to attract parents. Hmmmmm, I wonder can it be, that it is because they are just window dressing? People are disillusioned. It is the same old same old.
With our children once again being experimented on. If we (parents) thought for one moment that we can be taken seriously we would then be more than happy join your panels. In the meantime start telling us the truth. We don't know what we are doing so we decided that we will test your children to the point where they hate going to school but by then
maybe we will have it all figured out and make learning the experience it should be.
For goodness sake my 6 year old first grader yesterday mentioned the E-class to me. He said so and so only got one word wrong he is so smart. I only got 10 wrong. I am not making his up but I wish I was.
My child should be excited that he knew all the words not that they were going to be measured against other children. He said but so and so only knew a few words.
Why don't you go put that in your bleeping 80 million dollar computer and choke on it. One thing that computer is not going to be able to tell me is what type of stress this is putting on my 6 year old. After all it is just a machine the same as what you think my 6 year old is.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Hello, Mrs. Pissed Off
Hello, Is your mother at home?
me: no, she has her own home would you like her number? (This happens to me each and every time someone wants to speak to an adult, seems I have a child like voice, but that is my one and only child like quality.)
Oh Mrs. Pissed Off, this is Mr. Math teacher at overcrowded high school.
I am your middle sons teacher.
me: Yes, can I help you?
Math: Well it seems your son has been wearing a small cast and said that he sprained his wrist.
me: Yes, he did
Math: oh, Well I did not see a doctor's note so I thought he was fooling around.
me: are you kidding me? Has he been doing his work?
math: well, yes but you know I had to make sure that he indeed sprained his wrist because you know some kids make up excuses to get out of work.
me: So, lets see. You just told me he is doing his work but you had to make sure because SOME kids make up excuses. Has middle one been making up excuses?
Math: he has not handed in a few math homework assignments.
me: How many?
Math: 3 but, he wants to type his homework assignments and I don't allow that.
me: Can you not give the kid a break and let him until he can at least write legibly?
math: well if I let one...................
me: So lets get this correct. My child wants to do the work but you won't allow him to just type his assignments for a few days, because he does not have a doctor's note. How about you let me do the work for him this way it is done and handed in or would that not work either because it would not be in his handwriting? Because this is what we are getting at correct. That you would have no way of knowing if he is doing the work or not. Is that the gist of it.
Math: now calm down Mrs. Pissed Off.
me: why does everyone tell me to calm down?
I do appreciate the phone call it shows to me that you at least care for my child to make the phone call, most teachers would not.
math: well if I can have a doctor's note.
me: okay I will get right on that.
I hang up the phone go into middle child's room read him the riot act and tell him to get on the ball and do his damn math homework and I don't care if it looks like it was written by a lab rat and next time he had better come to me and tell me what the hell is going on, so I can get a freaking doctors note.
disclaimer: don't leave me any nasty comments because after all I am on the teachers side.
me: no, she has her own home would you like her number? (This happens to me each and every time someone wants to speak to an adult, seems I have a child like voice, but that is my one and only child like quality.)
Oh Mrs. Pissed Off, this is Mr. Math teacher at overcrowded high school.
I am your middle sons teacher.
me: Yes, can I help you?
Math: Well it seems your son has been wearing a small cast and said that he sprained his wrist.
me: Yes, he did
Math: oh, Well I did not see a doctor's note so I thought he was fooling around.
me: are you kidding me? Has he been doing his work?
math: well, yes but you know I had to make sure that he indeed sprained his wrist because you know some kids make up excuses to get out of work.
me: So, lets see. You just told me he is doing his work but you had to make sure because SOME kids make up excuses. Has middle one been making up excuses?
Math: he has not handed in a few math homework assignments.
me: How many?
Math: 3 but, he wants to type his homework assignments and I don't allow that.
me: Can you not give the kid a break and let him until he can at least write legibly?
math: well if I let one...................
me: So lets get this correct. My child wants to do the work but you won't allow him to just type his assignments for a few days, because he does not have a doctor's note. How about you let me do the work for him this way it is done and handed in or would that not work either because it would not be in his handwriting? Because this is what we are getting at correct. That you would have no way of knowing if he is doing the work or not. Is that the gist of it.
Math: now calm down Mrs. Pissed Off.
me: why does everyone tell me to calm down?
I do appreciate the phone call it shows to me that you at least care for my child to make the phone call, most teachers would not.
math: well if I can have a doctor's note.
me: okay I will get right on that.
I hang up the phone go into middle child's room read him the riot act and tell him to get on the ball and do his damn math homework and I don't care if it looks like it was written by a lab rat and next time he had better come to me and tell me what the hell is going on, so I can get a freaking doctors note.
disclaimer: don't leave me any nasty comments because after all I am on the teachers side.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Out of the mouth of babes
I picked wee one up after school after him being out for a day with a stomach virus. He had a substitute. I asked him if was given the homework and he said no but that he wished he did not have a substitute because his work was to easy today and he needed to have Miss Lovely so he can have harder work.. Oh my, can it be a child that wants to be educated? Someone has to remind Mrs. Pissed Off to thank Miss Lovely for making the work to hard and making my child reach for the stars.
On another note he was reading to me and I had to give my 6 year old a big high five for knowing the words Constellation and Astronomy, and the true meanings of said words.
On another note he was reading to me and I had to give my 6 year old a big high five for knowing the words Constellation and Astronomy, and the true meanings of said words.
I am a Professional Parent
The day my first child was born I like every parent wanted what was best for him. Three years later my second child was born and of course I wanted what was best for him also.
I sent my children to public schools because I believe that the system can work if guided properly. It is not, and that is when I wanted my voice to be heard. For my children since they could not really speak for themselves.
I provide for my children in more ways than can be counted.
We are fortunate to live in the "Elite" District our children should receive an exemplar education, but Elite is in a just another word.
The DOE has asked parents to get involved with their children's education.
They ask us to chair the PTA, to be on the School Leadership Teams, attend CPAC etc. But they also want us to be quiet and not make to much noise.
If the system is broke it is up to us to let the DOE know what is wrong. They are not the people who are in the trenches. They are not "Educated"
as to what is happening on a daily basis. It is us the Parents and the teachers that know what is going on and as long as I breathe and have a child in the Public Education system, I will never be quiet.
I guess that is what makes me a Professional Parent.
I sent my children to public schools because I believe that the system can work if guided properly. It is not, and that is when I wanted my voice to be heard. For my children since they could not really speak for themselves.
I provide for my children in more ways than can be counted.
We are fortunate to live in the "Elite" District our children should receive an exemplar education, but Elite is in a just another word.
The DOE has asked parents to get involved with their children's education.
They ask us to chair the PTA, to be on the School Leadership Teams, attend CPAC etc. But they also want us to be quiet and not make to much noise.
If the system is broke it is up to us to let the DOE know what is wrong. They are not the people who are in the trenches. They are not "Educated"
as to what is happening on a daily basis. It is us the Parents and the teachers that know what is going on and as long as I breathe and have a child in the Public Education system, I will never be quiet.
I guess that is what makes me a Professional Parent.
Sit down and shut up Part 2
Here we go again with dismissing a parent's right to a voice. Regent's urge parents to tone down the rhetoric. As long as my child (or any child for that matter) is going to be educated by a system that is not working, I will not be quiet. What happened to putting the "Public" back into education.
Oh that is right, that is why Kleinberg hired a parent consultant so the rest of us can do what they have been telling children in the classroom. Sit down and shut up.
I guess all the borough meetings that Klein held were just for us to be informed but not have any input like always. Mr. Klein you are going to have to be running out of more of those "informational" meetings now. Parent's are going to show you the same respect you have shown us, Nil.
Oh that is right, that is why Kleinberg hired a parent consultant so the rest of us can do what they have been telling children in the classroom. Sit down and shut up.
I guess all the borough meetings that Klein held were just for us to be informed but not have any input like always. Mr. Klein you are going to have to be running out of more of those "informational" meetings now. Parent's are going to show you the same respect you have shown us, Nil.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Personal account of why Small Class Size Works
My older guys middle school failed him terribly. He was a resource room child, who got lost in the system.
His resource room teacher could not teach math, she told us so.
He needed help in guess what?, Give up? Thats right Math.
His parent's would constantly be up at the school screaming for help for their child. We spoke with anyone who would listen. All except the Principal who never had time for a parent unless she liked them.
Every year in the middle of the school year we would get a report card that our child was failing and we needed to "come up to the school to discuss it". We would, and we would scream, but no one heard us.
His IEP was ignored, his parent's were ignored and our child at the end would pass, but barely. This went on and on and on his whole middle school education.
Fast forward to the Ninth grade same scenario us going up there fighting for our child and our child getting the shaft. He was held back that year.
We were livid. Especially when the Assistant Principal came up to us and told us that he loved our son as his own child and that he did everything he could for him. I feel sorry for his own children.
So Mr. & Mrs. Pissed Off had to put our child in a Private Summer school so he could make up all his classes. He loved it there and passed in the 90's. Even on those pesky regents.
The new school year started and he went to his regular new big High School (the one that middle one attends), he lasted two days when he begged to be taken out.
We brought him back to the Private School. We paid a fortune for our son to be educated but here is the greatness of this story. The largest class was 10 children if that. It was a small school, his graduating class was 30. My child went from not passing to being a master student.
From not understanding Math to be a math genius. Why? Because his teachers had time to sit with him and tutor him right there in the class.
There was no more fighting for our child. The teachers had time to actually sit with him in the classroom and help him. He loved school again.
In his Senior year he took Chemistry and was struggling. When his report card was mailed home I noticed that he went from a 95 in Science to a 65. I asked him what was going on? He replied that not to worry that the school already new he was struggling and took him out of the class of 10 and put him in the class of 5 so he could do better. All without me having to go up there and show some muscle.
When you walked into the school the Principals door was always open, for all parents not just the liked Parents. It was a wonderful experience and the one reason why our child is in the College of his choice.
I will fight for small class size until someone hears me, only because I personally know it works.
His resource room teacher could not teach math, she told us so.
He needed help in guess what?, Give up? Thats right Math.
His parent's would constantly be up at the school screaming for help for their child. We spoke with anyone who would listen. All except the Principal who never had time for a parent unless she liked them.
Every year in the middle of the school year we would get a report card that our child was failing and we needed to "come up to the school to discuss it". We would, and we would scream, but no one heard us.
His IEP was ignored, his parent's were ignored and our child at the end would pass, but barely. This went on and on and on his whole middle school education.
Fast forward to the Ninth grade same scenario us going up there fighting for our child and our child getting the shaft. He was held back that year.
We were livid. Especially when the Assistant Principal came up to us and told us that he loved our son as his own child and that he did everything he could for him. I feel sorry for his own children.
So Mr. & Mrs. Pissed Off had to put our child in a Private Summer school so he could make up all his classes. He loved it there and passed in the 90's. Even on those pesky regents.
The new school year started and he went to his regular new big High School (the one that middle one attends), he lasted two days when he begged to be taken out.
We brought him back to the Private School. We paid a fortune for our son to be educated but here is the greatness of this story. The largest class was 10 children if that. It was a small school, his graduating class was 30. My child went from not passing to being a master student.
From not understanding Math to be a math genius. Why? Because his teachers had time to sit with him and tutor him right there in the class.
There was no more fighting for our child. The teachers had time to actually sit with him in the classroom and help him. He loved school again.
In his Senior year he took Chemistry and was struggling. When his report card was mailed home I noticed that he went from a 95 in Science to a 65. I asked him what was going on? He replied that not to worry that the school already new he was struggling and took him out of the class of 10 and put him in the class of 5 so he could do better. All without me having to go up there and show some muscle.
When you walked into the school the Principals door was always open, for all parents not just the liked Parents. It was a wonderful experience and the one reason why our child is in the College of his choice.
I will fight for small class size until someone hears me, only because I personally know it works.
I wish
I wish that people that do not have a child educated in the New York
City Public school system would stop printing article praising our Mayor's control of the Schools. If the schools are vastly improved why don't you go over to Pissed Off Teachers blog and see her pretty pictures of her classroom ermmm I mean trailer. I also want to know when it has become acceptable to teach in a trailer, or a broom closet or behind the stage in the auditorium?
Do us all a favor and go visit one of those vastly improved schools and question a teacher or a student at random. Make the visit unannounced so no one is on there best behaviour. So you can see what we see.
Makes me remember that when my older son told me at the last minute that he needed a white shirt and black pants because the Mayor was visiting his school. I told him he needed to dress what he always dressed in and if his "Dragon Lady" Principal had a problem with it she could call me to voice her disdain.
If you don't have the actual facts the real facts not the cooked facts that the DOE feeds you then do what the Mayor tells us. SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!
City Public school system would stop printing article praising our Mayor's control of the Schools. If the schools are vastly improved why don't you go over to Pissed Off Teachers blog and see her pretty pictures of her classroom ermmm I mean trailer. I also want to know when it has become acceptable to teach in a trailer, or a broom closet or behind the stage in the auditorium?
Do us all a favor and go visit one of those vastly improved schools and question a teacher or a student at random. Make the visit unannounced so no one is on there best behaviour. So you can see what we see.
Makes me remember that when my older son told me at the last minute that he needed a white shirt and black pants because the Mayor was visiting his school. I told him he needed to dress what he always dressed in and if his "Dragon Lady" Principal had a problem with it she could call me to voice her disdain.
If you don't have the actual facts the real facts not the cooked facts that the DOE feeds you then do what the Mayor tells us. SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!
NYC Public School Parents
Go over and visit this blog and read the views of New York City Parents.
It was just started by Leonie Haimsom and Patrick Sullivan. Kudos to the both of you. It is off to a great start. Finally a voice for all of us.
It was just started by Leonie Haimsom and Patrick Sullivan. Kudos to the both of you. It is off to a great start. Finally a voice for all of us.
Does a supercomputer equate to better learning
Once again Klein and Bloomberg show how out ignorant they are to the needs of NYC school children. This week it was announced that Project Arts would be cut from schools due to monetary needs in the budget. ( in other words no money) Today it was announced that $80 million dollars will be spend on a new supercomputer to track our children.
Not to teach our children, to lower class size, to tutor our children, to open a new school or hire new teachers but to track how poorly they are doing.
I like this reasoning, Parents eventually will have access to their own kids data. HELLO, isn't that called a report card?
I just wish that these two gentlemen, and I use the term in the most sarcastic of terms would stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Start reading the studies on what works in the classroom. A supercomputer at a cost of $80 million is a waste of our money.
Not to teach our children, to lower class size, to tutor our children, to open a new school or hire new teachers but to track how poorly they are doing.
I like this reasoning, Parents eventually will have access to their own kids data. HELLO, isn't that called a report card?
I just wish that these two gentlemen, and I use the term in the most sarcastic of terms would stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Start reading the studies on what works in the classroom. A supercomputer at a cost of $80 million is a waste of our money.
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