<p>Weatherby: If it’s true that the average teacher–not the department head or one released part-time for adiministrative duties–only teaches two classes a day, I can see why you’d be bitter. But are you sure this isn’t just a case of politicians pulling out an extreme example and proclaiming it as if it’s the norm? </p>
<p>My kid has also only read two books with his class, though he’s been required to independently read one or two more per term (though don’t get me started on the accelerated reader program). However, he’s been reading short stories, poems, etc. all year long–on average, 2 stories a week. I’d like him to read more books–in fact, I require him to read more–but he IS reading all the time in school.</p>
<p>Ditto on writing. Not many essays, but lots and lots of shorter writing assignments, which we beef up by making sure they all are grammatically perfect and carefully done before he turns them in. Would he still get a good grade if he turned them in carelessly done? Maybe…but educating him is not just the job of his teacher, and I figure I can either work with them and end up with a self-confident, literate kid who generally respects the adults in his life or rant and rave at home about the lack of quality and end up with…well those kids I’m remediating in college against their will.</p>