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Kitty just slide that soap box over here. We have had many frustrations dealing with schools. Both private and public. We had a horrible experience in Pennsylvania with our Catholic school. When we moved to Alabama we put our son in an extremely good public elementary school. We were extremely pleased. Our youngest son started in the same school. For various reasons, including my employment at our parish school, we opted to move our youngest to our Catholic parish school. It was not an easy decision. We were fortunate, because we witnessed a steady decline over the past decade in the public school system.
My oldest son, who does not like math, was allowed to fail Algebra II because, in the words of his teacher, "He just sits quietly in the back and reads his literature book." Excuse me! Because he wasn't a disruption it was easier to let him fail than engage and teach him. We hired a tutor who called and called the teacher. We called and called the teacher. She wouldn't return any phone calls. During the summer he retook the class in another school and earned an 84.
There are pervasive problems with our public school system. In my diocesan system there is no tenure. This protects both the teacher and the students. If you are not re-hired during your first three years there has to be documented reasons. I know an excellent teacher in the public system who was pinkslipped because it was the end of her third year. No explanation is necessary. It's cheaper for the school system to hire new teachers every three years. On the other hand we can get rid of bad teachers.
Kitty, can I have a glass of water?

Here you go, Paula. (Kitty passes a tall glass of cool water to Paula...) <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

As an aside, I have been using an online teaching/testing method with my son since Kindergarten to help him with homework, provide other work materials when he gets bored at school and gauge his state, regional and national standing among other elementary students in his age/grade.

While I don't show it all to him, it keeps me aware of what's being taught at different grade levels and where my sons strengths and weaknesses are. This software also has placement testing, date/time logs and can be used as a homeschool tool almost exclusively. They also have a 7-day FREE trial! You might want to try the Free trial and have your child take the placement tests, just to see where they are if you are curious.

Kitty

http://www.homeschool.com/childu/default.asp

Thanks. I'll check out the link.

I think part of my frustration has been as the mother of a son with ADD. No ADHD, but ADD. Because he never bounced off the walls he didn't cause enough of a disruption to demand the teachers' attention. He's harder to teacher because he needs to be engaged and active in his learning.

Part of my belief in school vouchers is that not all schools are appropriate for all children. We need to be able to have our children attend the schools that will best educate THEM.

Paula another part of the problem is that so many schools don't pay any attention to the different ways children learn. Some kids are more audio and hands on while others are video, etc.

My biggest concern for my area is that some of our poorest performing schools will really suffer the most. We have magnet schools that parents are literally doing whatever they have to in order for their kids to attend. The really bad part is that those schools tend to be in the richest neigborhoods. Those are the schools with the most that score the highest, have an abundance of parent volunteers and therefore get the most money.

My concern is that the vouchers go to children who honestly need them. Parents who are working two and three jobs to pay for private education, children from the poorest neighborhoods and kids who have learning difficulties.

Cheryl,
You have hit on a major problem in education, private and public. Teachers go to wonderful workshops that discuss and demonstrate how to teach to different learning styles. Then the teachers return to the classroom only to teach the same way they always have. Most teachers teach in their own learning style.

In my own classes in the library some parent volunteers have thought I was very strange. I READ all the written instructions with the students. We then answer the first one or two questions together. I try to explain that I'm working to both auditory and visual learners needs. On other occasions students are physically going about the library on scavenger hunts, shelving books, etc.

Paula that is so wonderful that you take the time to provide instruction to all learning styles. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> So many teachers do not do it.

You're right that teachers go to workshops and learn about the different learning styles but then don't put what they learn into practice. They are even beginning to teach learning styles to Preschool teachers of the younger age groups.

My son has struggled since getting a teacher in first grade who doesn't deserve to be teaching. She was so awful. She left bruises on my son's arm from dragging him around. My Pediatrician insisted that he be removed from her class that very day. Thus my first stint in homeschooling because I couldn't get any help through the school system.

However, this past year he got a teacher who was absolutely amazing. She has a lot of background in psychology as well as education. She noticed that my son struggles with a few things. She at first thought he might be ADD, but after working with him for a little while she realized that he's simply been allowed to "not perform" for so long that it became the norm for him. The teachers all had a meeting and developed a plan to work with him. He had a bumpy year but came home with the best grades I've seen on his report card since Kindergarten. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I don't mind vouchers, in fact I think for the right children they are best thing since bread. I'm just concerned that they won't go to children who really need them. Of course, I'm basing that on what I have watched in our system. I'm just opposed to a child whose family earns six figures a year getting a voucher. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

It's great that your son has a teacher who can inspire him and help him to learn.

I have no problem with a salary cap. To be honest that would effect us. I just want other families to have the educational options that we have.

You are WAY lucky that you found a teacher who helped your son out of his "not performing" niche. My husbands youngest brother was told that he was retarded, then that he was "slow" etc etc, now he's 22 and he can't get any help, because they ran tests, found that his intelligence level was low, but mostly from lack of schooling, in all other ways he was FINE. (I've been telling them that for years... ahh, to be able to say I told you so hehe) Anyway, he's been in special ed for so long (and they haven't taught him anything) that he has NO skills, not even social skills! It's become a burden on our family, because he is not capable of taking care of himself, and since he's not really retarded, or anything else, there are no assistance programs for us. And it's all because he was told that he was slow. sheesh.

This is a major problem in schools. Students are boxed into expectations.

My son, who is now at college, was taking a study skills course these past few weeks. Remember, this is the high school student who flunked algebra II. He did so well in the math section the teacher is recommending that he skip college algebra and go either to trig or statistics. He obviously had the ability to learn. He just didn't have a high school teacher willing to teach.

I think people underestimate the teacher's role in education. My kids went to schools where most of the kids were rich, and they went to schools where half the kids were homeless. Funding was all over the place. But invariably, it was the teacher who mattered. When they had good teacher they learned, and when they had a bad teacher, they didn't. I'm not sure how I feel about vouchers, but I don't think children ought to have to stay in any school that isn't working for them personally. Of course, I solved that issue by eventually homeschooling <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Now if the teacher is bad, it's my own fault.