Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:10 am
Theodore,
Don't get me wrong, I agree that homeschooling is a much more efficient way to teach. If every child in public school was taught one-on-one, they would also have great success, this is part of the difficult. 20 or 30 to 1 is not ideal.
I also agree that teachers who don't allow for student differences or are unwilling to work with special needs children are not doing their best. Once more with student to teacher ratio this is more challenging, but not impossible. I have worked a lot with ADHD student to allow them more freedoms in a classroom, and promote positive rewards for on-task behavior through a token economy system that have been very effective and created positive self-esteem.
As for the stats on jail time and attendance I was just stating the reasoning, not drawing any conclusions.
I have to say though that I do take issue with those that blame all teachers for the failure a the education system are short sited. When I hear statements about 7 hours of work being ridiculous, teachers being too strict, and it being unreasonable to send kids to school with the sniffles, it make me think that people are generalizing.
I also feel that it promotes the stereotype that homeschoolers are pulling their kids because they are being questioned about extreme absenses.
There are exceptions to every rule. Like one of the previous posts said, children can have severe ailments that lead to repeated absenses.
I hope that you understand though, that teachers (in general) are not "out to get" the kids they teach? They are most often doing their best in less than ideal circumstances. I think it is best to focus on the benefits of homeschooling and not crucify a group of people who are working hard to do a good job.
I believe that when homeschooling is not an option for whatever reason, that an involved, informed parent can work with their child's teacher to ensure a good education. Neither the educator nor the parent is in this alone, it is when they work together that the child gets the best benefit.
I believe that education is something that occurs every day with each human interaction. We learn from one another on this forum, we learn from our family and friends, we learn from our children and they learn fom us. I wish that instead of criticizing others, we should try to exchange knowledge for the betterment of us both.
Here's another study for you
When a psychologist planned an intervention for students with severe behavior problems, the results were mildly successful.
When a teacher planned an intervention for students with severe behavior problems, the results were mildly successful.
When they worked together on a plan, the results were incredible.