I haven't given my opinion lately and most of you are probably glad. But I couldn't pass this one up. Ever since my children started attending government schools (aka public schools) I have noticed the trend of the schools thinking they know what is best for my child more than I do. I am grateful that they teach my children to learn to read and write, how to do math and science, and teach them social studies. All very important but what they don't need to do is tell me what I should put in my children's lunches, they don't need to give them lunch (that I later get a bill for) when they forget their lunch (I'd rather have them go hungry so the next day they will DEFINITELY remember). They don't need to have special events for the moms and dads to come have donuts with their kids because they are concerned I don't spend enough time with them. They don't need to tell me that I need to make sure that my child gets enough rest the night before a placement test and to eat a healthy breakfast that morning - FYI, I do that EVERY night and EVERY morning. I know they want the best for these kids but let ME be the parent. The reason for these thoughts is the other night the school district called to inform me that it was going to be record temperatures that next morning and that the school buses might have a hard time starting so they may be a little late. All well and good, if my kids rode the bus I would actually care and be glad for this information. That wasn't the importance of the message though. They wanted to let me know that since the kids might have to stand outside a little longer waiting for the bus, I need to make sure to dress my kids in warm clothes. WHAT?!? Do they think every parent was planning on sending their kids to school in shorts and tank tops? PLEASE! What a waste of a phone call and I am more disappointed that I answered it and interupted our dinner we were having - which was healthy and we were eating all together as a family - spending quality time together, just before the girls went to bed early to get a good nights rest to wake in the morning to eat a healthy breakfast. Good thing we have West Forsyth School District, who KNOWS what kind of parent I would be.
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6 months ago
11 comments:
The sad part is that they feel compelled to do this because parents aren't being parents.
I agree, but I have noticed that there are so many parents at our school that dont do all of those things that they actually need to tell these parents for the welfare of the children. I was asked to sign a note that I promised to make sure my child got good rest and healthy food in order to participate in a special learning group. I was so upset that I called and confronted the teacher. She of course didnt like the note either. It had come from the district to help those parents that are not making the grade. We just had a horrible snow storm and you would not believe all the kids that went to school with no coats. It was very sad and ridiculous! You are a fantastic mom and your girls are so lucky. I wish all kids were as lucky! I love your Opinions! keep them coming!
Casey, I agree with you 1000%. It annoys me that hard earned tax dollars are spent in this way, all in the name of some do-gooder who thinks nothing of wasting someone else's money to see that someone else's kids are protected from their own parents. The problem with the "they do it for the kids whose parents don't do their jobs" argument (which is always the schools argument) is that it's a self fulfilling prophecy. The more the schools do to cover for the sperm & egg donors of the world, the more those same people begin to rely on and believe that such programs are necessary and a right. There is now a large segment of society that believes that it is the schools responsibility to provide lunch, in some cases breakfast, and now in some places dinner as well. Yes, there are public schools now providing three meals a day. Now, unless they've got breakfast, lunch, and dinner trees growing on school property, they've got to purchase that food from somewhere. And where do they get the money to buy food? That's right, John Taxpayer Doe. Now the Doe's are wondering why they are wasting time and money on lunches for their own kids when they can get them for "free" at school.
It's gotten so bad that the schools are peddling the school meal programs. We've been asked many times to sign up for subsidized school lunches. When we tell them no, they ask us to at least fill out the paperwork, because we may qualify and that will help them get funding. Hmmm....No. It turns out that the schools get extra money, beyond the cost of the lunch, for every student signed up for subsidized lunches. Hence the schools see it as a way of increasing the federal funding they receive. The government has incentivized school lunches.
How did subsidized school lunches begin: it was for the kids whose parents weren't doing their job. Now they want as many kids as possible on them, and are beginning to provide other meals - all at taxpayer expense.
This is exactly how governments work. They observe a small percentage of people doing things in what they perceive to be the "wrong way" and immediately implement a program to fix it. The problem is that these programs inevitably infringe upon the rights and freedoms of those who do things right in the first place and eventually create an expectation of government subsidized rights. Where does it end.
Would anybody be shocked to see the schools providing coats for the kids who come without them. I'll bet someone could provide an example of it already happening. Where does that end? Snow boots, shirts, pants, underwear. Just wait. Some day you or your kids will get a call like this:
"Hello, Mrs. Doe? We noticed you did not sign up for school coats. Was that an oversight? You know, you might qualify for free coats at school. The kids can even take them home, and if they forget it again, we'll just send another one home......Oh, you don't need school coats? Well, even if you'll just fill out the paperwork..."
Oi vay!
Amen, Casey. And how timely - I have had the goeernment in my home, problem, too. Samantha's teacher called me and said that she didn't want to let Samantha walk home without a heavy coat. She had a long sleeved shirt, and a jacket and it was 3:30 on a sunny, crisp afternoon - I think it was about 45 degrees. She was fine to walk the one whole block to our house. When Samantha told her teacher that she didn't own a heavy coat - which is true - the teacher called me. I told her, quite nicely, that Samantha was healthy and active. She can walk and she will be fine. The teacher let her walk, but actually sent Samantha home in a "classroom coat" - which I am proud to say Samantha carried home. I promptly put her in the van and we took the coat back to her teacher that same afternoon! Queen Victoria rode her horse EVERYDAY, and had the longest reign in British history. Lighten up, Uncle Sam, and let us parents do the job we love - taking care of our families!
Amy just started Kindergarten this year so I am just learning about all of this. It is amazing how many notes are sent home reminding parents to do what seems like common sense. When did the schools start treating the parents like the children?
Sometimes I feel like you are the only person I have to talk to about these things who won't look at me like I am slightly dangerous.
I agree with you! And it is nice to read how many others do, as well. Maybe I don't have a contagious disease after all... So everyone, see! You don't have to slowly back away when I begin talking about Tyler's lowlife school...
Who by the way...
Tyler enters the lunch room THROUGH the same line as those buying lunch. I have NEVER forgotten Tyler's lunch, but in the schools overzealous efforts to make sure he does not starve he has been CHARGED for three school lunches he never received. I am FUMING over it! I FEED MY CHILD. Okay?
It took me three months to calm down enough to not go all republican on the poor lunch lady who took the money when I paid for the lunches we didn't need and never even received.
Tyler has strabismus, or "Lazy Eye", which we have dutifully treated since he was two years old. I recently received a note from the school nurse saying he had failed his eye exam and I had 45 days to make him an eye appointment with an opthomologist to treat him. This one may take longer than three months for me to stop fuming over. But since she is MAKING me reply within 45 days, I may just have to say something like this, "I want to let you know that I do, in fact, take care of my child. And please, don't ever go near his eyes again without my permission. He is currently being treated, and see's an opthomalogist EVERY THREE MONTHS. And it is none of your business, do you understand me?"
And it will feel temporarily good.
Thanks Casey, I feel much better now. I am a nice person. It is hard to remember to act that way when his school interferes with my life and costs me extra money for for food. I'm on a budget people!
DITTO. I would get notices in the mail in CA when Emma missed a few days at school that her grades would be effected by the days she missed. Uh could some check and notice my daughter is getting A's. Your phone call was a first for me though. LAME.!!!
Casey I laughed out loud!! I hope they don't leave those buses idling to warm up...that would cause air pollution!!!
The school is legally responsible until the kids get home. They are acting this way not because of some "do-gooder", but because sometime in the past some school has gotten sued for something similar. The school is just covering their own butt.
I love all these comments. I wasn't expecting such a reaction. I have to say Tina, I would have been so angry at that teacher. The fact that you told her that Samantha was ok and she went over your head is quite annoying. What was the point of her calling you? I have had a few encounters with teachers where they have made me feel like they know what is best for my child. I recently attended a meeting with the School District and parents of children in middle school (which Alexa will be going to next year.) Every parent at that meeting was against what the school district wanted to do - The superintendent let us know that he could care less what the parents wanted for their children and only 2 people on the school board were in agreement with the parents. The schools want the parents so involved yet they want to run the show and not listen to the majority only what will benefit a few people. With that said, I do have to say that not EVERY teacher is like that. My girls do have good teacher's this year. Olivia's especially. I think when I come in with 4 kids at my feet, and they are well behaved and good students, they think that maybe I might know a little something about raising them. I just can't wait for the conversation I will have with Alexa's teacher in a few months when I tell her that Alexa will not be staying for the "Family Life" lessons.
Also, to Bart's comment, you said it so well, I wish I could write the way you do to express myself better. I have to say that when we lived in AZ, Alexa went to a Charter school. We had all varieties of lifestyles represented at that school - People with plenty of money and others struggling. The school did not provide transportation and they did not provide any school lunches. All the money they had went to education. And amazingly all the kids made it to school and every parent made sure that their kids had lunch for them everyday. The entire time Alexa went to that school, Tim was out of work. I didn't need the school or government to provide food for my child. One of the most important priorities as a parent is to feed my children. Along with that, I have seen many families (friends of ours) who qualify for free or reduced lunches and yet have newer cars than us, PS2's, Wii's, XBox's and all sorts of toys for their kids. All I think is that I'm glad (insert sarcastic tone here)my tax dollars can go to feed their kids. I guess this is REALLY on my mind especially today on this "Historic" day. We may all get that coat program sooner than we think, Bart.
Stew, I do agree that there are some pretty poor parents out there that are ruining it for the rest of us parents. But I think the school districts are going too far. Calling EVERY household in the district to tell them to put warm clothes on their children? Come on!
There is something majorly wrong when a school can be sued for letting a child go home the way he/she came--without a coat, or for not giving them a lunch. Bart used to forget his lunch regularly, and I had to call the school and tell them to quit giving him money to buy one (which I made him repay). I figured the only way he would learn to remember, was to be hungry and wish he hadn't forgotten. Whatever happened to self-reliance and suffering the consequences of our own behavior?
Don't get me started! I worked so hard at the school when I had kids there, and know firsthand about the "we have to do it, because the parents don't" argument. I would get, "well, if everyone would teach their kids the way you do, we wouldn't have to . . ."
When the principal wanted the PTA to sponsor a program teaching the kids to cope with death, I almost lost it. As soon as she realized that all the other parents at the meeting were opposed a well, she backed off. Her argument was all the poor children who lose grandparents, etc., and don't have anyone to help them cope. Give me a break. My argument, "Unless you're going to come to my church and teach my beliefs about death, then don't mess with my child's mind."
Unfortunately, we seem to be raising a generation that wants to be taken care of.
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