| |
| |
|
Parenting Information |
|
|
|
The Free Ride In Public Schools
To protect children's self-esteem or deflect complaints by parents, many public schools today automatically advance failing students to the next grade level. In other schools, some students are left back a maximum of one year, then promoted again regardless of their academic skills. The No Child Left Behind Act tries to solve this problem. The federal government is pressuring public schools to set minimum standards that each student must pass before advancing to the next grade. However, in spite of these new laws, many states still have semi-automatic advancement based on the student's overall per-formance. Many schools consider a student's "portfolio" of work, attendance record, or other mitigating factors. Based on these factors, the school may advance students to the next grade, even though they do poorly on their tests or read at a previous grade level. For example, a dedicated California 7th-grade math teacher wrote to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, radio talk-show host, about this problem. She said that about 30 percent of her students did not do their daily homework assignments, but she could do nothing about this. That is because the California Education code forbids teachers from "punishing" students for failing to do their homework. She also said that students are "not retained" if they fail one class or fail all their classes. "Not retained" is a polite way of saying not left back. Students may not want to do their homework because it bores them to death, but these kids are smart anyhow. Why should they bother doing homework or studying hard if they advance to the next grade no matter how bad they do in class? That would be dumb, and these kids are not dumb. When students who should be failing automatically advance to the next grade from elementary school through high school, the problem keeps getting worse. By graduation day, some students who graduate can barely read their own diplomas. In effect, these students get a counterfeit diploma that is nothing more than a twelve-year attendance record. What does automatic promotion teach children? Many students tend to set their standards no higher than what their teachers or school expects of them. Automatic promotion lets students coast along with little or no effort, knowing they will advance to the next grade even if they never study or do their homework, or receive low grades on their tests. Automatic promotion also tells kids they can succeed in life without effort or perseverance. Besides creating millions of graduating illiterates, automatic promotion tells kids that mediocrity and laziness are acceptable. It tragically sets children up to fail later in life when reality smacks them in the face -- when they apply for college or a job. These are not lessons that schools should be teaching our children. Parents can avoid this problem by taking their children out of public school and taking advantage of the great education options Joel Turtel describes in his book, "Public Schools, Public Menace." Joel Turtel is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348. Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel. NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
When A Parent Is Deployed When a parent is deployed with the military it can be very traumatic for the children left behind. Having things for them to do, that makes them feel a part of the family and helping the parent who is gone, is really important. School Issues: When Should an ADHD Child Be Held Back In School? This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't mean to suggest that my comments here are the definitive thoughts on the subject. For a parent to even consider the issue, things have to be pretty problematic at school. When Parents Disagree Moms and dads, are there times you think that parenting would be easier if you didn't have to make family decisions? Having a partner that is not in agreement with your parenting ideas or discipline approaches is more than just frustrating. It can be a cause of division in even the best of relationships. Parenting Your Teenager: The Bottom Line Issues Q. When you consult with a family with teens, what are the typical bottom-line issues?A. 10 Steps To Prepare You For Life With Children It's hard to explain to the uninitiated the changes that a child will bring to your life - nothing is quite the same again. If you are an expectant father (or even mother) or just considering the prospect of parenthood, do the following 10-step program so you can learn what you're in for. Role Models for Your Teen By the time your children reach their teens, there is only a limited amount of time left to influence them and get them started in life in the right direction.The teen years are a critical time for role models in your children's lives. Winning The Whining War Jason Meridith's two-year old son whines when he wants more juice. Brenda Kreuger's eight-year old daughter whines about having to take piano lessons. ADHD: A Dialogue With a Non-Believer, part three Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read the article What You Should Know About Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward W. after having it handed to me by a member of our church. Work Before Play Many families, ours included, have learned that breakfast is eaten after we are dressed and have made our beds. Dressing and making a bed somehow only takes five minutes when done before breakfast and take forever if done after breakfast. Going Out to a Restaurant with Kids Dining in a restaurant with kids can be very enervating and embarrasing. Not only that you have to desperately try and keep your wiggling toddler seated and silent, you also have to manage the disapproving looks from other (non-parent) guests. The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them: Top 5 Internet Safety Tips The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid ThemDid you know1 out of 5 kids has been sexually solicited online1 out of 4 kids has been sent a picture of naked people or people having sex onlinethat May 21, 2002 there was the first death of a child linked directly to an Internet Predator?Parents' biggest concern about the Internet used to be pornography, but there is definitely a greater fear today.You have probably taught your child not to talk to strangers, and in many situations, they would remember this. Uses for Dirty Diapers As the father of a toddler, I am an expert on dirty diapers. I know exactly what to do with them: throw them out!But along comes a New York waste company and a town in California who want me to do something else with my dirty diapers. War Declared On Instant Messenger: How to Stop Your Child from Wasting Their Life Away Online Hey Parents! I hate to tell you, but there is no such thing as "useful instant messaging". Your crafty child might try to take advantage of your lack of "Techie" know how when they say in that whiney voice. Child Separation Anxiety: Does Your Child Have It? If you are a parent, then more than likely you may face the common problem of separation anxiety in your child. What exactly is child separation anxiety? In a nutshell, this is the type of anxiety or stress your child may encounter when you leave him/her alone and they get upset or cry due to the separation involved. Let Kids Help One fantastic way to get your children involved in what they are eating, is to have them help. A great way to start is to let them make up their lunch for the next day. Parenting Your Teenager: Of Course You Can Search Your Teens Room Q. We recently caught our son smoking pot, and we wonder whether he's doing more stuff. Top 10 Mistakes by New and Expectant Dads From criticizing a spouse, to claming up about one's own feelings, there's no shortage of mistakes made by new dads and dads-to-be.Here's a Top 10 List of New Dad Mistakes and some suggestions on how to make the transition to fatherhood a bit smoother. After the Driving School If you visit search engines you can find several resources to assist you on this subject. Try searching on the phrase "parents with teen drivers". Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School - Top Ten Safety Tips When it's time to put your child into a daycare or pre-school, there is some homework involved. Here are the top ten safety tips that are useful when looking for a pre-school or daycare center. Television - The Great SATAN! I've often thought that in 6 million years, archaeologists will marvel at the devotion the 21st century Earthlings had to their household gods. Excavation will show these deities in virtually every home, obviously objects of devotion, the focal point in a room.
|
Catalogue 4 Shopping UK offers thousands of low priced, top brand products in a variety of categories including fashion clothing, sportswear, DIY, electrical for home and garden. Remember it is often cheaper to shop via catalogue4shopping.co.uk than going direct, so bookmark us now (Ctrl +d) Enjoy your shopping. |
.jpg)