It's time to change schools' approach

You know, As a parent myself, it doesn't take a genius to see that if a student goes from one grade to a lower one that this student is in need of help at that point. If you are as concerned as I am, you will notice this as time progresses so that this could be avoided and the student can achieve instead of facing a summer semester trying to comprehend what teachers are trying to teach. You can catch this early if you really looked at it close enough. If a student gets all A's, it doesn't mean ANYTHING, cause they are not being timed during those moments of mastery, so this is where you are coming into the picture. Sit down with your kid on a weekend and time them on their studies for once and see for yourself where this kid stands. If anything, you will note major problems and talk to the teacher(s) about it or you will help the kid with this at home. Either way, you will find out for yourself and get the proper help that kid needs BEFORE the CRCT tests. If grades do a sudden drop, don't acccept bull crap, you take this to as high as it goes to get help for this kid!

Stand by Brian, Dr Bedden is trying to undo a lot of bad practices. It's not going to be fixed overnight. Progress is being made.

Well written and well said Brian...

Well I know for sure the excitement at Laney is GONE... has been every since Dr. Welcher has been there. Brian is a graduate of Laney if I'm not mistaken a 1980 alumni. As an alumni of Laney every year since he's been there I can't wait to see the new AYP data, and each year for the past 5 I rush to get to Ricmond County (especially for Laney) and pray as I scroll down to it, that we are NOT on it, but to no avail. Laney desperately needs a new principal, it's my understanding there were ten new teachers added there this year, it seems every year no one wants to stay there, and surely it can't be the students.

I also know that if Laney is on it again this year (AYP) the seasoned teachers will have to look for a new job.

Our schools are a reflection of our society's acceptance of more and expectance of less. Parents no longer expect kids to be respectful of others. Parents no longer expect kids to have rules, curfews, structure or order in their life. When I was a child I knew the power of neighbors, teachers and others seeing the way I behaved and telling my mom. People had no fear of reporting my misbehavior. They knew what the results would be. Parents today would not welcome such information. They would most likely find such an act unacceptable. Control of the class room must come first. Then teachers can do their jobs.

There were people in the Bible who believed that torturing and humiliating children was the answer to every single social problem as well. They were called the Ammonites and they sacrificed their sons and daughters to the detestable gods Molech and Chemosh. King Solomon, the patron saint of child beating idolaters built a shrine to these gods on a high hill so that children could be sacrificed. The wisdom of his parenting advice can be plainly seen in the results of his own family. His eldest son Rehoboam was a wild youth with so little respect for his father that he compared the size of Soloman's penis to his pinkie finger. He had no respect for the elder advisors, and instead followed the counsel of his peers. He told the leaders of Israel 'If you think my father was cruel just wait. He beat us with whips -- I will put scorpions on you!" Within weeks of taking the throne from his father he had incited a rebellion that tore the kingdom apart. That is the true biblical story of the results of corporal punishment, from the book of Kings.

There is no difference between the Hebrews who thought that torturing their kids on the Altar of Molech would end the drought or turn the fortunes of their business, and the mobs of psychotic child beaters who are convinced that tormenting children with whips and beating them black and blue with boards is somehow going to magically fix everything. Thank God that fewer and fewer policy makers are willing to listen to this hysterical nonsense.

Well BeatKid Thank God we are in the dispensation of Grace, and no longer under the Law (Old Testament).

Good article, Brian. Forget the 3-week evaluation. Your child's progress must be monitored daily, and his/her classroom grades and homework assignments must be monitored and checked daily for accuracy and timing.

I too , have a problem with the sturcture of our schools today. I don't believe 8th graders should be with 6th and 7th graders nor 9th graders should be wih high school age kids. These are age groups with unique maturation problems.This is a major reason for the misbehavior in our schools today coupled with the removal from the schools the former policy of "in loco parentis", where the school has complete , legal control of the child once on the school grounds. Another reason for the problems we have in the classrooms is the inplementation of "mainstraeaming" kids who are for whatever reason, can not learn at the same rate as the average kids in the class, and are all too often too time consuming on the part of the teacher which deprives the others from a quality education. Of course, I hold PARENTS responsible in identifying if their kid isn't learning and finding our the REAL reason why rather than blaming the teacher/school.

BTW, corporal punishment should be re-instituted. It may not educate you, but it sure instills the factr you will not distract from others learning.

Got that right jack...I am old now but not too old that I don't remember the first time a ruler was taken to my hand for an ornament falling off a Christmas tree and it wasn't even my fault...:-)Only problem with discipline now is that those who are disciplined seem not to care..They just retaliate sooner or later...

Great letter Brian! Success is ALL our responsability. Children, parents, educators, and admin.. Somewhere we have forgotten compassion and the drive to be creative. Children can be given a little room to grow and they do fly- I have seen it. Keep pushing them in a corner and they will be little snots with attitudes. Then teachers have problems, parents have problem, schools have problems, and so on.

On a scale of responsibilities 70 percent being the parent and 30 percent being the school. The school only has them from the age of six too 18 years of age six hours a day. Remember you start building after the foundation is formed and that is the parents responsibility, morals, religion, counting, social skills, history and so on. 90 percent of that comes from modeling the behavior you want for your child and spending time with them and being mentally present.

The quality of our education system needs much improvement...not only for the U.S. but to keep our children on the same level with the rest of the world...corporal punishment? how is that going to work with kids who are not afraid of parents, teachers or anyone else?..if all parents took proper time with their kids.. by the time they enter school discipline wouldn't be an issue... but that seems to be asking TO much for some parents!..are 9th graders still called freshmen?

Okay, Brian says take the ninth graders out of the high schools. Jack says take eighth graders out of the middle schools. Sheesh. We are setting ourselves up for a whole 'nother regime of schools:

Kindergarten (pre-K and K)
Lower Elementary (first through fifth)
Upper Elementary (sixth and seventh)
Lower High (eighth and ninth)
Upper High (tenth through twelfth)

Five different kinds of school buildings, each with their own transportation needs. Now RCBOE will not have to close and sell those underutilized buildings!

Why fix a system that was just an experiment to see if it would work. Public education is very new. Home schooling is very old and works fine. Home schooling is the answer. If you care about your child don't spend your time trying to fix a government school. Either home school or place in private church school. If one parent has to stay home to get it done then God will provide if that is what He leads you to do. Just choose God over government and you will never fail; guaranteed!!

Good article, Brian! My sentiments exactly. I just hope the school board feels the same way.