girls

girls

Friday, October 26, 2007

Public School Is a Disappointment.

I wanted to believe in public school. I thought that I made the right choice in sending the girls to the local school, but after this week, I'm starting to think otherwise. Earlier in the week, I was having a discussion with a 30 year teaching veteran. She was telling me disturbing stories involving young girls and situations that they will be exposed to at a much younger age than I am comfortable with. She concluded her rant saying, "If I had a young girl I would send her to private school."
Also this week, my daughter got off the bus saying boys had been taunting her and one of them hit her in the arm, bruising her.
Then the parent/teacher conference. Maisy's was stellar, of course. She enjoys the ease of the academic work, and gleans great satisfaction from the weekly practice tests for the big spring test. She's a reader and has been since she was 5. Maya however, struggles, and her teacher explained that with the new guidelines and schedules the teachers have to adhere to, she can not stop to help any individuals who are lagging. In other words, she can't stop and teach because then she would be behind schedule! Also, this year administrators decided to eliminate handwriting from the elementary curriculum. So, no teaching correct letter formation to k-2 and no cursive instruction for 3rd and up. I think that's crazy!
I'm seriously considering homeschooling.

1 comment:

Liz Jimenez said...

That's insane. I agree with you. I want to believe in public education. But the testing requirements that handcuff the teachers, and the budget restrictions that cut out art and sports... come on!! How is it that I had it so much better when I was in school? I have a hard time imagining sending my kids to private school, but when public schools so disappoint sometimes... Good thing I have a few years to figure it all out. Now, if I can just afford to move to the nice suburb.