tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738192.post115685507652717208..comments2023-12-30T11:06:11.492-06:00Comments on Brent's Blog: Back to School: Get Back to BasicsBrent Clantonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12626330033327572236noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738192.post-1156994992104083092006-08-30T22:29:00.000-05:002006-08-30T22:29:00.000-05:00Hey Brent:It's amazing how schools and curriculum ...Hey Brent:<BR/>It's amazing how schools and curriculum are different from when you and I attended. Homework was loaded down back then due to teachers in high school not communicating with one another . This was the fault of individual departments not conversing wiith the other,therefore it was not uncommon for a student to have 2 book reports and 2 tests due on the same day. The parents of today remember the load,with the burden of working at the local grocery store or fast food joint. They do not want their child to have that burden. The down slide is a cutback in subject material being taught. Todays problem is worse with the TAKS test. A good idea gone bad. Now the test is being taught not tthe subjects. The pressure is on schools to perform, the teachers to perform and the judge is the TAKS test. It robs the student to perform,and to learn. Teachers are blamed for poor TAKS scores,when it is the system itself to blame. Teachers in some instances are allowing some cheating to take place among themselves for fear of losing a job,along with some principals.Honesty becomes a casualty,and students are the taught it is okay to cheat by those who are charged with setting an example . My wife being a teacher,myself having worked in a classroom witness burnout from those charged with teaching our youth due to the many regulations rather than the basics in teaching. We have trouble keeping the good ones due to the low pay,and the increasing lack of respect from students with no consequences being offerred by the school and most importantly at home. This leads to less homework being tendered,because there are fewer expectations that it will get done. The basics include discipline mentally and emotionally. The "board of education" worked then,now it collects dust and the students are not challenged to take responsibility for their actions. When an educator takes a stand in regards to this, they are ridiculed., Recently a Principal at a local high school was reading out over the PA the percentages of student groups (African American) who performed low on ther TAKS test and SATS. The parents raised objections that they were singled out and demanded the Board fire her. The Principal was not new,and had been in education for 25 years. In the end the Board had her apologize for being insensitive and then removed her from her post "pending assignment". She was white.<BR/>So don't blame the teacher, the Principal,blame the school boards on the local and state level for allowing politics to interfere with education. The victims are the children whether they know it or not, plus parents who do not wifh to fulfill the responsibilty in being a parent. My wife and I work with my 10 year old step grandson who has autism on his homework. The results have paid off,and he made the honor roll last year.Three years ago he was in a special education class.We took an interest and fought for him against the school district who wanted to continue him outside the main curriculum.We took the time to teach him how to talk, write,and comprehend. We won,the bureaucrats lost. My step Grandson won in a big way because his brain became unlocked and he was hungry to learn. My wife has that battle everyday not just at home but in the classroom as more regulations come down,that look good on paper but fail in reality. Her classification as a teacher is not included in what budget is allocated,because she is Special Ed. Her speciality is always among the first to feel the cuts,so Homer at the local High School can play football,and not crack open a book. We can talk about this all we want,but until we get the politics out of education and do what is truly needed on all levels,plus show appreciation for those who chose this profession,with better pay, better benefits, we will end up spinning our wheels allowing the rut to grow deeper.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com