Just went to the Middle School Orientation last night at Lake
Harriet (K-8) community school. The gym was absolutely packed with
parents and kids. We got our kids' schedule and went to all their
classes for brief periods to hear the teachers talk about the
curriculum and their expectations. It was a hot night and because so
many people were crammed into each classroom, it was a real
steam-bath. But it was great to meet my kid's dynamo teachers, hear
their ambitious plans for the school year and see so many parents out
on a hot, Wednesday evening.
Mike Atherton and other persistent school critics on the
List have often said that anyone who wants their kids to grow up to
be doctors or lawyers, etc. would be nuts to send their kids to
Minneapolis public schools. Well, last night, those classrooms were
jammed with doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, musicians,
bar-owners, mail carriers, carpenters, masons and more. Mostly
middle-class. All EXTREMELY interested in seeing their kids do well.
And we're not nuts, noble or being politically correct by putting our
kids in Minneapolis public schools. We put them there, first and
foremost, because they're getting a great education.
I say all this because there's usually such a huge gap
between what I read about Minneapolis public schools on the List and
in the papers---and what I experience as a parent of three kids in
the schools.
If you send your kid to school every day, ready to learn,
with high expectations from the home, most of the time, they'll do
well. That means you have to turn off the TV, read to them, check up
on homework and teach them to treat teachers and peers with respect.
We're talking roll-up-your-sleeves, labor-intensive parenting. A
daily process that goes on for years.
If parents won't do those things, their kids probably won't
do as well. School critics on the Right and Left who insist that it
doesn't matter if parents drop the ball completely, it's still up to
teachers and schools to close the gap----well, that's just a bunch of
crap. The parent role is crucial and it can't be replaced--even by
the most well-meaning programs. I wish this wasn't true because that
way screw-up parents wouldn't cause so much damage. But
unfortunately, that seems to be the big picture reality.
(By the way, the most vicious Blame the Teacher and "Fire
the teacher" rants on this Issues List and elsewhere tend to come
from men. And I've long suspected there's more than a little misogyny
to this phenomenon. Most teachers are educated women---you know,
those uppity types who went to college. I subscribe to several
right-wing magazines and occasionally listen to talk radio, mainly so
I can read a broader range of ideas and hear what the other side is
up to. Conservatives tend to hate all unions. But the level of
vitriol that's aimed at teachers and the teacher's union is just
wild---far more hateful and vile than anything the right-wing aims at
say, the UAW or the Steelworkers.
So when I hear the teacher-blaming, teacher-bashing stuff,
it sometimes reminds me of how wife-beaters talk--no matter what
happens, it's that damn woman's fault, she's responsible for
everything that goes wrong, she better change, she better make good
or whap, whap, whap.)
(One more aside, make me Queen of the World and I'd pay
teachers $80,000 to $100,000 a year and dump tenure so fast it would
make your head spin, but that's another post.)
Anyways, if we're going to demand more tests and
accountability, I'd sure like to see test scores correlated with
attendance, completed homework assignments and parents who show up at
conferences. Because most of life is about showing up.
Last night, my son's English teacher, James Dundon, handed
out his course description, which has the 7th grade reading 11
novels, taking weekly quizzes on Latin and Greek roots, writing a
short story, plus regular five-paragraph essays, a nightly reading
log and on and on. And that's just one out of six classes. See why my
middle-class Minneapolis neighbors send their kids to public school?
This teacher is tough. I think he's great. My sons are crazy
about him. On the bulletin board last night, the teacher posted the
following. Call me old-fashioned, but this is exactly the kind of
ethic I want adolescents in my school to be looking at. Because it
fits what my husband and I are teaching at home.
RULES OF THE WORLD
1) The world is not fair.
2) Everybody has a boss.
3) Living involves hassle.
4) Nobody is entitled to anything.
5) True pride is self-respect and must be earned, not given.
6) Being loved is only free for babies. After that
reciprocity is required.
7) Everyone goofs.
8) Everyone is laughable.
9) Staying happy is work.
10) Success is dependent on personal initiative.
Lynnell Mickelsen
Ward 13, Linden Hills
A die-hard Lefty who wishes the Left talked more about
personal responsibility, especially when it come to parenting, kids
and school.
And who will be supporting Joe Erickson, Colleen Moriarty, Judy Farmer and
Audrey Johnson for School Board.
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