My kids didn’t have school two Fridays ago. Last Friday was a “half-day.” And guess what? They don’t have school today either.
What in the hell is going on?
Do you ever remember having a half-day when we were kids? I don’t either. At some point our schools decided not only did the kids need a day off on a regular basis, they also needed to cut out after lunch. I guess they really are getting them ready for corporate life.
How in the world do parents who both work inflexible jobs do it? They must be control freaks over their calendars because I’m having a hell of a time keeping the half days straight from the days off, to the actual days they’re in school.
I’d love to have a day at work where my “customers” didn’t show up. Or blow out after lunch to screw around. Of course, this is much more than a problem with half-days.
We put up with classes that are too big, music and sports programs getting cut, school starting way too early, no books, poor facilities, teachers getting no support, a union that holds us hostage and a lot of bad parents who treat school like day care. And the ones who suffer are the people we brought into this world.
Each president who takes over touts education as a major priority and each one proves to be blowing smoke up our collective skirt. This one is no exception. When do we as parents, and as people who are trying to build a country, actually stop complaining and get off our asses and do something?
And do I even have to mention the fact that they still teach cursive?
—Photo gemb1/Flickr
Actually, I do remember half days all through school. Every other Wednesday. If I remember right they were half days for students but teachers worked the whole day and got caught up on professional development or something.
Forget cursive, in my town they did away with the traditional grading system. No more A, B, C, D, F. That was too controversial and apparently hurt the little cherub’s feelings. Now they grade by Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations and Needs Improvement. And the Exceeds Expectations is never given out.
Nothing like discouraging excellence and raising the bar on mediocrity!
Hell, that “Exceeds Expectations” to “Needs Improvement” scale is almost as old as I am. I can assure you I remember well the tanning I got for getting a “needs improvement” on my report card. And that was in suburban New Jersey in 1967. I guess that explains why I turned out to be so mediocre.