I personally want to communicate with my parents as much as possible, and create a class website and make phone calls to parents to initiate that communication.

I think that these horrible administrators, chosen by Beverly Hall, all need to be taken to the edge of town of left for dead, including Hall. If we started having elected superintendents again, Hall would go away with a snap of the fingers. AND, all these terrible administrators who hire their terrible teacher friends to work in their schools would go with her.

I’ve been here for a long time, I’ve seen CRCT cheating, I’ve seen teachers harrassed by administrators for no reason but that they didn’t like them, I’ve seen many, MANY teachers who say things in their classrooms like “We is” and “He ain’t.” It all makes me want to hurl daily, but I keep doing what I do because I care about these kids, and I want the best for them.

Also, I am a member of MACE. Dr. Trotter and his team are the only teacher organization that is saying anything at all against APS and other corrupt school systems -

Bitter Much, with all due respect, your response reminds me of someone complaining about the quality of the merchandise at the everything’s-a-dollar stores.

Most of our students *can* get at least an adequate education in our public schools, IF THEY WANT ONE, and in many of the schools, the education is very good. So far we don’t even seem to be trying to give everyone an excellent education, however.

Parents know how their children interact with other children, be it siblings or playmates/friends. Parents know how their children interact with them, the parent(s), and other adults in their lives.

That said, working with the school, based on the child THAT YOU KNOW WELL, should determine how you handle situations from grades, discipline, and respect for authority. When a situation arises, you should handle it based on what you already know about your child. This should tell you when it’s appropriate to go to the school and how to handle the problem at hand.

The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, and when you have lax discipline requirements at home, they will display this when they leave home. Handle these situations in an adult, responsible way in order to be fair to your child(ren and to the school. Have clear guidelines for your kids at home and let them know what you expect of them as students. Example: As a doting grandmother, WITH MY DAUGHTERS PERMISSION, I got cell phones for her four children. The rule: they are not to go to school. If you take it to school and it is taken with the requirement that the parent retrieve it, it is crystal clear to the kids that it will be picked up during the last week of the school year. They understand that, so there’s no need to have a confrontation with the school. Have requirements, have a line of communication with your children, if you set rules for them, ALWAYS enforce them. Children are very smart when it comes to manipulation, and if they know that they can do it, they will.

By the way, the expression is “kowtow” not COW tow.

For those who love to criticize as if you know this this job— I double-dog dare you to get your certification and teach. It will change your life. If you haven’t taught, you can’t possibly know. Either go experience it so you’ll know what you are talking about, or shut your mouth and admit you don’t have a clue.

Nothing sounds stupider than someone criticizing a job they’ve never done. That’s why I don’t talk smack about cops, firemen, or bank managers.