Survey: Drugs and lack of respect for teachers pose greater school problems than bullying
In light of all the attention to bullying after the suicide of Massachusetts high school freshman Phoebe Prince, a new survey found nearly three-quarters of Americans consider bullying and harassment a serious problem in their local public schools. Respondents, however, said illegal drugs and lack of respect for teachers were a greater problem, according to the survey by Public Agenda.
According to the study:
More than one-third of Americans (35 percent), including 39 percent of parents, say they were bullied themselves when growing up. But only 8 percent of the public and 10 percent of parents say they were bullied “a lot.” These findings are based on a Public Agenda survey of 1,001 people, including 262 parents of children under 18, conducted from April 8 – 11, 2010
Public Agenda found that 74 percent of those surveyed say bullying and harassment are serious problems in their local schools, with 47 percent calling these actions “very serious” problems. Roughly three-quarters (76 percent) of the public say illegal drugs and students treating teachers with a lack of respect are serious problems, with 53 percent calling illegal drugs and 50 percent saying disrespect for teachers was “very serious.”
Parents are actually slightly less concerned about these problems than the public overall. Sixty-nine percent of parents say bullying is a serious problem (40 percent say “very serious”), seventy percent say disrespect for teachers is a serious problem (45 percent say “very serious”), and 68 percent say illegal drugs are a serious problem (39 percent say “very serious”).
Physical fighting and cheating in schools are lesser concerns for both the total public (59 percent and 55 percent, respectively) and parents (55 percent for fighting, 48 percent for cheating).
Adults who say they were bullied in school are more likely to say bullying is a “very serious” problem (49 percent versus 42 percent of those who said they weren’t bullied). Men are more likely to say they were bullied (41 percent compared with 30 percent of women), but women are more likely to consider bullying a “very serious” problem (53 percent of women compared with 41 percent of men).
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110 comments Add your comment
ga
April 29th, 2010
4:32 pm
At jnes – no kid likes to run suicides, but it’s necessary for muscle memory training. there are a lot of things the kids don’t like to do in coaching a sport.
Booklover
April 29th, 2010
4:33 pm
@ ga
Sigh, you are showing some clear misunderstandings of how special education works.
Regular education teachers receive notification of any student that we have who has a physical disability or learning disability, etc. Any student with autism or an auditory processing disorder has been diagnosed early in his/her academic career, so in this age of autism awareness, childhood screenings, etc., the only time a student might not be recognized as such would be in the very, very early grades.
I have had students with auditory processing disorders, and we were always informed at the beginning of the year about possible issues. Same with autistic students. Also, these students are completely capable of being “disrespectful” just like any other students. However, the teacher does need to get to know the student first before understanding when the student is just manifesting the learning difference and when the student is actually being *purposely* disrespectful. A learning or behavior disorder is not carte blanche to disrupt the education of others and disrespect the teacher.
Students who are incapable of adhering to the behavior expectations of a regular classroom are not being served legally under No Child Left Behind, which states that the student will be placed in the “least restrictive environment” that allows that child to learn. Some students DO need more restrictive environments.
ga
April 29th, 2010
4:35 pm
@booklover – that may be all well and good, but there are those kids that slip through the cracks, which is therefore your job to properly identify the kid and get them on the right tract.
ga
April 29th, 2010
4:39 pm
I would also like to say that kids are not little robots. They are individuals. Giving out worksheets everyday is not quality instruction
Kathy
April 29th, 2010
4:49 pm
OK, let’s put this into perspective. There are only 1,001 representing the sample group. N=1001 in this so called study?.
We have twice as many parents at one of our high schools in this county. There are how many millions of people in the USA? Was this a random sampling from all 50 states? Does that mean 20 individuatls from each state and was it random selection?
I highly doubt this piece of work should be categorized as a “study” are you kidding me? Thus the findings of this survey probably should not be referred to if anyone plans on making any policy.
Now, having said that…Here’s what the public might find more beneficial. Each and every year Title I schools are mandated to collect data through surveys to parents about the education process. Now, wouldn’t it be interesting to see such data for each school so tax payers can have a better idea what parents at a certain school are actually reporting? Also, Georgia DOE has some information for the public to review including how the schools are doing, NATIONALLY!
To bad this article was not based on scientific method because too many will take this information to argue some position. Shame on the AJC for such rhetoric.
Ole Guy
April 29th, 2010
4:51 pm
OK, so we’ve identified a boatload of problem areas, discussed them into oblivian, provided first-hand descriptions of the deteriorating effects these problems cast upon the education field, kids, and, ultimately, upon society (that’s you, me, and everyone else inclusive). So what’s next? Do we await permission to do something constructive, or do we simply wring our collective hands and sigh about the sad state of affairs which have been allowed to fester, for far too long, prompted by the “fertilizer” of fear and inaction.
Teachers of Georgia, I keep harpin the same damn thing. Only through a collective bargaining unit of solidarity will the powers that be HEAR/LISTEN, and RESPOND to the real concerns which exist within the classrooms. Otherwise, your voices will remain forever silent to those who can effect real change.
woodie
April 29th, 2010
4:56 pm
I have always believed kids who demonstrate a disregard for authority, should be sent home immediately and petition the board to get back into school. Anything short of this is ineffective, hence the problems of today. Drugs are a huge problem but maybe not happening in school as much as after school.
ga
April 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
when teachers get it through their head that the majority of parents want and expect a quality education, maybe then they would understand. It’s very disheartening for me as a parent, to constantly see whining on this blog from educators who are scapegoating.. Parents and teachers should be working together for success. Parent involvement is the key. And if you got a behavior issue, it’s your responsibility to work with the parent to identify exactly what the issue is and do something about it. It’s very shortsighted to say, all these kids need to be put out of the classroom, or put in alternative schools, or just expel them. This pervasive attitude is exactly what is wrong with public education in this state.
You Asked
April 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
I expect my children to honor their teachers and administrators. We’ve never had a severe behavior problem with any of our 7 children. On the other hand some teachers (just like some students) are very disfunctional- and their dictatorial power in the classroom can go to their head and make them see all students as the enemy. Some teachers and administrators interpret loco parentis far beyond what the Supreme Court says it covers.
I can’t see getting that exercised over a mild case of disrespect from a student. It should be corrected between the student and teacher but too many times there is a knee jerk reaction of sending kids to the administrators or worse referring them to campus police for incidents that are quite frankly mild discipline issues. I’ve discussed this with Juvenile Justice officials and they are getting buried in issues that should be delt with inside of school. These aren’t violent crimes or drug issues, we’re talking kids who shoot off their mouth or get into a schoolyard scuffle.
By the way- I am a liscensed teacher. I have spent time in the classroom. I just don’t do it for a living now. When I taught I never had to suspend a kid- and I had some tough cases. I also delt with classes of 45+ kids each with a musical instrument and managed to get them to learn and work as a team.
Some teachers need to toughen up, improve your teaching skills and make the classroom interesting for your students again. Its what the rest of us who work with adults and youth have to do for a living.
You Asked
April 29th, 2010
5:02 pm
I just read my rant. …and yes the spelling went out the window. Apologies to my grade school writing teachers.
Sally
April 29th, 2010
5:05 pm
I am not sure where all of these posting are going. The report was about the lack of respect for teachers. No merit pay, unions, and all the other mess. The lack of respect is becoming worse each with each year. I have invested 21 years as a teacher. I would give anything if I could quit. Many excellent teachers are leaving as soon as they can. Our education system in doomed, the only people who will be willing to teach in the next 10 years are the ones who can’t do anything else.
ga
April 29th, 2010
5:10 pm
yeah – like chewing gum, which is a minor issue. My children have never been a behavior issue tho. But I will tell you that one of my kids had a hearing deficit and one of the teachers kept saying it was a behavior issue. The teacher made the assumption that my kid was defying her. It took a long time to figure out this was a hearing deficit. Once the hearing problem was identified and an intervention was put in place, my child was a star pupil. She had trouble hearing instruction ! This was not defiance.
You Asked
April 29th, 2010
5:15 pm
Drug issues (very very serious) and Lack of Respect (a problem but not terminal) are two entirely different things.
We also had a child who suffered from chronic illness. She was a straight A student until the health problems hit. The school and the county threatened to send a social worker and kicked her out of school because of absences (most had doctors excuses and all were health related). We had to struggle for two years and learn about the I.D.E.A. (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) before we knew enough to get them on the ball with part time home instruction. The teachers couldn’t handle that so we had to go to full time home instruction. She is now set to graduate a year late because of the schools mentality that the kids are the enemy.
That is the other side of the disrespectful student coin. Disrespectful teachers and administrators who see kids as the enemy. If you are a teacher who sees kids as the enemy please change careers now!
mother of 4
April 29th, 2010
5:25 pm
I think we all would applaud the day you took your children our of their “public school” and home schooled them yourself for the remainder of the school year….as a matter of fact please do not re-enroll the little darlings next year. As a matter of fact, to any of you that feel that teachers are whiners about this and that, I challenge you to home school your won children, what a wonderful experience that would be for your family!
My husband is also a teacher and a coach…32 years and there is a huge difference between the classroom environment and the coaching arena, please do not try to compare the two. I also work in a high school and see first hand the negative behavior, disrespect for teachers, counselors and administration, profanity in the halls and classroom, pants to the ground, cleavage showing, teenage pregnancy, cell phones out refusal to put them away and on and on.
Lastly, you have absolutely no idea of the tremendous amount of time and effort and care that a majority of our schools, teachers and special ed teacher put forth in ensuring that our special education student population is well served. You throwing out disingenuous comments and so called solutions is ludricous.
drew (former teacher)
April 29th, 2010
5:26 pm
Yeah, it’s lack of respect that finally forced me out (hence the “former” in my name) of teaching. But interestingly, the final straw wasn’t the disrespect of the students (although there was plenty of that), it was the disrespect from an administration that refused to provide me with the support necessary to do my job. Disrespect in the form of attributing misbehavior on the part of the student to poor classroom management on the part of the teacher. Now to be fair to the administration, the system I was in had made it clear to all principals that office referrals were to be cut by 20%, across the board…this was their way of “improving discipline”. Because everyone knows that less office referrals means less discipline problems, right?
Disrescpectful students are fairly easy to deal with IF you have a supportive administration. I worked for several years in a public alternative school, and because I had great administrative support, it was a wonderful teaching experience, despite the nature of our students. Students were respectful because they knew that if they crossed the line and were referred to the office, they would be dealt with. The principal was not their friend, and he ALWAYS backed the teachers…the teachers were the good cops, the principal played the bad cop. And it worked. Students knew they were not going to be able to talk their way out of their behavior, and we witnessed improved behavior, even from some of our most challenging students. But when our long time principal retired, an incompetent replacement made life at the school intolerable. He wanted to be the students’ friend, and his actions complete emasculated the teachers and the students responded exactly how you would expect, and it went downhill fast.
I cannot over emphasize the difference a caring, firm, supportive and strong (as in, not afraid to do what needs to be done) administration can make. Unfortunately, today there are few administrators who have the cajones to do what needs to be done. And if they did, they’d probably get fired, and that’s a crying shame. Until public schools can somehow rid themselves of that minority of students who have no respect for teachers, and no desire or intention of doing “school”, the ones who want to learn, and their teachers, will suffer.
ga
April 29th, 2010
5:39 pm
@mother of 4, I am not a liar, nor am I being disengenuous. If it weren’t for ME advocating for my daughter at that time, she would have been falsely labeled a defiant child, when she had a hearing deficit. That is the other side of the coin. Kids that slip through the cracks. And teachers with excuses. There are many fine fine educators who give a hoot, but there are those who are burned out and skating til they get to retirement. In the end, it is the kids who suffer. Hats off to the caring educators that are doing the best they can. But for the ones who don’t cut the mustard, please exit stage left.
Kathy
April 29th, 2010
5:43 pm
OK, here’s a question: Other than giving monetary contributions to the school, how do principals and/or teachers involve parents in the local decision making process? SO, if you don’t have the money to be involved, what purpose do parents serve? LET”S be honest here folks.
What if there were laws that gave parents the RIGHT to be involved in the creation and updating Codes of Conduct? Would that make a difference? Or should school personnel be allowed to make all of the rules and if anyone deviates from those rules, the kid takes the consequences and what happens if the parent thinks the rule is nonesense?
Well, believe it or not OCGA 20-2-736 gives parents the RIGHT to be involved in creating and updating CODES OF CONDUCT, and it is my guess that NO school system in this state neither implements the letter OR the spirit of this law. Thus, when you leave parents outside looking in, it is frustrating for them to stand by watching and trusting a system to do whatever with their kids.
How about a study with two groups. One control group consisting of a LEA simply following the letter of the law to involve parents, (OCGA 20-2-85 – 86 and the aforementioned law) and one group maintaining the status quo. Hey, what do we have to lose?
PS: there is a reason there are NO teacher unions in this state…
ga
April 29th, 2010
6:04 pm
Here’s an FYI – A Hearing in the Senate HELP committee took place on the re-authorization of NCLB as it relates to special populations.. Pay attention to whats going on in washington.!
http://help.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=0a50a413-f9b2-448b-9da7-6a7c91cd4920&groups=Chair
Booklover
April 29th, 2010
6:05 pm
The students’ lack of respect for education mirrors their parents’ lack of respect for educational institutions.
At my school, we have had countless parents show up to school in inappropriate clothing, including swimsuits, t-shirts with profanity, etc. Frequently parents call the school, scream at the secretary and demand a conference, the teachers and counselors show up, and the parent never shows up, never calls to cancel and is never heard from again, until the next bad report card when the cycle repeats itself. I have never had a parent actually hang up on me, but many of my colleagues have. I have made countless phone calls home, pleaded with parents to call or email me back, and never gotten a response.
Then there are the parents who will lie straight to your face: “He doesn’t act that way in anyone else’s class!” I learned my first year teaching when one mother was claiming that her student did “only acted up” in my class so I must be doing something wrong. A colleague overheard the conversation and piped in: “He’s a problem in my class also and you and I have talked about this before.” I nearly always insist on conferences with all the student’s teachers now because I have had so many parents LIE directly to me. For example, the school had video proof of a student skipping my class, and the parent continued to insist that I was the one lying.
Most of my students make teaching a joy, but there is that small group who are just simply awful. Why should everyone else care? Because this small group is inhibiting YOUR child’s learning, and teachers do not get the support they need to help these students or put them in a more appropriate environment.
ga
April 29th, 2010
6:12 pm
Calling parents liars now.. wow. amazing.
ga
April 29th, 2010
6:38 pm
I think its time that education systems stop criminalizing children at every turn and it’s time to unlock the cradle to prison pipeline:
http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/cradle-prison-pipeline-report-2007-full-highres.html
octex
April 29th, 2010
6:44 pm
I am so sick of it all. We are liable with these children so I am doing what I can to not get into any trouble with these monsters. Forget academics, just don’t touch me or my stuff. I will sit at my laptop while you climb the walls. and -f- you parents, youre kids act the way because of you. MORE CONDOMS!
Theresa Edwards
April 29th, 2010
7:24 pm
First to Maureen, I want to thank you for the courage to constantly do the blogs that you do. They are to inform and to MAYBE get people thinking, and just maybe get SOLUTIONS. The sad part is that a great many of the persons who blog only want to lay blame and fault. First let me state that I am a mother to seven children, three of whom are autistic. I am a veteran of the Armed Forces and the wife to a twenty year veteran, and the eldest daughter to a thirty year veteran. I hold many titles, yet do NOT brandish them in a bullying manner.
The story was about bullying, disrespect, and drugs in our schools. Read some of your comments and you will see the bullying that you are displaying to anyone who disagrees with your opinion.
To the adult who feels that just because you are the adult you automatically should get respect from children, the most important lesson anyone can learn is that respect is a two way street if you want respect you must first give respect. respect is earned not an entitlement, as in the military you must respect the rank but under UCMJ you do not have to respect the person wearing it.
I have encountered teachers from all over the world, and the worst ones that I have encountered that were involved with children were from the southern states. The audacity to believe that children should all fit into one neat little box is absurd, and worse to blame all of the short comings on parents – or to call them liars. This is very reason WHY we have the problems that we do have currently. And, just for those naysayers yes I have been in the classrooms, in the breakrooms where I have heard some of the most wretching comments coming from teachers about this child or that child. And, you call yourselves ADULTS at the end of the day. We have a lot of outstanding teachers who all day and night they lead by example and have the belief system to back it up and then they come to school and listen to supposed adults who should not be in the system at all, those persons are the ones who cause a great many of the disrepect problems we have. Children are like little sponges and they are the most intuitive beings on the planet, they can sense how we feel and if they are given nothing but negativity from the beginning by the time they get to middle school years they are only reflecting what they have been shown. Now, I am not saying that we don’t have truly disrespectful, lazy parents because they are out there and some of them call themselves teachers by day.
To fix the system as we know it I have a suggestion take just one child and show them what respect is, show them pride in themselves, show them what they can accomplish. Stop brow beating and looking for everyone else is to blame. Show them real discipline not just the end of a stick, or a nasty comment. Not all children can be reached, but we have so much that we can do and it takes very little effort.
As, for one other thing that is causing our future problems is we must stop the violence that is in our schools that comes directly from the teachers. Children can not learn if they are afraid of being hurt, no one learns from pain. Here in the south they have the hard core thought that you must strike children in the schools and for anyone who feels this is not going on I suggest you go on PACER and research the many federal law suits that Federal judges are doing summaries on the prove the violence from educators is getting worse and the children are getting younger.
If you want evidence to back up anything that I’ve written please feel free to write me at hedwards08@comcast.net, and by the way this is my real name I don’t feel the need to hide.
We can't handle the truth
April 29th, 2010
7:28 pm
IT’S THE DISCIPLINE, STUPID!
The answer: The asteroid Apophis lands smack in the middle of the country in 2036. It may be the ONLY answer, as it may take something THAT catastrophic for us to STOP LYING to ourselves about the dysfunction that ails our public education system.
ga
April 29th, 2010
7:28 pm
one of mine’s stuck in the filter
Tell it ga
April 29th, 2010
7:37 pm
Tell it ga. Better yet walk it! I’d love for ga to go into one of these classrooms where ga is whining about school to prison pipeline, as if the nanny state is somehow responsible for the behavior choices students make. What’s next, is ga going to whine about the Enron to prison pipeline?
While I’d love for ga to show us how it’s done, I can’t in good faith subject a group of students to the sight of ga, cowering under the teacher’s desk, in a puddle of urine, sobbing uncontrollably, “Oh my God it really isn’t the teachers. Oh my God it really is the discipline!”
ga
April 29th, 2010
7:42 pm
go on keep making fun…. the funniest thing of all is that some of you posters keep going on the attack, yet give a solution! Do you have a solution or do you guys just whine for the sake of whining. Can i have some cheese with that whine
Theresa Edwards
April 29th, 2010
7:43 pm
Maureen I submitted a comment and when you get a chance can you pull it from the filter.
HStchr
April 29th, 2010
8:04 pm
ga- come teach for a week and get back to us. No, it’s not all of them- but even one can interrupt learning for all the rest. The child may not see his/her actions as bad, but every kid in the room will tell you that the child needs to be put out. I’ve had kids ask me, “why can’t you get him out of here so we can have a normal class?”
Some teachers create many of the problems in their rooms, and they don’t tend to last long in education. As a veteran of twenty-plus years, I can tell you that childrens’ behavior directly reflects what they see in pop culture. I remember my days as a student, and we acted the way we were taught by our parents and by the people we idolized in the world. Look at the attitudes and actions on TV and in music, and you have a good idea of what we work with each day. I love my kids, I love my profession, but I do expend WAY too much energy trying to teach kids that what they see on TV isn’t going to help them in the real world.
Meme
April 29th, 2010
8:09 pm
ga – calling your mommy is not using technology for educational purposes.
ga
April 29th, 2010
8:14 pm
@Meme – what harm is it to the educational process for a kid who wants to call their parent. Please explain. If it is a habit where the child is feigning sickness to go home, then there is an issue. My 13 yr old daughter has had to call me for female issues. And there is nothing wrong with that either. I say teachers need to get over themselves and some of the nonsensical rules. This is not to say I mean no consequences. Of course I mean consequences. If a kid makes a mess by sticking gum on the desk, make ‘em clean it up after school. Better yet, make them come in on a Saturday to clean it up. Your problems would be solved.
ga
April 29th, 2010
8:19 pm
and in the 70’s I emulated janice joplin..One of my idols was Mick Jagger. what’s your point hs tchr
mother of 4
April 29th, 2010
8:21 pm
@ga talk about making fun, could you possibly use the word whine one more time? Follow some of your own advice, but first…please spend the rest of this school year either home schooling you own as you suggested would be fine with you or spend the rest of the school year in a classroom, any calssroom for 8+ hours a day. Once you have completed your homework assignment maybe someone might pay attention to your personal “solution” to the ills of education, Anything you have posted up to this point means nothing.
ga
April 29th, 2010
8:25 pm
really, really??? Why is it then that the educators 1. disregard what a parent says on these blogs 2. pays no credence to a few suggestions AT ALL 3. Assumes I have nothing to add that may be worthwhile. I may not have been a teacher in the classroom, but I have been a teacher in a different setting.
ga
April 29th, 2010
8:27 pm
Parents and teachers should be on EQUAL footing. A parent knows their children, you guys know the material. When schools treat children and parents with equal footing and respect, you will solve some of the issues. Until then, I don’t see it happening. whine whine
dogmom
April 29th, 2010
9:30 pm
@ga When parents start to believe the teacher over their precious darlings who can do no wrong, then perhaps we can solve some of the issues. At the elementary level, disruptive students are given chance after chance to get their act together. They may have time-out in another class, think sheets, spend time in the office, etc. Suspension is generally used only as a last resort. I’ve seen a few cases where the student was suspended during the day and the parent refused to come pick up their unruly, disrespectful kid until 6 p.m. when the ASP program closed. The kid hung out in the front office all day, hampering the productivity of front office staff and administration. Is this good use of my tax dollars? NO! If schools could truly be tough on this, they would call the sheriff to escort the child to the parent’s place of work. Parent gets majorly inconvenienced, jerks a knot in their child’s tail and presto – student straightens up at school.
ga
April 29th, 2010
9:41 pm
@dogmom, that would be a tremendous waste of any sheriff’s office. They need to fight real crime, they are not an escort service. If the situation you describe is true, I just have to ask…where were the parents at the first sign of a problem. did anyone make every effort to contact them? Not one time, but several times. Was a school psychologist involved. I already pay my taxes for these things…the teachers need to use them and trouble shoot what is going on with these supposed ‘misbehaving’ kids. Students and parents are not your enemy as some other poster said, and I think that is true. Work with the students, for pete’s sake, help the child in that circumstance
GA to ga
April 29th, 2010
9:44 pm
Are your own children all right? I can tell you are a great parent.
The most critical task of parenting is to make sure your children understand that a parent trumps a teacher, that a teacher’s word and action are not as important as the parent’s. No wonder your children are as perfect as you are.
Be sure not to whine when your children ask you to intercede on their behalf with the DUI police or the Drug Task Force. Maybe, you’ll be able to intimidate them on behalf of your golden children? Good luck!
bootney farnsworth
April 29th, 2010
9:50 pm
it’s really easy to spot folks who’ve never taught
in the public school system.
quick with all kinds of silly assed assumptions, and
no grasp of reality.
bootney farnsworth
April 29th, 2010
9:53 pm
interestng how ga tells us we’re not doing our jobs
then says her kid should be exempt from the rules governing
everyone else.
if ga really wants to know why we have such a tough time
educating kids today, she should look in the mirror.
ga
April 29th, 2010
9:56 pm
This is what’s going around Facebook this week – it is Special Ed Week BTW!
Yeah – and this is on my status…
People need to understand that children with special needs don’t have an illness, so there is no cure & it’s not contagious. They only want what we all want, to be accepted. Most of you probably won’t copy and paste this. Will you do it and leave it on your status for at least an hour? It’s Special Education week, and ………this is in honor of all the kids who need a little extra help & understanding
bootney farnsworth
April 29th, 2010
9:58 pm
isn’t it interesting how the problem always is someone else’s
child, or our silly rules of behavior?
ga
April 29th, 2010
9:59 pm
one more thing before I forget. Louisiana Today passed a corporal punishment bill out of their House Ed Committee which will prohibit corporal punishment on special needs children. It will be headed to a full house vote. My understanding is it has wide support from teacher organizations, parent organizations and even a few administrator organizations. This is an outstanding step forward for the state of Louisiana, shame GA isn’t on the ball just yet.
bootney farnsworth
April 29th, 2010
10:00 pm
what is ga babbling about?
bootney farnsworth
April 29th, 2010
10:01 pm
if only we could spank some of these stupid parents…
HStchr
April 29th, 2010
11:17 pm
ga- watch Jerry Springer and much of reality TV-it’s all about confrontation, both verbal and physical. We’ve always had a rebellious, counterculture element that some kids love to “emulate”. They’re overloaded nowadays with examples of people being rewarded for selfishness, anger, and fighting. It’s hard to encourage and support a kid whose only influence and guidance comes from that kind of material. You emulated Janice, but obviously you’re educated enough to have learned that there was more to life. We need more balance so kids understand the balance of behaviors they need to make it in the real world. An alarming number of them don’t have enough examples in their lives to teach them about how to behave in any other way.
I don’t blame parents or excuse any wrong I do in my classroom. I’ve had to learn how to deescalate children’s behavior, and I do it quite well, every single day. I communicate respect and genuine interest in kids and their lives. But I have to reiterate my earlier challenge- come do it for a while and then you’ll understand the frustration some here are expressing. It does get overwhelming at times.
Kathy
April 30th, 2010
12:27 am
There is obviously NO ONE size fits all to education. Some thrive in charter schools, some homeshools, some in smaller classrooms, some in somewhat restrictive classes, some who even drop out and get their GED.
I think oen issue is: If there was one magic pill that could make Georgia a state in which businesses requiring a variety of cognitive levels would come in and provide an additional tax base and economic boosts, then we’d all be lined up at CVS pharmacy to get our refillst. However, we all know that education takes work, on the part of teachers, parents, and students. We are not always a cohesive group, but when there is dissention, the only one who truly loses out is the student. Parents need to recognize that Gerogia’s Constitution only offers the kids a free and appropriate education and Ga. Law states compulsory school age 6-16. Teachers need to recognize that we would not need teachers beyond age 16 if the kids don’t stay in school. (except sp. ed maybe)
Thus, if the education system does not give a child what he/she needs to reach their academic potential, then it is on the parent to supplement their child’s education process if they believe their child needs more. I think we have some serious issues in communication. It’s obvious that some might not value children in all of our communities, and some might see education as a priviledge rather than a right. Well, according to the law, education is a right and a priviledge depending on the age of the individual.
Again I turn to the law…how many of you actually sit on your school council? How many of you are in regular attendance at the school council? How many of you know what issues your school council is discussing?
BTW: has anyone ever noticed that it is administration and central office staff who make the rules that everyone must obey? However, implementation and enforcement falls mainly on the classroom teacher? How many teachers are actually asked for input in the local education process? It never made sense to me how parents can have an issue with a rule or administrative decision, but somehow the battle always becomes a fight between the parent and teacher and then the name calling starts? Yes, I can see how a parent’s attitude influences the attitude of his or her child, but I can also see how some parents might have an other than positive attitude when they are treated as inferior to educators or school personnel.
The research is: involved parents are likely to have academically successful kids. Now, who gets to decide which parents will be welcome at the school? Soemtimes the teachers are left to choose some parents over others like the all important elementary “room mom/dad”
Sometimes I have seen where a teacher will only call on one or two parents to be involved because it is easier. I’m just saying, all educators should be conscious of spreading the “involvement” around to all parents and if you know a family does not have the resources to be involved then try not assume the parent does not care. Some may not, but if we error, why not error on the side of the child?
PS: Thanks Theresa Edwards for your thoughts
drew (former teacher)
April 30th, 2010
7:13 am
ga… let me respond to a just a couple of your comments:
“what harm is it to the educational process for a kid who wants to call their parent.”
Schools have rules about the use of cell phones in school. So I guess you’re saying your child should be exempt from the rules. Or maybe you mean that “every” student should be allowed to call a parent whenever they want. Or maybe you mean if a rule is not to your liking, ignore it.
“Calling parents liars now.. wow. amazing.”
Yeah, we all know that parents would NEVER lie about the little darlings…geeeezzz, how naive can you be?.
“If a kid makes a mess by sticking gum on the desk, make ‘em clean it up after school. Better yet, make them come in on a Saturday to clean it up. Your problems would be solved.”
Problem solved!! Really, how out of touch can you be. Yeah, I’m sure the parents of the little gum vandal would be fully supportive, and make time in their Saturday to transport their child to school. And I’m sure the principal or AP would be happy to open up the school for you. And of course you’d want to make sure you another adult present with you in the room, otherwise you’re leaving yourself wide open for false accusations that could get you fired. And teachers enjoy nothing more than giving up their day off so they can dole out consequences to students because the principal won’t.
ga, you need to let it go. It’s easy to sit at your computer and submit your solutions for dealing with disrespectful students. But the reality is something entirely different. Based on your comments here, you appear to have very little understanding of what goes on in public schools. Go back to school…you might learn something.
ga
April 30th, 2010
9:31 am
@drew – calling parents liars – not helpful. On the same token, there are liars in public school systems too. Sure students lie, embellish, or stretch the truth. So do some bad educators as well. And why would anyone oppose Saturday school. I say inconveniencing a parent and a student on a Saturday is most definitely a good solution. Too bad if the teachers don’t want to be a monitor, maybe the school can rotate people, or have parents volunteer. Giving students the natural consequences of cleaning up their own mess is effective.
Booklover
April 30th, 2010
2:52 pm
@ga–I am sorry that you don’t find the truth “helpful.” Sometimes the truth is NOT helpful, but must be faced if we wish to better the situation. I was explaining what teachers are up against in terms of getting that small group of misbehaving students to act properly in our classes.
From the responses here, it is quite evident that that the problems I described are widespread and pervasive (I know they are, too, because I have teacher friends in many states and types of districts.)
For those of you who seem to think teachers like me are too harsh, etc., please remember that I am sticking up for the vast majority of students who want to learn and whose educations are being impeded by that small group who feel entitled to disrupt everyone else’s education.