02-2-2009 - 8w0d and public school ranting

My mood while writing this blog: tired

I am so tired. My bbs did not start hurting until just yesterday and they have the dark blue lines all over them now. It's so weird, none of my bras fit now, none of my pants fit, this sucks! Thank God my kids are working on a project today and I don't have to do anything except corral them.

My husband is getting really down because he is realizing that he really doesn't want to be a teacher and I don't blame him at all. Being a public school teacher in Texas totally sucks ass! State testing is so bad and everything is a numbers game and kids are so cruel and rude and most of my students don't want to be here at all and aren't going to pass the tests and are probably going to drop out of school. It's very discouraging. For those of you out there that have kids in school I really think you should have some empathy for the teachers there. It is very hard to give each child the attention that they need and more and more students are needing more and more attention just to get them through the day. I have over 100 students and I have to keep track of each one of their progress and parents expect me to pay special attention to their precious baby and yet I am only one person. This is why I think all parents should homeschool their kids. That's the way it used to be in the 19th century and before. If you had kids, it was your responsibility to either pay for private tutors or educate them yourself. Just as far as numbers go it is much better for the child and for the parent. As a teacher I have to educate over a hundred students but as a parent I may have a maximum of three students that I have to keep track of and no one is going to say that I'm not doing my best because they are my own children and I have their best interest at heart. Granted, some people are not really able to teach their own kids and I personally think that public school should be for those students whose parents don't have the ability to teach their own children.

In Japan, there are public schools but most students go to private schools or are educated by private tutors at home. What has happened is that it is so expensive to have children because education (quality education) is so expensive and now couples will often choose not to have children or may only have one child. It is very rare to find a family with more than two children and even two is rare these days. Population growth in Japan has come to a screeching halt. There are many more people in the older generations than there are in the younger generations because people are just not having any more kids. The idea is quality over quantity.

Americans like to compare themselves to Japanese and say that our education system isn't as good as Japan's and it's true but they have a much different approach to education than we do. In Japan, if you can't cut it in school, you are kicked out at a very young age and you become something like a butcher's apprentice or a tailor's apprentice etc. If you pass, and you are able to keep up, you can continue. But here, even if you can't cut it and the system is leaving you behind, you are still required to be in school. So of course Japan looks better, their scores are only including the students who have been able to make it that far.

The only way for the system to change is for parents to take matters into thier own hands. And the only way parents will take matters into their own hands is to realize that griping about their kids' education is not going to solve anything.

Anyway, I am so tired of the apathetic students and parents that I rant way too much. The problems are probably not as bad in other areas. I live in an area where all these students think that they don't really need an education because they can drop out of school and go work in the oil fields and earn close to six figures. The problem with that is that the oil field is really taking a hit right now and there is no work to be had. I can't wait to get out of this area, it is so depressing and distressing to think about raising a kid around all these poisonous attitudes.

So to those of you who are having kids please check out the public schools where you live and make sure you want your kids in that environment. The best way to do this is to sit in on some classes and also to sit in the cafeteria and eavsdrop on the conversations that the kids have. There are a lot of public schools out there that are wonderful institutions that will not poison your child but be wary of those that are no good for your kids as they can be found in the wealthiest of neighborhoods. For those of you who would consider homeschooling there are lots of homeschooling organizations that you could contact and there are lots of books on the subject that detail different philosphies and methods. No two homeschooling situations are alike so you can do it any way you see fit so long as your kid is learning what you want your kid to learn.