133 replies to this topic

[folsombound]

Good luck. I tend to agree with you. If I had to put kids through school these days I would do whatever it took to get them in a private school.

[Steve Heard]

After reading the posts here and the comments on Sacbee.com, I feel compelled to past here. I know this family fairly well and can say that she is not crazy or a bad mother. She is not trailer trash (from sacbee) and is a very good mother. It is disturbing how people love to tear someone down to the core before all the facts are in. Every one of you have made mistakes and probably broken a law or two. Every parent has made mistakes that could call our parenting into question if it was caught on tape. Stop the rampant speculation and guessing games, show some compassion and remember this is a family we are talking about.

I am not sure what you're getting at. Which news stories are we allowed to comment on? When we hear reports that two boys agreed to meet after school to fight, and when the report states that the boy asked his mother to drive him to the gas station for that very purpose, and we see, hear and read eyewitness statements that they saw the woman encouraging her son to beat the other kid, and that they saw her try to prevent another adult from intervening, and when we read that it was caught on tape, we should ignore it and say, "we've all made mistakes", or "let's not comment until all the facts are out"?

Right.

[Steve Heard]

Dear God I hope we can afford private schooling when we have kids - seems public schools foster more retardation than education.

My first exposure to fighting, racism and drugs occured at private school.

[Chad Vander Veen]

My first exposure to fighting, racism and drugs occured at private school.

Oh, I guess that proves all private schools are worse then.

[Al Waysrite]

My first exposure to fighting, racism and drugs occured at private school.

Isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you Steve, isn't this an indictment of our entire american society? Well, you can do what you want to us but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen.

[Steve Heard]

Oh, I guess that proves all private schools are worse then.

No, it proves that these issues aren't confined to public schools. They are societal issues.

[Steve Heard]

Isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you Steve, isn't this an indictment of our entire american society? Well, you can do what you want to us but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen.

No, these issues aren't confined to the US. They are issues that people face all over the world.

It's human kind.

[Al Waysrite]

No, these issues aren't confined to the US. They are issues that people face all over the world.

It's human kind.

someone who gets the reference please inform Steve.

[Chad Vander Veen]

No, it proves that these issues aren't confined to public schools. They are societal issues.

Not confined - but certainly a larger problem in public schools than in private

For example,
Figure 5.2. Percentage of public and private school teachers who reported that they were threatened with injury or that they were physically attacked by a student from school during the previous 12 months, by urbanicity and school sector: 2003–04


source: http://nces.ed.gov/p...figure_05_2.asp

[ngilbert]

someone who gets the reference please inform Steve.

Food Fight!

[Steve Heard]

Not confined - but certainly a larger problem in public schools than in private

For example,
Figure 5.2. Percentage of public and private school teachers who reported that they were threatened with injury or that they were physically attacked by a student from school during the previous 12 months, by urbanicity and school sector: 2003–04


source: http://nces.ed.gov/p...figure_05_2.asp

Well, that certainly proves that TEACHING at private schools can be safer than at public schools.

[folsombound]

Food Fight!

You know if those kids had started this with a Food Fight we would not have anything to talk about right now. This thread wouldn't be here. If we could just get everyone to settle their differences with food fights------farmers would be really happy!

[Steve Heard]

someone who gets the reference please inform Steve.

I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is.

[ngilbert]

You know if those kids had started this with a Food Fight we would not have anything to talk about right now. This thread wouldn't be here. If we could just get everyone to settle their differences with food fights------farmers would be really happy!

Yeah, but the janitors would be pretty p*ssed

[pampChefLady]

I know that "bullying" has gotten a lot of media attention, and, of course, I'd like to see it stop, but I never hear anyone giving the piece of advice I think is most helpful. To my own kids, as well as the 7th graders I used to teach, I've always said, "Bullies and aggressive people, in general, act that way because they are insecure and don't feel good about themselves. Putting others down makes them feel better. Thus, the best response is to NOT let it get to you. Don't take it personally because it's about THEM not about YOU." As a teacher, I had a student who let the smallest look or comment send him into a rage. He couldn't joke about his own mistakes AT ALL. Of course this just made the kids who like to pick on others do it more - they thought it was hilarious that he was so "emotional." We didn't ignore the situation, and the boys got into trouble for "being mean." But, I feel like our society is creating a generation of victims, who can't let anything slide. The implication is that they should always go to someone else if their feelings get hurt; that every act of rudeness should be addressed by an authority figure, and no one should ever be critical of them. No, I don't think kids should get away with being jerks to others all the time, but I think parents should empower their kids by showing them how they can be the winner by controlling their reactions. If they can ignore, brush-off, or laugh-off what someone says, that will resolve the situation far better than a conference with the principal or a fight after school...

My 2 cents...