School costs and parent involvement

[Melissa]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Ok, so I was about to hit submit to a post in the "what is on your mind" thread, but realized that maybe it would get lost in the shuffle and the parenting subforum may be a more suitable place.

Please expand on this topic in any way you might like. Maybe people want to talk about school costs in general or parent involvement in general. But this is what was specifically "on my mind"...


So copy/pasting:

One thing I have noticed from talking to parents is that it seems like there are higher and higher expectations in school on the "projects" kids have to do. Like crazy high...out of their age range, so the parents have to do it.

Also, a lot of these projects seem to cost a lot of money for the supplies.

So, "what is on my mind is":

1) My client was telling me about this intense project that her 3rd grader had to do...seemed more fitting for a 7th grader to do. There is NO WAY that she could have done this project without a parent. What do the kids do who don't have parents that want to help them? Just fail?

2) Some of the projects now a days seem to include a lot of supplies that cost money. What do kids do if they have parents who can't afford these supplies? What about the kids whose parents have the money, but aren't willing to go to the craft store to get said supplies b/c they are just parents who don't care?

I went to public school. As I recall, the teachers always had available any supplies that were needed for projects if your parents couldn't buy it for you. And it wasn't expensive stuff. At all. A couple of bucks and one or two projects a year. And the projects were things that weren't outside of a kids ability level and they could do the projects on their own. Things seem to have changed.

What are these unlucky kids doing if they have a parent who won't help with a project or won't or can't purchase supplies? Are teachers "in tune" to these kids and their needs do ya think?

Can you tell us more about the project and what is considered a third grade project vs a 7th grade project? This just might be your client's perspective on the project. In terms of the district, the project probably complies with grade level expectations and learning objectives.

I have heard of teachers buying supplies out of their own pocket because budget cuts are preventing schools from buying materials. Perhaps this child's teacher is not willing to dip into his or her own pocket, or has spent too much and can't afford any more. My guess is that teacher's are very in tune to which kids can or cannot afford supplies and which kids have parents who are active in their learning and which kids have parents who can't or won't be involved in their learning. It could be that the project is mandated and the teacher has little control over it?

M

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Melissa

Can you tell us more about the project and what is considered a third grade project vs a 7th grade project? This just might be your client's perspective on the project. In terms of the district, the project probably complies with grade level expectations and learning objectives.

I have heard of teachers buying supplies out of their own pocket because budget cuts are preventing schools from buying materials. Perhaps this child's teacher is not willing to dip into his or her own pocket, or has spent too much and can't afford any more. My guess is that teacher's are very in tune to which kids can or cannot afford supplies and which kids have parents who are active in their learning and which kids have parents who can't or won't be involved in their learning. It could be that the project is mandated and the teacher has little control over it?

M

Gosh, Melissa, that was so long ago I can't really even remember anymore!

In terms of teachers purchasing materials for projects, my point was that when they bought materials back in my day the projects were with pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks! My point was, this is not possible anymore (not that they should have ever felt they had to do it). Also, they were projects that were things that were easy to have on hand in the class room that a teacher could hand out to the one or two students on the side that didn't have parents who would purchase the materials for them, for whatever reason.

[jelli]

Originally Posted by Melissa

My guess is that teacher's are very in tune to which kids can or cannot afford supplies and which kids have parents who are active in their learning and which kids have parents who can't or won't be involved in their learning. It could be that the project is mandated and the teacher has little control over it?

M

I have been volunteering in the public schools, in two different states, on 5 different grade levels at a time, for 20 years now. I have had the extreme pleasure of meeting some of the best teachers.

I totally believe many of our teachers have a good grasp on their class and what the individual students are capable of and some obstacles too.

I've witness students take a failing grade because they didn't want to ask a parent(for various reasons) to take them to the library to use a computer. Students who really struggle with a math concept and there was nobody around to help them at home or the math was even beyond a level the parents could comprehend.

Nowadays, our teachers are not just teachers. Teaching is a big enough task as it is, but they have taken on the roles as counselors or at least getting these kids "other needs" to the appropriate person that possibly can help them.

[Sachita]

It scares me to think what my granddaughter will have access to when she is old enough for school. Having had several teachers work for me at the farm part time during the summer I know for a fact that many are serious alcoholics, at least around these parts. You see them posting on facebook all the time. It's a small town and everyone knows everyone's business.

If I want her to go to a good school it will cost me 600.00 a month for kindergarten. That goes up every year. Her mother or father can't afford it and in their eyes public schools are just as good.

I won't rant about our country because I am majorly disappointed. I do not support any government agency any longer. In fact I will look for ways to avoid them rather then depend on them. This includes the public school system

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Sachita

It scares me to think what my granddaughter will have access to when she is old enough for school. Having had several teachers work for me at the farm part time during the summer I know for a fact that many are serious alcoholics, at least around these parts. You see them posting on facebook all the time. It's a small town and everyone knows everyone's business.

If I want her to go to a good school it will cost me 600.00 a month for kindergarten. That goes up every year. Her mother or father can't afford it and in their eyes public schools are just as good.

I won't rant about our country because I am majorly disappointed. I do not support any government agency any longer. In fact I will look for ways to avoid them rather then depend on them. This includes the public school system

How about home schooling for the first few years to save some cash? You could put her in various programs with other kids to make sure she got the socialization aspect.

I am curious to know from any teachers here (elementary/secondary ed educators), what they think about home schooling? Additionally, taking the negatives of home schooling into consideration, what would be the best years to home school if "necessary"?

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I would guess there are just as many "alcoholic" teachers as there are alcoholic clergy, doctors, lawyers, landscapers, etc. I would suggest that you just are more aware of it b/c of your small town.

In terms of the gov't...I am already paying for public schools with my taxes, so I support their quest for improvement. The school system here (according to national "testing") is not so good. Subsequently, many people try to figure out a way to pay for their children to go to private school.

Although I support my partner sending her child to private school, if I had a child, I would do what I could (from day one of my kid hitting the door), to support good creative teachers to make changes in the school system that they feel would benefit our children. How can we expect our schools to get better if we are constantly bailing on them? Where is our support for our teachers who struggle to be the best they can (and succeed) only to be met with a country who says, "You are not good enough. We do not believe in you". Don't we need to care if we want them to?

<---public school kid and proud of it.

[Bard]

My daughter is in the 5 th grade this year and her school supply list seems to get longer every year.. it also seems like there is always something she needs for school, or now for band. She is in a good school district and I am grateful for the quality of education she is getting, being in a more rural district the teachers have more time to challenge all the kids even the ones that are working above the grade levels. So I guess to me it balances out I am glad she is being challenged and not bored. Yeah I am kind of proud of her her principal told me he wishes he had more like her. It is hard co parenting my ex and I do not agree on much and it always seems like when something additional is needed for School she hits me up. But we do agree that Goose education comes first and both of us are involved. And that we are l proud of her.