Knowledge is power

OFIA sent emails to CEC's reminding them that their meetings are public and can be recorded and/or videotaped at any particular moment. I guess the same goes for you Joel?

OFEA, OFIA

The DOE has decided to change the name of OFEA, to OFIA. Always changing things up aren't you Joel? This Chancellor, I think suffers from schizophrenia. Districts to no Districts, regions to no regions, but back to Districts, with no power.
Test scores equal grade of schools, schools do well, change method of testing grades. Schools suffer, announce closings.
Get your media mogul friends (Bloomberg) to FOIL teacher data. Show results, added value, no account for data errors with the scores and particular teachers. We just won't tell the parents, they need to shut up anyway.

Is it just me

or does Joel Klein resemble Nosferatu more or more each day as how he describes how our schools will have no money next year. That is okay folks, don't get to alarmed not like we need to teach anything pertaining to a true education, just what is on the grand ole test, and we do hope you fail and your school gets a terrible grade, we have a nice charter school applicant that would love to take over your school.

Finally

Finally I can breath a sigh of relief. I am happy for wee one. He has finally got it. Last night while sitting on the couch he decided to give himself long division, fractions and to write the multiplication tables all on his own. He told me math is like a game. I always thought it was.
It only took to the end of April but I guess his adjustment period is up.
He definitely has more confidence, and that is all I ever wanted for him. The child that had a thirst for knowledge.
The school has done everything they could to help him, with resource room and extended day.
He tells me cute stories about resource room, which makes me happy.
He is also ready to take on the upcoming tests and no longer doubts his promotion.
Now if we can only work on his big mouth, wonder where he gets that from?

The hell that is 4th grade

This year has been craptastic. I am not sure my child has been prepared for the upcoming tests, but according to his teacher he is since she has been doing test prep. Did you hear that Joel there is test prep going on. Maybe you should inform your teachers not to tell the parents that. Test prep is the only thing she told us though, since communication is not her in her vocabulary. That and not being an effective teacher. Oops I said it. She sucks, and believe me my children have had crappy teachers. I know she does not like me, but I could give a crap I already have friends. My child and 6 others in his class have been struggling. Kids who have not had a problem until this year. The parents have had conferences with her and leave her classroom bewildered. They ask for little things like a heads up before tests to be told she does not do that. We have complained that there has been little or no math homework and then I guess as a punishment she gives our children 60 math problems for a nights work. It was nice that I had time to teach him the lesson so he could understand how to do it, and 2 hours later we were done. I spoke with other parents who informed me they had to do the same thing. Joel and Mike the next time you say a parent should shut it because we are not educators, well I have a few choice words for you, apparently we are. I guess that is what you meant by parents and teachers need to be partners in education, right?

Survey redux

Every year around this time of the year parents receive a nice green envelope with the school surveys. Your school, your voice. Now I usually toss them since I know the results are not truly published, and they are a waste of money. Also they really are not anonymous. That little code on the bottom turns me off. If you want my "REAL" opinion you would also try to protect my privacy.
Laughable privacy with ARIS and all.
This year I was going to fill out the survey only because I am pissed. Yeah, go figure. I am pissed that my child has received a sub par education the last 3 years.
Screaming teachers who hate boys. Teachers that don't teach math, well they teach it but don't stress it. Hold back notices given to kids etc.
So here I will fill out my survey because it will be anonymous.

I don't feel satisfied with the response I get when I contact my child's school. To be fair they contacted me. But to tell me my 9 year old child is struggling because he has ADD and should be tested because it is a "focusing" problem, was wrong on so many levels. First you are not a professional. Second he is 9 just turned 9 by the way, and hell I don't even want to sit inside all day long either. ( I found out later on that they told that to two other parents that had sons)

How often during the school year have you received information about what your child is studying in school. NEVER
That is right never. I asked to be informed when tests were coming up, but was told I don't do that. So my child is struggling I need help and well you don't do that. Okay then. I really don't think I am asking for much here.

My child participates in the following activities in school:
you know I have to say I love the choices. In our school most of the programs listed are funded by parents. Art paid for by parents, music partly funded by the PTA, physical education, oops I fell of my chair from laughing so hard. Once a week wowie, and being that the winter was so harsh and we don't have a separate gym our kids sat in the auditorium reading. And then we wonder why our children have ADD symptoms. It is called ants in the pants.
I saw dance and theater, foreign language on the survey and was awed, I said wow do we really have those programs, must be for those kind of sorta lucky middle school and high school students.

What are the BEST ways for your child's school or teachers to get information to you about your child's education?
I like the array of options but if a teacher says I don't do that do you really think this question applies?

How satisfied are you with the following things about your child's school?
The quality of your child's teacher? Yeah she is okay but she needs a whole lot more training, like how to be cooperative., and this questions also qualify for wee one's second grade teacher. Retire already!

The most laughable part of this survey was how I feel about the Panel for Bloomberg and Klein's rubber stamp err I mean Education.Lets just say all those questions were answered very unsatisfied.

Dear Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein

my son just informed me that on Monday he needs a nice healthy snack to eat before he goes on his school trip. It must be healthy he stressed. Now I have to say this. If I want to feed my child a nice big chocolate cake I can. You want to know why? I pay my damn bills and taxes and put clothing on my demon seeds I mean child's back. Not YOU! So since you have already screwed with his education, and the way schools can raise money to get programs that they so badly need because my tax dollars no longer pay for them. Now you want to tell me what my child can eat. If you are so scared about childhood obesity, why don't you give the schools some money so they can have a true gym program. You want us to follow guidelines and then you take away the money and schools don't have gym. Kind of makes no sense to me, but I don't live in your mind.

ADD and 9 year old boys

Why is it that when your child starts to struggle in school, the first response of those in charge are to tell you that you should have your child tested for ADD, because it is an attention problem. The child has never struggled until this year. But then you are told that no he has struggle before. Yeah must have been another child in my care last year, and I am wrong.
You then explain that it is not ADD since your child is really not bouncing off the walls, and actually can sit still, and since as an educator can sit there and tell me that he should be medicated because he can not conform and be a little test monkey for the DOE.
Then you find out out that not only is it your child that is struggling and told that maybe he has ADD but another in the class, and then another.
You know what it is really called. It is called 9 year old boy. I have raised 3 boys now, not one of them were able to sit in a chair still for to long. Hell I can't even sit still and I am almost well you don't really need to know my age.
Maybe the school should look at the "REAL"problem of why this group of children are struggling.
4th grade sucks.

12 Year old arrested in school for doodling on desk

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/05/12-year-old-girl-arrested-in-school-for-doodling-on-desk/

I quite don't understand why in the hell this child needed to be arrested. If that was the case way back when I went to school I would be in Rikers, a lesson could be taught in a different way. The official response, " We are looking at the facts".
I am looking at the facts too and they just don't add up.