Mr. Mann is apparently a mind-reader. I've not had the pleasure or reading Ms. Mickelsen's full column, but I am an ardent admirer of her writing generally. If what Mr. Mann is quoting below is the gist of her column and her premise, the bless her candid little heart. Few speakers take on the extraordinary denial with which parents and legislators alike are afflicted: it's never our fault, it's the schools'.
Wailings that the schools never do enough for our babies are little more than crocodile tears if parents have not only failed to prepare their children for real world citizenship, but remain involved to the eyeballs in their continuing growth and education. Children have one job in life for their first 21 years of life on this earth: test our limits and theirs. Parents (and other "authorities") have one job in response for the same time: set them and enforce them - with love and consistency. While nothing excuses abuses by the system, few abuses of the system are deserved. Public schools have become the scapegoat for poorly parented children run amok. A couple of generations of pampered or ignored kids are plaguing the culture and those who self-immolate in one fashion or another (grades, drugs, assault) and are disciplined for it are not victims of the schools. The schools cannot remediate lackadaisical home life. "It takes a village" is no mere aphorism, but the village elders - parents are where it all begins. Responsibility there first yields success later - in school and in life. Creating citizens and leaders of tomorrow is a full time job starting at home. Hooray for Lynnell. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul ------ "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, remain neutral" --Dante > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 12:45:41 EST > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Mpls] 'Bad Parents' Bashed in SW Journal Column > > Lynnell Mickelsen bashes 'bad parents' in her column, "life of the city" in > December 3-16 issue of the Southwest Journal. > > Re 'Culture Wars' as an explanation for the concern that many parents have > about school quality, LM says, > >> [beginning of quote] "...Conservative think tanks have funded endless > studies which predictably declare public schools a failure and > recommend--surprise!--private school vouchers. And Liberals have demanded > public schools overcome all the ills of society including racism, poverty and > parents who screw up..." [end of quote] > > Lynnell Mickelsen has been conducting tours of Lake Harriet Community Schools > during the last couple of years. While conducting these tours, Lynnell > doesn't say what she really thinks: the schools are fine, there is no need to > worry about how your kids will do unless you are a bad parent. > >> [beginning of quote] "...But often I wish I could cut loose and add the > following taboo stuff:" > > "Relax. Yours will turn out fine. Or they won't. Either way the school won't > have much to do with it. Because most of the time, It's the family, stupid. > If parents stay sober, feed their kids, enforce bed times, give hugs, teach > manners, turn off the TV, read books, monitor homework, and show up at > conferences--by God, it may be a miracle and trust me, it will be time > consuming, but most of these offspring will do all right." > > "They'll do even better if parents stay reasonably sane and don't project > their personal psychological dramas--a bad marriage, stressful job, nasty > childhood--onto their children and the school. Parental sanity gives kids a > huge educational edge. No school, public or private, will talk about this > because there are too many crazy parents who are too touchy. But it's true." > [end of quote] > > There are indeed a lot of "touchy, crazy parents" out there. Maybe there > aren't so many in the SW Journal distribution area, but there are an awful > lot of 'those people' elsewhere in the city. > > It should also be noted that in the school board race, the top vote getter in > Ward 5 was Evelyn Eubanks. Eubanks ranked second in Ward 6, third in Wards 3 > & 8, and fourth in Ward 4. > > -Doug Mann > > Doug Mann for School Board > <http://educationright.tripod.com> > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
