<p>My D went to our public middle school & it was such a complete waste of 3 years that we put her brother in a private MS when he got to 6th grade. It was the best move we ever made. The curriculum was superior to that of the public MS … but even better, boys in this school (it was coed) were proud to achieve (unlike boys in our public MS). S did not want to continue at the private HS (which his sister attended). However, there was NO WAY we would put him in our public HS. I sub teach in the district & saw firsthand the low expectations/weak curriculum. We were fortunate enough to be able to send him to a neighboring district’s public HS under our state’s district of choice law. He is receiving a very solid education. So … it’s not necessarily a public/private thing … not only do privates vary, but so do publics.</p>
<p>Fearing that my D was going to have the same experience as my S in jr. high (no challenge, overcrowded school), I found transferred small one-school district that was K-8. Boy, was it a blessing. Expectations were high and my daughter tested into a math level higher than she would’ve had she attended the local jr high. Today, she’s a self motivated student who is looking forward to honors/AP classes in high school. But don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a perfect school. My youngest D attended kinder at that same school this year and she basically twiddled her thumbs all year. The class was unbalanced with 13 boys and 5 girls. This year, I’m definitely going to be more involved in my daughter’s first grade curriculum. Moral of the story - there is no one size fits all school.</p>
<p>Lilmom-I could not agree more.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until high school that I really “fit” at my school. And that was because my school implemented Small Learning Communities. I chose to be a part of the PEACE (Personal success through Empowerment, Academic achievement, Conflict resolution and Ethics in action) Academy. It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had with a public school.</p>
<p>All my core PEACE classes were amazing. Then, Senior Year, I decided to take Bible As Literature for my English elective (These are not separated by SLC).</p>
<p>Everything went pretty well until we got to our first essay. Everyone except for three or four students (myself included in that group) had to re-do it several times in order to get a passing grade. Keep in mind, these are SENIORS in High School. And they can’t even write an essay.</p>
<p>The second essay, I understood very well and was able to turn in my first draft. When I asked the teacher what I should do since I was done, his answer was to “help the other students”.</p>
<p>Now I’m all for helping my peers, but I don’t want to do his job. I have neither the patience nor the talent. So I sat and grew more bored by the day. And by the time we moved on, I was bored with the entire class.</p>
<p>I love my school, but I do think our public school system needs some serious work. There is absolutely NO excuse for seniors in high school not being able to write a 5-paragraph essay.</p>
<p>HisGrace, that takes me back to my elementary days in a Hawaii public school. In third grade, I always finished my work early and my teacher would ask me to correct spelling tests. THIRD grade! I would have a fit if my children had that kind of experience today! Yes, I think public schools do need an overhaul - and fast.</p>
<p>mmhmm.</p>
<p>Now OTOH, I was a student aide for my favorite teacher ever this year. She teaches 9th and 11th grade English, and she did occasionally have me grade essays. However, she would give me a rubric and simply tell me, “Circle on the rubric what they don’t have.” Then SHE would do the actual grading. That was a little easier for me. (Plus, I’m a pretty strong writer, so she trusted my judgment.)</p>
<p>Heh…in fact, she once got after me for grading her students too harshly!!</p>
<p>Reminds me of an experience my D had in 1st grade (not in MA, in TX) where the teacher corrected spelling in a writing assignment of my D. Unfortunately, her corrections were wrong spellings. Worse, the words she “corrected” were spelled correctly!</p>
<p>spouse and I debated quite a bit what to do - should we go to the teacher or not? We did.</p>
<p>We also used it to discuss with our daughter the difference between a “right” answer and a “correct” answer, and how much of education is less of a search for truth than a search for what the teacher wants.</p>
<p>Lilmom, my youngest S was in kindergarten and he graded stuff for the teacher. The older one used to work the worksheet with kids who struggled. It was definitely good training – the older son tutors all the time these days!</p>
<p>“Worse, the words she “corrected” were spelled correctly!”</p>
<p>^^ Shades of Dan Quayle – for those who remember this embarrassing episode caught on camera in an elementary school. Yes, he wasn’t a teacher, but gee, any adult should know…</p>
<p>Ridiculous to have such an episode with a <em>teacher.</em></p>
<p>epiphany,</p>
<p>It would have been ridiculous but for the fact that she was a great teacher otherwise. She even brought in some books of her older daughter for our D when she saw that D was a strong reader, so she was sensitive to the individual needs of her students. I can’t say the same thing for every other teacher D had through the years. (some were, some weren’t. And the absolute worst was a very environmentally correct, properly liberal 5th grade teacher who disliked stronger students. She even had everyone reading a book for class at the same rate, refusing to let any of them read ahead.)</p>
<p>I don’t doubt she could have been a “great teacher otherwise.” I guess I lament the incomplete educations of the public in general – including those aspiring to be teachers – when it comes to those hopelessly old-fashioned details such as spelling, mechanics, and expression. Those may be boring and un-PC, but they make for effective communication, which teachers of any subject should be modeling daily. In my career I’ve seen a progressive abandonment of the elements of writing, with the rationale that it’s “too boring” for students to learn, they’ll be too restless, too impatient, etc. (And I thought <em>we</em> were called the Now Generation!)</p>