any textbooks/workbooks, Internet resources, etc.

 

You can also ask to see any teacher manuals. You may or may not be allowed to look at them, but you should ask if you can at least look at them in the office. Sometimes the children's materials look fine, but the teacher manuals are full of garbage that the teachers are supposed to say and do. Really.

[Bootsie]

For kindergarten, a big question that I would have is "how much playtime/recreational time do they have?" Some of the ps in our area recently cut out any recess time for kindergarten; five year olds go to school from 7:45am until 2:45 pm with no recess--the extra time is being spent on "academics"--so that they will be ready for the state mandated test in THIRD grade. (Yes, the kindergarteners are being prepared for a test three years down the road.)

[Leav97]

What method of discipline do you use?

 

Do you use any reward based systems? What?

[5LittleMonkeys]

Just keep in mind that what the principal tells you and what actually goes on in the classroom may be two totally different things. Sitting in on a class would be your best indicator of how things are actually working, but if your school is like the one I pulled my dc out of, they won't allow you to go into the classroom unless you are a parent and have spent 8 hours in "training".

 

Also, DON'T tell them you are considering homeschooling. You will definitely not get accurate answers then.

 

These are my opinions based on the ps I dealt with...hopefully the ps you are going to will be more forthcoming with accurate information and won't try to blow smoke up your skirt.

 

Edited to add: ask them if they do the Accelerated Reading program...if they do, run away as fast as you can!

[zookeeperof3]

What method of discipline do you use?

 

Do you use any reward based systems? What?

:iagree:

Defiantly ask those questions. When my son was in public school K & 1, they gave the kids skittles for each correct answer....all day long. THEN, they complained that the kids were hyper. AND the principle was allowed to spank the children, unless the parent had signed a waiver saying it was not allowed.

 

Get a copy of the school handbook, there's a lot of information in it...some may surprise you.

Kim

[Medieval Mom]

I would ask about "take home work" (homework). The ps we looked at before we decided to homeschool sent home a large (30 page) booklet of paperwork that was to be completed by the child and family over the weekend. Each and every weekend. :tongue_smilie:

 

Ask the average age of the children in K. (Most were at least a year older than our son, about a head taller.)

 

Ask the goals of the teacher in K: Ours said she aimed to teach the children their alphabet, and to count to 10.

 

Ask the ratio of students to teacher: This school had 30:1.

 

Are the students supervised during recess? (The school said "yes" on this, but the answer was definitely "no", with little children roaming the neighborhood streets, and plenty of "big kids" messing with "little kids" when we took a walk and observed this for ourselves. Any child could have easily been abducted near the school grounds without notice. Indeed, a week after ds began K AT HOME, a 9 yo girl *WAS* abducted from the school grounds during recess. (Luckily, she managed to escape without harm. But no one at school had noticed. :001_huh: )

 

 

My dh was hesitant, too, but agreed to K. We told all our family and friends, "It's just Kindergarten!" :) Everyone happily agreed, and it gave them a year (and us, too) to get used to the idea. Whenever anybody asks how long we'll homeschool, I respond, "We're just taking it year by year. So far, it's great!" (This, even though in my head I'm 98% sure we'll be doing this K-12. ;) )

[Sandwich in Wi]

Holy cats! Am I blessed to have my K'er in the district we are in. I am never moving!

 

(now, I would NEVER send any of my kids to 3rd - 5th grade in this district, but from our experience, K-2 and 6+ have been fabulous. Just depends on the building, I guess.

 

Good questions suggested, all of them. I was glad to see class size mentioned. I'd ask about that and discipline, plus fees before all the academic stuff.

 

re: the $$----- our K registration was $30 plus about $50-60 for school supplies (including shared supplies like dry erase markers, kleenex, baby wipes, etc.). Morning "nutrition break" ie: "breakfast program" is $90/semester and hot lunch is $1.35/day. The fundraising goal is $20 per student per year, so I just send $20 cash off the first day. I don't buy any of that fundraising junk.

 

FWIW, we did do the nutrition break the first semester, because at $1/day, it's a good value (carton of milk, fruit, healthy carb and yogurt or string cheese), but my son wasn't eating it all, so we're sending our own morning snack for 2nd sem. He took all cold lunch the first sem. but now is allowed one hot lunch/week and a milk on cold lunch days (he's not a big milk drinker) But do consider the financial costs of public school vs. homeschool curriculum (which most often is largely non-consumable)

 

Blessings,

Sandwich

[Medieval Mom]

Holy cats! Am I blessed to have my K'er in the district we are in. I am never moving!

 

(now, I would NEVER send any of my kids to 3rd - 5th grade in this district, but from our experience, K-2 and 6+ have been fabulous. Just depends on the building, I guess.

 

Good questions suggested, all of them. I was glad to see class size mentioned. I'd ask about that and discipline, plus fees before all the academic stuff.

 

re: the $$----- our K registration was $30 plus about $50-60 for school supplies (including shared supplies like dry erase markers, kleenex, baby wipes, etc.). Morning "nutrition break" ie: "breakfast program" is $90/semester and hot lunch is $1.35/day. The fundraising goal is $20 per student per year, so I just send $20 cash off the first day. I don't buy any of that fundraising junk.

 

FWIW, we did do the nutrition break the first semester, because at $1/day, it's a good value (carton of milk, fruit, healthy carb and yogurt or string cheese), but my son wasn't eating it all, so we're sending our own morning snack for 2nd sem. He took all cold lunch the first sem. but now is allowed one hot lunch/week and a milk on cold lunch days (he's not a big milk drinker) But do consider the financial costs of public school vs. homeschool curriculum (which most often is largely non-consumable)

 

Blessings,

Sandwich

 

You ARE fortunate! At our neighborhood school (in Iowa), the parents rotated bringing snacks to the entire class (following a multi-page guide); the average school supply list was $100-150, in addition to activity fees, this and that fees, etc. At first, we thought it would cost more to homeschool, but for us, in K, we came out about even.

 

Truly each school district is different. Back in the ---'s, I got a pretty decent education in my little K-12 school. I wasn't expecting things to have changed so much in such a short time. My parents always have a terrific view of public schools, but they recollect their school days from the 30's-40's! It was a bit different then! They learned arithmetic, Latin, grammar :lol: It's hard, sometimes, for them to realize that not all schools are quite the way they were 'way back then. (Of course, my dad also recalls the rulers over the knuckles, clipboards over the head, etc. Not so fun. :tongue_smilie: )

[Sandwich in Wi]

You ARE fortunate! At our neighborhood school (in Iowa), the parents rotated bringing snacks to the entire class (following a multi-page guide); the average school supply list was $100-150, in addition to activity fees, this and that fees, etc. At first, we thought it would cost more to homeschool, but for us, in K, we came out about even.

 

 

When my (now 2nd grader) son was in K, we did have to rotate snacks. They've since abolished that and each child brings his own morning and afternoon snack.

[Lovedtodeath]

My experience is that Kindergarten will teach sight words and reading along with books read aloud with very little touches of phonics. The school will start phonics heavy in 1st grade after kids are already reading in K.:confused:

 

They also took my daughter who was reading since she was 3 and at a 3rd grade level and totally screwed up her phonics skills causing me to need remediation after her K year.

 

The math actually seemed pretty good....

 

testing... why oh why?

[nikkid]

The reality here (and many other places I'm afraid) is that teachers are dealing with such overloaded classrooms of social issues and low academic ability that they just have no time or energy to challenge kids who are above standard or are already reading. Nor do they get any compensation for doing so, unlike the low contingent of the class which must be brought to standards or the teacher's job is in jeopardy.

 

This was our experience. I understand and agree the teachers need to be concerned with making sure reading and writing is achieved for all students because this is fundamental, but our 1st grader started getting labeled as an inappropriate attention seeking student because she kept looking for satisfaction out of the work she was doing and couldn't find it because it was busy work because she had reached the top of the class. The teacher was not concerned and thought her appropriately challenged because our dd wasn't asking to learn more and her behavior started making people think it was a behavior problem, not an academic one. Also, there is no gifted or challenge program in our district until 3rd grade. By that time our student would have decided school isn't important and wouldn't care anymore.

I'm not interested in going back to ps again unless the school has a plan for how to keep challenging kids in positive ways--and this requires a lot of individualizing which most schools don't have time to give.

 

Wish you the best in all you decide.

[kmacnchs]

2. What do you do with a child who is already reading and is becoming strong in comprehension?

 

 

I know you have already been warned but just beware - the answer is different w/each teacher and ideals vs implementation is different as well - iow, you probably won't get a truthful answer and/or you probably won't like the answer...

 

Here is the answer I got when I asked this question: "Oh, we had a girl who already knew her alphabet when she came to Kindergarten and she was our little helper - for example, she helped show students to the library" The teacher didnt' think I knew what I was talking about (how on earth could a child be reading BEFORE kindergarten - impossible! she must mean the child knows their ABCs...) AND the answer that was given solidified my decision to homeschool - I don't need my child to go to school for 6-7 hrs/day just to be a tour guide!

 

good luck! :)

[blakereese]

The reality here (and many other places I'm afraid) is that teachers are dealing with such overloaded classrooms of social issues and low academic ability that they just have no time or energy to challenge kids who are above standard or are already reading. Nor do they get any compensation for doing so, unlike the low contingent of the class which must be brought to standards or the teacher's job is in jeopardy.

 

 

This was our experience. I understand and agree the teachers need to be concerned with making sure reading and writing is achieved for all students because this is fundamental, but our 1st grader started getting labeled as an inappropriate attention seeking student because she kept looking for satisfaction out of the work she was doing and couldn't find it because it was busy work because she had reached the top of the class. The teacher was not concerned and thought her appropriately challenged because our dd wasn't asking to learn more and her behavior started making people think it was a behavior problem, not an academic one. Also, there is no gifted or challenge program in our district until 3rd grade. By that time our student would have decided school isn't important and wouldn't care anymore.

I'm not interested in going back to ps again unless the school has a plan for how to keep challenging kids in positive ways--and this requires a lot of individualizing which most schools don't have time to give.

 

Wish you the best in all you decide.

 

:iagree: We had the same experiences. The class sizes at our local elementary are out of control and only getting worse. It is heartbreaking to see them moving computers and supplies out of the classroom to make room for more desks. :( The rooms were not meant to hold 30+ students. And elementary teachers aren't meant to teach 30+ students all alone. There are so many discipline issues. Small things that usually wouldn't bother a teacher turn into something big and worth a trip to the principal's office just because the teacher has NO TIME to deal with it.

 

I wanted to also suggest that you do some research before you go. Not sure about the school you are going to but ours has a website with A LOT of information on it. You can read the student handbook, state standards, and then each grade has their own page. The teachers update with each week's spelling words, what they are working on in each subject, any homework, etc. If your school has anything like that you can see some of the expectations or an idea of what they are doing. Also, definitely ask about the *publisher* of their curriculum so you can check it out (and see if they will let you see anything).

 

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[amey311]

As an FYI, I have a friend who teaches Kindergarten in a public school. While there isn't standardized testing in K, she seems to spend a decent amount of time on in-classroom testing (reading level, comprehension level, math proficiency, etc).

 

Ask for a typical classroom schedule - most classrooms have them posted (8-815 breakfast, 815-915 Language Arts, 915-945 math, 945-1015 Special [art, music, etc] and so on). I know the amount of time my friend spends on a particular subject is often dependent on the publisher of the program her Superintendent has selected. She has dealt with incredibly scripted and limited ones (with one of the LA programs, she was not allowed to read anything that wasn't in the approved list of books, even as "leisure" read alouds to the class while they had snack), which often have very tight time allowances (she had to spend 90 minutes per day on one of them).

 

Ask about parent volunteers: how are they screened? Are there background checks? How often are there volunteers in a classroom and what do they typically do?

[Mallorie]

I haven't read all the replies, but I would ask about their "socialization" policies as well. For example:

What their policy on bullying is: we had major issues here

 

What kind of power their school counselor has: we had issues with the counselor asking very personal questions of our 3-4th grader, like is he worried about divorce? These were not because of an issue with my ds, but rather random questions they pull kids in and ask.

 

How long are they allowed for lunch? My kids were scheduled for 20 minutes, but because of the lunch lady's "rules" only got around 10-tops.

 

How well are the playgrounds supervised?

[Lovedtodeath]

Those are all good questions! We had some trouble with bullying, lunch and recess.

[ElizabethB]

My experience is that Kindergarten will teach sight words and reading along with books read aloud with very little touches of phonics. The school will start phonics heavy in 1st grade after kids are already reading in K.:confused:

 

They also took my daughter who was reading since she was 3 and at a 3rd grade level and totally screwed up her phonics skills causing me to need remediation after her K year.

 

?

 

Yes, unfortunately, it is even possible for sight words to cause problems for a child who is (was):glare: reading well.

 

If you do end up going the school route, I would make sure you know what sight words are going to be covered when and make sure you are teaching them phonetically, here is how:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html

[Nart]

I just started looking at this forum because I am thinking of homeschooling my kids at some point, in part, because I see on a daily basis what goes on in the public schools as I work for a school district as a school psychologist and previously taught elementary school. Before talking to the principal you need to think what is important for the kindergarten year. Do you want a school that stresses socialization? Academics? You need to be more specific with the principal when you mention that your child already reads. That can mean your child can read the first set of Bob books (CVC words), Magic Tree House, or Harry Potter books. Name some books that your child can read independently, then ask what the school could do for your child. Really though, what teacher your child is placed with will be a bigger factor. I have seen some really wonderful teachers in not so great schools and some terrible teachers in some good schools. I would go through the enrollment process since after enrollment ends many schools have kindergarten meetings with other parents and you meet the teachers. If you don't like the other parents or teachers, then tell the school you are not sending your child. If you are still on the fence, send your child the first week and see how it goes. It is easy to pull a child out mid-year but much tougher to put your child in mid-year. Good luck.

[EKS]

I can tell you that the answer to question number 3 will be no, regardless of what they actually do. Also instead of asking "what type" of math curriculum they use, ask for an exact name and you can determine the type from that.

[warriormom]

Wow, I went to ds potential public school for a math event. Guess what I saw on the white board in the teachers class? Test objectives clear as day. Also I went to a few classrooms where the teachers mentioned at least twice the end of the year test.

 

Anyways the kindergarten teacher did not know the name of the textbook. She said either McGraw Hill or Macmillan? In the 1st grade classroom they are using Harcourt Math. Anyone know anything about these Math textbooks? I am wanting to know if anyone has any experience. We use Math Mammoth right now.

Edited February 4, 2011 by cabreban

[aly]

I have had great results with Singapore with my daughter who struggled with math until 4th grade. Singapore is good visually and, with backup of extra practice (textbook, workbook, test book) you can go over things that are3 difficult as much as necessary. I heard the argument that Singapore was for kids that "got" math - in my case it has helped for someone who didn't!

Good luck!

[lindsrae]

The school will tell you that they are educating your child, but they aren't...they are teaching them how to take a test. I taught in PS for 5 years before staying home with my kiddos, and the test scores drive everything. EVERYTHING. The school can lose funding if they don't make adequate yearly progress on the state test. (AYP also CHANGES every year because of No Child Left Behind.) Since NCLB has been implemented, the schools are now faced with having to get close to 70% of students achieving at a high level. There are no exceptions given for ESL students or special ed...everyone has to hit AYP, and yes, there was some kind of "test prep" going on in my classroom every. single. day.