Saturday, December 11, 2010

New Poll Shows the Majority of Americans Know What's Wrong With Education

SEATTLE (AP) — Blaming teachers for low test scores, poor graduation rates and the other ills of American schools has been popular lately, but a new survey wags a finger closer to home.

An Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education found that 68 percent of adults believe parents deserve heavy blame for what's wrong with the U.S. education system — more than teachers, school administrators, the government or teachers unions.

For the complete story: http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CD9K1OH3G0%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1018&page=1&src=facebook

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Schools and teachers also get the blame for bad behavior on the playground, at the bus stops and on the buses.

They are expected to anticipate, detect and intervene in cyber-bullying and sexting - most of which takes place at home in the privacy of the little darlings' bedrooms where their idiot parents have provided them their own computers and webcams.

The educational system is trying to compensate for parents who can't or don't feed their children.

It has been saddled with the job of wardrobe management ranging from kids with no coats to prosti-tot styles to those with $300 sneakers but no school supplies.

They are expected to counsel middle schoolers who think oral sex doesn't count as sex and expected to do so without enraging clueless parents by delving into the subject of sex education.

They are drowning in emails from helicopter parents who challenge the B+ on Johnny's latest essay because they fear it might keep him out of Harvard.

They are simultaneously besieged by disturbed kids whose parents do not attend conferences, cannot be reached by phone and feel whatever happens when the kid is out of their sight is not their problem.

On the other side of the coin, they have to fend off religious wackos who scream about "family values" and think their narrow definition of those values should apply to everyone. "The Wizard of Oz" and Harry Potter should be banned from the school library because they allegedly advocate witchcraft. If their kids aren't permitted to read them, nobody's kid should.

Hell yes, it's the parents. This is supposed to be some kind of revelation?

SouthCountyMike said...

9:30 Revelation, no. Understanding, it might be a beginning. Since President Reagan's Nation at Risk To President Bush's NCLB, schools (and naturally teachers) have been the target of those looking to blame someone for all our children's ills.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Thanks for keeping all of us better informed and giving us a chance to vent.

SouthCountyMike said...

6;33 Thanks. Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you.