Blame it on the teachers

[proud2BlibKansan]

Every evil that faces the United States can be laid at the doorstep of public schoolteachers.

It hurts to write those words, since I have had the privilege of teaching in public schools for the past 11 years, but a thorough examination of the legislation that has been passed, both on the state and federal levels over the past couple of decades can lead to no other conclusion.

Federal programs such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top target the classroom teacher when students fail to achieve at a certain level.

Undeniably, the classroom teacher is the most important ingredient in the educational recipe, but I have yet to see any of the other important contributors to children’s success even addressed. Apparently, such factors as poverty and poor parenting should not even be considered. The 50 minutes a classroom teacher has the student each day (if the student is able to make it to school, or shows up for the class) outweighs any other factor that might keep a child from learning.

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You won’t find a classroom teacher anywhere who is in favor of bullies, but apparently legislators think the responsibility for curbing the problem is another one that should be handed to teachers.


more . . . http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2010/04/blame-it-on-teachers.html

[Diane R]

1. As the mother of three boys, I can say the vast majority of bullying takes place around school.

Either in the classroom, the playground, outside of school from classmates, or in route to school. Teachers (in my past experience as a mom) can influence the success of bullies. I've seen some teachers tacitly encourage bullying by building a 'Lord of the Rings' mentality in their classroom. Their view that all children should be left to their own devices to solve their problems often gives power to the tormentors.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Interesting. I've never seen that.

I also don't understand how teachers can be responsible for what kids do at home.

[donco6]

3. All I can say is, I've never done that.

And I can't imagine any of my collegues thinking that's a good idea, either.

[Starry Messenger]

4. Did you mean Lord Of The Flies?

I'm trying to imagine what a "Lord Of the Rings mentality" would look like in a classroom. :crazy: Though if I had "one ring to rule them all", that would make classroom management a snap!

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Reminds me of that bumper sticker

Frodo Failed
Bush Has The Ring

[LWolf]

6. Bullying doesn't happen in my classroom.

Because when it rears it's ugly head, I end it, instantly.

On the playground? Yes, to some extent. I don't know a school that pays enough adults to supervise a playground to ensure that they are close enough to see and hear everything that happens. It's worse some places than others. Since it's a major goal of the nation to underfund education, I don't see that changing anytime soon. Lay the blame at those who don't want to fund adequate supervision of children outside of the classroom.

Outside of school? The worst, imo. Nobody is responsible for supervising them between school and home, unless they are on the bus, or in the neighborhood.

As a parent of school children, what are you willing to do to increase funding for supervision? Organize enough voting parents to make an impression on the local school board? Or on the state board of education? Put education at the top of your issues list when choosing what candidate to vote for at every level?

I had the same frustration when my two boys were in high school. As long as they were in class, everything was fine. Outside of class it was tense. I knew the campus patrol by name, and made sure they knew my boys. Since there was no funding for more, I wasn't sure what else to do. The admins and school board were crystal clear on my desire for more supervision. The admins, at least, agreed. They would have loved to triple the number of people patrolling the campus. There was no budget.