Several months ago, while at a fair at Flushing Meadow Park, I signed up for a year subscription to the NY Daily News, a paper I had not read for years. The paper came with a really cute umbrella that I wanted and 4 tickets to a wrestling event at Citifield that I wasn't particularly interested it but I did want to see the new stadium and since I don't like baseball, this was a good opportunity. (We were already parked and the stadium was just a short walk from where we were.) The paper was only $98 for the year and came with a $50 gift card so I figured this was a winning proposition.
The beauty of retirement is that I have time to read the paper daily and get pissed off by the often obnoxious editorials, primarily those about education. Saturday had one titled "The real moral duty of charter schools." The writer, Michael Petrilli talks about how parents want the discipline of charter schools, how kids can't learn in disorderly classrooms and strongly suggests public schools start following the model of charter schools in regard to discipline. No one would argue with this need. but, I would like to know what Mr. Petrilli would do with these serial disruptors, a term he uses to describe these challenging students. Unlike charter schools, these students cannot be counseled out.
If I were the parent of a young child, I might want my student in one of these charter schools, in a safer environment. I don't blame the parents. And maybe he is right, we shouldn't pile disruptive kids and kids with learning problems into these schools but then we have to stop comparing charter schools which educate the select to public schools which educate them all. We have to find a way to educate everyone and charter school selection is not going to do this.
2 comments:
I just read an article which discussed how teachers should not be the blame on the declining education system but rather society, parents and overall American VALUES. The article went on to point out how teachers are expected to correct all the wrong and nasty social habits that students bring to school yet they are to do this without any form of corporal punishment!
Long term suggestion - diminish the herd. Sterilize the parents who knock out kids and don't take responsibility. Put in jail men who have endless children with multiple mothers and refuse tp be real fathers. Then take away their kids and have them adopted by families whose cultures and mores center on loving and educating children. Give them free state educations through college. I'm sure you can accurately guess which cultures raise children well.
I know . Call me racist. You can call me pisher for all I care. I'm too old to give a shit what anyone thinks of me or my suggestions.
Old, Old Bruce from FLHS who retired in 2001.
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