From the information I have received from current teachers as well as those who have given up on this profession, the number one change that must happen is to restore order in the classrooms. As it stands right now, children can do anything and everything to disrupt the class and the teacher has only one recourse - send him or her to the principal. And back they come once again disrespectful, loud and even more disrupting. Not to sound like an oldster (and of course I am) but if I had a disagreement with my teacher and was sent to the principal, there would be another punishment awaiting me at home. This is no longer true, and what a shame that is. Disrespectful students are not the only ones that cannot learn, the entire class suffers.
The second change that should be addressed is the fact we have more than our share of students who do not speak English as their first language. Perhaps a more intensive course in basic English could be installed for these students. Even if they are delayed in their grades, the students and their parents should look at it this way: When their children graduate, they will speak two languages fluently (something most of our other students cannot do).
Jean Ehlebracht, Scottsdale
k33j88 posted at 3:47 am on Sat, Feb 12, 2011.
As a facilities & construction employee for a school district, I see the same disrespect for authority. Even though I was, generally speaking, a well behaved student, there were times when punishment at home was most feared. The teachers, principal, and parents all shared an equal interest in a childs well being. Sadly, that is no longer true. There are signs everywhere stating that bullying will not be tolerated. This unrulely behavior is tolerated in plain sight. Everyone is so afraid of being sued for the slightest infraction or miscue. As I watch in horror from a distance, our fabric of decency, respect, and tolerance is being ripped from our souls. What a shame.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:58 am on Sat, Feb 12, 2011.
The best letter to the editor I have seen in years. I hope the readers really take this to heart. We see the "Education Coalition" made up of Liberal/Left-wing Democrats and quasi-Independents screaming for more and more and more money to throw at students who refuse to learn. It's not the classes because if you have read one of the current textbooks for High School students you would see that it is subject matter that you learned in the eighth grade. Most high schools students in America would flunk the American History part of the test given to Aliens as part of their Naturalization Examination.
I went to a so-called "ghetto" high school smack dab in the middle of South-Central Los Angeles (LA's infamous 77th Police Precinct). The students were expected to stand at their desks when the teacher walked into the classroom and then given the directive to "take your seats, please". If you wanted to speak to he teacher, you raised you hand. When you answered the teacher is was always, "yes/no, sir....yes/no, ma'am". You did not make a move..a move to leave your seat when the class buzzer rang until the teacher said "class dismissed". You were in school, in class for one thing and one thing only...........TO LEARN.
I can't remember reading in the newspaper or hearing on the radio (tv news was only about 30min a day) about a teacher having sex with a student. Now, it seems that it happens every week. The teachers dress like students now and the students look like they are wearing underclothes. Families all across America from all socio-economic levels are sending their children to parochial schools, charter schools or back-to-basics academies. Why, because they want Johnny and Jill to.....LEARN.
The UC Bezerkly/UCLA school of teaching the "whole" student is becoming a thing of the past. Teachers are not pschiatrists, teachers are there to do one thing, TEACH TO THE WHOLE CLASS...not the INDIVIDUAL. There is too much subject matter to cover and classes are 25-30 students in size. Counselors are the ones to help the individual student who is struggling...not the teacher. Teachers should act and dress like ladies and gentlemen if they want their students to respect them. Corn-rows, dread-locks, spiked or gelled hair, wild dye jobs, tattooes, piercings do not engender respect for authority. When your teacher looks like a surfer, biker, mall-queen....a student treats them accordingly and discipline is out of the question.
Teachers are preparing students to succeed in the business world and should dress accordingly.
Students and more importantly their families should realize that the ..BURDEN OF LEARNING...is on them.
Dale Whiting posted at 1:20 pm on Sat, Feb 12, 2011.
The order and discipline problem is behind what's driving the charter schools. Mess up in a charter school and out you go!
AZgirl55 posted at 9:09 am on Mon, Feb 14, 2011.
These are all really good comments and examples of how it is vs how it should be, but what is the solution? Why are kids so disrespectful these days? I hate to use the "back in my day" thing, but it is the truth. I (and most of my classmates) did not talk back to parents, teachers, police, or anyone else in authority. My parents didn't spank me but I knew I would lose privileges if I failed to be responsible and behave myself. They made the rules and I followed them. I can never recall even one instance of my parents attempting to reason with me. Somehow I grew into a fairly well adjusted adult.
Dale Whiting posted at 11:25 am on Mon, Feb 14, 2011.
Yes AZgirl55 and Jean, we agree with your observations, have added some of our own and are listening for solutions. Here is one of mine!
When I was in grade school in Texas, if and when I opened my mouth inappropriately or forgot to answer "Yes sir [mam]" or No sir [/mam]" I got my behind spanked. There was a line which formed each day around the boiler and the janitor did the paddling!
One time my entire PE class [home room] was talking so loudly that the coaches could not be heard calling the roll. We all got one hard paddle, I the first. They went in reverse alphabetical order! I was not sure what to expect. So when Coach touched by behind lightly, lining the paddle up, and I stood up and started to walk off, he called by back and I got three hard paddles - and a heck of a lot of laughs from my peers.
That curred most of us for good! The only teachers we referred to as other than "sir" or "mam" were those whom we had to call "coach." But in one way or another we all knew that all of our teachers were coaching us on life! And where the boys would get paddled, the girls kept in line, too. This tone of seriousness pervaded all grades of school.
I vote to return corporal punishment to public schools. It was perhaps the next closest thing to being in the Corps! Life can be full of hard knocks. The sooner we learn that lesson, the better!
Semper Fi! [Major, USAR]