School daze

[thesynergizer]

First grade has been an uphill battle. It turns out that many people knew this teacher was less than stellar. Several of them left the program, quietly, but they did talk to those who pushed them for answers

Comments

[litlebanana]

That is awful. I think starving the kids is not acceptable as a punishment.

[thesynergizer]

hey do you have a version of this entry in your email with the orginal ending on it? i'd love you forever if you could c/p it back to me because i am just so insanely frustrated that lj ate the rest of it!!!!!

[litlebanana]

No, I don't. I'm sorry.

[thesynergizer]

hrmpt. stupid lj.

anyway, i really appreciate what you said. thank you.

[bicrim]

If I were you, I would be in there today talking to the principal, and if it was not immediately changed, I would pull him from class and go to the board of ed or the media. We can not let our children be emotionally abused in the classroom, not even for one day. This makes me ill. I would not leave my 6 year old in an environment like that, even if he said he wanted me to. No way in hell. That teacher should be fired. God, I hate what public schools have become.

[thesynergizer]

a. lighthouse isn't a public school, persay, its a co-op.
b. i went to the principal last week and she said to make an appointment with the teacher. she said if we try that and nothing changes then we can get her involved.
c. from what i know about you, it makes sense that you would say that. and i appreciate hearing it. but for me, i have a lot at stake here, some of which i don't really even want to go into right now, but my feelings are that children are people too. My "saving" him from the abuse isn't doing him any favors if he isn't feeling abused and is more traumatized to lose his life and friends and everything he knows and loves. we may have to agree to disagree on this one.

[alison_in_oh]

I thought I remembered you'd worked hard to get him into a co-op...so...

Aren't there parents in the classroom? And isn't this a *parents'* cooperative? I would think that would give you a much stronger voice than in a normal public school. Can you go to the board with this? If people are leaving the program over this, it's a big deal!

Also, why is it between Lighthouse and homeschool? I mean, it's kind of like your worst public-school fears are already here, so how much worse could a real public school classroom be? You at least have a chance of a good teacher.

But our cooperative's parent educator tells us that multiple studies have shown that more than teacher quality and school funding, the most important factor in a successful education is parent involvement. Just your caring is important. I'm sure Ben will be OK!

[thesynergizer]

parent work days start in october. we orginally were planning to hold off saying anything about the problem until then and we could see for ourselves. many other parents encouraged me to say something before that though. you are 100 percent right that my worst fears about public school are coming true, and i dunno if our homeschool would be better or not.

the everett school district has an honors/advanced type program called highly capable that starts in 2nd grade that i am really really sure ben will qualify for, so we're leaning heavily toward doing that next year no matter how this drama turns out. so i'd hate to move him schools twice. my preference is to fix the problems and leave him in, but if its intolerable, then homeschooling the rest of this year is probably what we'll do. my husband offered his help last night which meant A LOT to my overwhelment factor.

[girliegoalie]

First you are doing fantastic with this. I don't think I could be so calm.

That woman has serious mental issues and should not be teaching groups of students. Especially not 1st graders. What happens now will shape how the children view learning later.

I doubt he wants to be 'saved'. She is training them to be a unit. If you pull him, he breaks rank so to speak. The whole shared abuse thing. If he escapes he sets himself up for bullying from those still trapped there.

If she isn't letting him read quietly or go onto the next project, in a way she is holding him back.

I hope the meeting goes well and the principle does something about the situation.

[thesynergizer]

yes. yes to all of this. she is training them to be a unit.

this is not what i want for my child. this is exactly WHY we are in the co-op, to avoid this exact experience. DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!

i am not real sure about the calm. it comes and goes depending on who i'm talking to and what their views are.

if we pulled him, i think it would be to homeschool. omg i do not want to do that. do not want do not want do not want. but there is no where else to put him that wouldn't be risking a frying pan/fire scenario.

[frogger414]

you reminded me about my experiences as a kid (I graduated HS in 1999), we were allowed to read quietly in class if we finished before others, from as long as I can remember. I hope Ben's teacher realizes that it's ok!

[thesynergizer]

yeah, there are two teachers that trade off first and second grade every other year, so each teacher has the same kids for two years. being three years apart, alli will have the other one.

also, the third, fourth and fifth grade teachers are great. especially fourth.

it seems like parents have brought up issues with this teacher before, but our principal is fairly new. (last year was her first year)

so who knows how much has been said and what has been tried in the past.

[frogger414]

I remember my 1st grade teacher, Ms. Carniero. She was so happy and encouraging and beautiful. She encouraged my reading skills to the point where she placed me in another class so that I could be more challenged. When I was done with quiet work in class, I was allowed to go around and help my classmates, not by telling them the answer but by coaching. I wanted to be just like her, patient and trusting and loving. Reading your posts about Ben makes me want to cry. The way you, Stephen and Ben are handling it is so mature and brave and I hope that it turns out for the best