I am not saying what I am writing it true, because my source is my 12yr old. I am simply asking for other parents or teachers thoughts or knowledge of these facts and/or opinions.
My 12yr old tells me quite often in school they are allowed to listen to their IPODs in study hall on specific days. I always thought study hall was to either study or sit quietly. This concerns be because he never brings home any homework and doing very well in school, but what about the children that are not doing well, based on the schools recent state ratings. He was also given an assignment to write a rap song by one teacher and during socialogy to learn about other cultures did a paper on J-lo to learn about latin heritage. That left me scratching my head.
The same source (12yr old) tells me that participation, after dressing, is voluntary in PE. We constantly debate vending machines in schools, the content of school lunches, and the amount of obesity in our children, not to mention how they are addicted to video games and lacking personal interaction skills today. Does anyone know if this is an accurate fact? Is there anyway to make sure he has to participate? I believe a lot of life skills can be learned playing sports. Is this a teacher that doesn't want to deal with an unathletic child or a 12yr feeding me a line of crap?
My final statement, which I know to be true because my child told told me this twice, attending two different grade schools due to a move, "I asked what days do you have PE?" and he responded "we have it three times a week." I said "Do you have it this week?" and he replied "No, we have it on the weeks the teachers are paid" Nobody in my family works for the school district so I know he didn't get that at home. Why in the world are teachers relating to a child their schedule based on the districts pay schedule? How is that relevant to anything? Seems an odd thing for two different teachers to tell them at two different schools. My conclusion was, Bindy's is busy about 4pm on the Friday's they have PE at Maryville and Frohardt.
As I stated, he has excellent grades and we have had only one issue with one teacher several years ago. My questions are not necessarily directed towards the teachers as much as the curriculum. I understand all the school board members voted to increase our property taxes in their December meeting. Do we now to need to buy the underpriviledged kids IPODs so they can keep up in learning about rap and J-lo, I can't imagine the increase is going to hire more teachers?