I'm reading a book by Christopher Klicka: Homeschooling THe Right Choice... and he gives some pretty dismal statistics (academic failure, moral bankruptcy) about the public school situation in America.
Are the horror stories true? IS it really tough going being a teacher in a public school?
btw, what's the difference between a public school and a private one?
I was teaching in a secondary school here in Singapore for a short while before my first child came. Once I had to break up a fight between 15 year olds who were taller than me. I think that was about the worst experience i had. My husband has been teaching for six years now. It's our fishing ground for souls, btw...
Any public school teachers here?
Discussion in 'Free-For-All Archives' started by Su Wei, Jan 14, 2005.
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My father is a retired upper-elementary school teacher. The main reason he retired was due to the lack of teacher's ability to discipline students and problems with the curriculum (more paperwork and burocracy)and administration. and that was 20 years ago!
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I know in 1996, I worked with a wonderful lady from Spain. She was a teacher and she would have loved nothing more than to teach. However, we lived in a Denver, Co and she refused to step foot back into the DPS system again. She told me that she had a student who was foul-mouthed, rude and disrespectful; so she made the student sit out in the hallway. She was fired and nothing happened to the student.
Public schools are free state run schools. Private schools are mostly religious schools; however, there are a few private schools that are not religious.
I have a 14-year-old daughter who attends a Catholic school. When she was in 2nd grade, we moved to WV and I sent her to a public school. She came home from school one day and told me that I couldn't give her a swat anymore because that was child abuse.
I told her that no, a swat on her hiney was not child abuse. Especially in our house, because we had clear defined offenses that resulted in a swat. Since she knew the consequences of her actions would result in a swat, she was in full control. I also explained that if I would just hall off and punch her, slap her, pull her hair, etc. that would be child abuse. I also told her that if I failed to teach her right from wrong and she ended up in prison some day, that would be child abuse. -
My sister has a memory of her primary school classmate's book being flung out the window coz she didn't finish her homework.
these days, only certain teachers in the school are allowed to carry out coporal punishment under strict regulation for offenses like truancy, smoking or theft. And only for boys.
In fact, my husband is one of those in the school with the authority to cane.
when convicted, parental consent is asked for. It is usually given. And then the child will face a pretty thick rod. My husband will talk to the child first to explain that this punishment is due him. And then he'll carry out the task.
My husband's current principal is reluctant to dish out public coporal punishment. As a result handphone theft in school is rife.
As is in America, crime committed in schools is under-reported because the school wants to protect their reputation and also they want to help the child to have a clean record. But really, it is a criminal offense (like handphone theft) that is punishable by law. So...
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However, to help pay, I am personally in public school 4-5 days a week as a substitute. My district is well-run. I have been in every school and in many kinds of classes. I think it is a great district, and I have great respect for the teachers and administrators I encounter daily.
Often I am an aide coming in and out of a number of classes all day, and I have lots of ability to observe instructional time. Most of the teachers I have come across are Christians. The school board has always had Baptist deacons on it.
For years the chairman of the school board was also the head deacon at a large Baptist church, I believe.
I do have some methodology disagreements. In their stress on producing good readers, I think this district may spend too much time on reading and writing and too little on hard math and science, in the earlier grades. I would like to see more emphasis placed, also, on acquiring specific knowledge in history in the younger grades.
However, the curriculum is strong in those areas in the older grades.
Karen -
Scarlett O. ModeratorModerator
Count me in.
I've been teaching in the public school forum for 22 years. Mostly 8th grade, but now I am in the 4th.
I love it. I would never do anything else.
Peace-
YSIC
Scarlett O.
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"I know in 1996, I worked with a wonderful lady from Spain. She was a teacher and she would have loved nothing more than to teach. However, we lived in a Denver, Co and she refused to step foot back into the DPS system again. She told me that she had a student who was foul-mouthed, rude and disrespectful; so she made the student sit out in the hallway. She was fired and nothing happened to the student."
I suspect that there is more to the story than is given above.