The view from parenthood
There's one aspect of this blog that's always made me feel, well, a little bit guilty, and it's that I get to poke fun at public school follies without having to really deal l with them, because I have no children. I try not to be too blithe, but I'm sure there are some topics I laugh at that just aren't funny to parents. In fact, I just got a intense letter from a Concerned Parent, Bob B., and he's given me permission to reproduce sections of it:
I always enjoy reading your comments, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to maintain my sense of humor about the absurdities you uncover. Now I tend to get angry - and frustrated - that these asinine situations continue to exist, and there is virtually nothing I can do to stop them...
My immediate reason for writing is to add to your article on the lack of writing assignments in school - and the corresponding decline in writing skills. My daughter is a sophomore in high school, and she rarely gets any writing assignments as homework. Even when she does, the rule is that her paper must be less than one double spaced typed page. The ironic thing is that she is an avid reader, has some very fine writing skills, and enjoys writing papers. Yet, I fear that with the lack of support from her teachers that skill will slowly diminish.
I am especially upset about her English course - which theoretically is supposed to include a large dose of writing activities. Yet, instead of that, virtually every "creative" assignment is to make a poster using cut-out pictures and pasted on phrases. Sometimes the students present their material in a three minute speech, but equally often the teacher grades" them by walking around the classroom and examining them for a few seconds.
There are probably several reasons for this - but there is one major one. Quite simply, the teacher does not want to take the time to read and thoughtfully evaluate written assignments...In math, they avoid grading by not even collecting papers. Instead they use the "exchange and grade the paper of the person next to you" method...
There is a lot more, but as I said before ... you already know about it. And so, while it makes me feel better to vent, and perhaps you'll get a grain or two you can use in your future writing, it really doesn't have much positive impact on the reality of our educational system.
Perhaps it's difficult for just one parent, like Bob, to have an impact - but if many parents get mad, and informed, they certainly can make a difference. In fact, Bob's letter just made one difference right here.
When I began this blog, I figured only educators, bloggers, and other psychometricians would read it. Instead, my most faithful readers have turned out to be parents who are suffering through public school stupidities, or who have chosen the homeschooling route. Bob's comments have inspired me to start focusing my posts a bit more on keeping parents informed as to how they can have an impact on their local schools. I'm not sure yet just what shape this will take, but instead of focusing solely on testing and educational inanities, I'm going to branch out and find news articles and sites that will help parents become involved in educational reform. That's the least I can do.
Thanks, Bob.