A study in American Sheeple... or is that lemmings

[Warph]

Milwaukee School Holding "Gender Bender" Day For Students To

Dress As Transvestites

(HOLY CRAP, this is INSANE!!!  What is wrong with these degenerates?
....and of course academia has no hidden agenda)

Read more at: http://eagnews.org/at-least-one-milwaukee-mom-wont-be-sending-her-child-to-school-on-switch-it-up-day/

'MILWAUKEE – Deidri Hernandez's seven-year-old son won't be in school today, after officials at Tippecanoe School for the Arts and Humanities confirmed they're still holding "Switch It Up Day" – a time for students to come dressed as members of the opposite sex.

Hernandez tells EAGnews the day was originally billed as "Gender Bender Day," but Tippecanoe officials made the name change after she called Principal Jeffrey Krupar to complain.

The Milwaukee mother was not impressed.

"I didn't have a problem with the title. I had a problem with the activity taking place," Hernandez says.

She says it's "ridiculous" and "creepy" to ask elementary boys to come to school dressed as girls, and vice versa, and predicts that having students dress as "transvestites" will distract from the learning process.

Hernandez knows of at least one other parent who shares her concerns and plans to hold her child out of class, too.

[Diane Amberg]

 Ross, I'm entitled to my opinion.
No, of course the teacher should not have used swear words, but neither should kids and you know they do. Some kids now almost can't talk without them. This kid is 18 as a sophomore, not a senior! and he had quit.
So what was storming out of the room supposed to accomplish? The teacher still had the rest of the class to deal with. As far as what question was asked...you don't know either. I'd like to know just for my own interest.   By the way, I graduated at 17...so what.
Most kids do graduate at 18. He'll be 20 ,if he hasn't messed himself up with his tantrum. Many kids who don't cut it will blame the teacher because it's so easy to do. It appears regular school was not a good fit for him any longer so they should find something that is...even on line courses. The day of traditional classroom setting is about to change anyway, with a lot of self teaching on board and the teacher is there as an adjunct.
I still say he would do better in night school.The whole attitude,teaching style and curriculum is aimed at older folks. The students are there to learn and are not distracted by the rest of the school environment. They certainly are not expected to throw temper tantrums.
So go ahead and be anti teacher.That's exactly how teaching tenure got started. There was always someone who blamed the teacher for their own child's performance and tried to get the teacher fired. Of course there are poor teachers, and it will change from year to year. Every class has it's own challenges.
Some teachers don't do as well with certain kinds of kids. Some teachers know it ,and will have a student moved to another class so there won't be constant clashes.(, sadly,racial problems)

[Bullwinkle]

       More than half of the teachers out there are in teaching because they couldn't make the grade and get a bachelors degree in anything difficult, so they settled for one in education.

[Diane Amberg]

Prove that statistic please. Most folks who weren't cut out for it find out during student teaching and change majors or only last a couple of years and then leave. It's very hard unless one is very committed. And we here can't stop with just the bachelors we have to go for a masters at least.
I had a major in elementary education and a double minor in art and music....define "difficult" from your point of view. I also was an EMT instructor, took Cardiac Rescue Tech. and was asked to become a Paramedic. I had already chosen my profession so i said no.( If I wanted to do that I could have gone to medical school) I loved teaching and was very good at it.

I was recently asked if I wanted to go back...a serious offer. Sorry, I like being "retired'', such as it is.
A great many of the women who were in my education classes really wanted to teach, but wanted to be flexible enough to travel with their husbands, often DuPont, Hercules ,ICI, Gore, etc.(chemists and engineers and researchers) who were likely to get transferred every few years. Teaching jobs travel well.
As for the men then, they tended to teach math, Chemistry, Biology  Languages or taught college level courses..Keep in mind they were all up for the draft when their 2-S went 1-A. Most of my class did have to go.
And your degree is in what? Oh, physics? Good one.
I doubt you'd last a month in a big school classroom with imperfect kids and imperfect parents. Have you ever even subbed? If it's so easy, you try it. So go ahead, hate me all over again. You have nothing to do with me or my life. You don't know me so ya can't really hurt me.

[Ross]

Warph don't you know students and parents are imperfect?
And teachers aren't?
That's why we read about so many teachers in the news these days getting fired and go to jail.

I happen to have a cousin who is a retired teacher and she never had an attitude about imperfect parents or children.
And she was an excellent teacher who cared about each and every child, not just the ones that made straight "A's".
Her husband on the other hand in my opinion should have never made it to retirement.

We are fortunate there are some very good teachers out there that pick up the slack for the rest.

[Warph]

Yeah... life goes on.

[Diane Amberg]

Ross, why stir the pot?
.We all know that there are bad examples in every occupation. We also live in an age of helicopter parents and parents who will never admit their child is possible of wrong doing...ever. It's always someone else's fault.  Or if their child breaks a rule and is expected to deal with the consequences, the parent defends the child and says the rule was stupid in the first place. I taught with weak teachers, believe me I get it, but even the best teachers are poorly paid compared to the salaries of others who live in the same area, work way more hours than they are paid for and have to deal with things teachers didn't have to before. Teachers have to go to college to even get started as teachers, so they are behind in terms of money before they ever start and are expected to go to con ed and get advanced degrees that may or may not be reflected in their pay.
Do you have any idea how it feels to know a teacher in your school has been arrested for...fill in the blank. It casts a shadow on all of us who then have to live with the fallout. As far as the cross dressing and the bible...that could be a great discussion on it's own considering what men and women wore when the Bible was written.  Twasn't blue jeans and tee shirts But that's the other thread.

[Ross]

We all make our own decisions.
Even though I was a poor student in school and I don't mean disruptive, I made a far better income than any of my teachers.
My learning came through the school of hard knocks, and the best learning was on the job training from old men that worked all their lives and had experience and knowledge that is being lost today to getting supposedly higher education.

Every time I hear about problems at school it appears to find fault with the children and their parents, not the teacher.
Apparently they are to highly educated to be at fault, they never say sorry my mistake.

I have made lots of errors over the years and I have always taken credit for them.

I too have set in the principles and superintendents office both by invitation and because I dropped in. And our visits have always ended well. With the exception of one school district.

I have also seen where principles and superintendents won't accomplish the right and legal actions because of political concerns. Many times they won't fire a coach or teacher that should be fired for political reasons and tell them either you quit or you get fired. Why does the teacher choose to quit instead of getting fire and fighting back? Perhaps because they were wrong and perhaps being fired might end their career dealing with children. Why do you think they quit and move one? Because it is the kids and parents fault?

So just go on and blame the kids and the parents, don't consider teachers and administration that lack the fortitude to do the right thing.

[Diane Amberg]

 Ross,I said I get it! and it's not about money is it! It's not hard to make more than your teachers did. read the rest or don't ...your choice.Some is hard hitting so be forewarned.
I won't go on "always" blaming the kids and parents, because I didn't in the first place! But when you get right down to it, isn't the family's job to do whatever is necessary to get for the education for the child that the child needs? Even if it means extra school. tutoring or repeating one or more grades? Sometimes it does take tough love...one of the big problems in inner city schools The kids are tougher than the teachers!
  I never saw a problem with parents who occasionally asked for a child to change teachers because it wasn't a good fit. But it can't be always the teacher, now can it? Twelve years of nothing but poor teachers? Now what is the chance of that happening?  
OK, Dutch Aunt time.
You said you were a poor student...why?   What wasn't happening for you?
You are older, before the time of coddled children. So what was the problem as you see it now? Why weren't you a "good" student?  Lower IQ? Lazy? Refused to do homework? Distracted? Learning disabilities? Eyesight problems? Hearing difficulties? Dyslexic?  Absent? Immature? Unknown medical problem? From a family that didn't value education? Had to work to help support a family?
There had to be one or more reasons. Some times even simple things like a change of seat in the classroom helps.
Now before you flip out, those are legitimate questions that are asked when we are trying to root out a child's academic problems. The questions some times have to be very pointed to get to the real problems and get past the excuses.
Yes, teacher competency is considered..but if one child is the only one having certain problems, and the rest of the class isn't ,that kind of leaves teacher problems out, doesn't it?
Sometimes the subject  seems to be at fault.  A kid might have problems in math or in a particular math section, like geometry, but be a whiz in science and reading. Who knows why? But with extra help they get over the temporary hump and go on to do well.
But ya have to meet the system at least half way and not look for easy excuses. Excuses will not ever help the child get the kind of life they may want someday.They may have to "settle" and then defend it. Or perhaps not. Experience is a good teacher, but some people have to get kicked by nature to finally figure out what it's all about. I have said many times I don't care how a child gets their education, but they do have to have one. It will be more and more necessary,not less and less.
. You do know it's rarely the "good " students who complain about having "bad " teachers . Now I suspect you(or someone else) will blow your top and accuse me of all manner of awful things. Have fun. No apple for this old teacher.

By the way,the reason I knew the young man with the long blonde hair had asked a quesetion about the up coming test was because it said so in the third line of the text .I did go back several times and finally figured out what he had asked. I'm sure the teacher didn't have an answer to the question, but smart remarks from either of them wasn't necessary and just gave 24 hour media something to stir up and fill time. One more reason for phone cameras to be controversial. I'd still love to know more about that whole situation and how the rest of the class felt.

[Ross]

Ross,I said I get it! and it's not about money is it! It's not hard to make more than your teachers did. read the rest or don't ...your choice.Some is hard hitting so be forewarned.
I won't go on "always" blaming the kids and parents, because I didn't in the first place! But when you get right down to it, isn't the family's job to do whatever is necessary to get for the education for the child that the child needs? Even if it means extra school. tutoring or repeating one or more grades? Sometimes it does take tough love...one of the big problems in inner city schools The kids are tougher than the teachers!
  I never saw a problem with parents who occasionally asked for a child to change teachers because it wasn't a good fit. But it can't be always the teacher, now can it? Twelve years of nothing but poor teachers? Now what is the chance of that happening?  
OK, Dutch Aunt time.
You said you were a poor student...why?   What wasn't happening for you?
You are older, before the time of coddled children. So what was the problem as you see it now? Why weren't you a "good" student?  Lower IQ? Lazy? Refused to do homework? Distracted? Learning disabilities? Eyesight problems? Hearing difficulties? Dyslexic?  Absent? Immature? Unknown medical problem? From a family that didn't value education? Had to work to help support a family?
There had to be one or more reasons. Some times even simple things like a change of seat in the classroom helps.
Now before you flip out, those are legitimate questions that are asked when we are trying to root out a child's academic problems. The questions some times have to be very pointed to get to the real problems and get past the excuses.
Yes, teacher competency is considered..but if one child is the only one having certain problems, and the rest of the class isn't ,that kind of leaves teacher problems out, doesn't it?
Sometimes the subject  seems to be at fault.  A kid might have problems in math or in a particular math section, like geometry, but be a whiz in science and reading. Who knows why? But with extra help they get over the temporary hump and go on to do well.
But ya have to meet the system at least half way and not look for easy excuses. Excuses will not ever help the child get the kind of life they may want someday.They may have to "settle" and then defend it. Or perhaps not. Experience is a good teacher, but some people have to get kicked by nature to finally figure out what it's all about. I have said many times I don't care how a child gets their education, but they do have to have one. It will be more and more necessary,not less and less.
. You do know it's rarely the "good " students who complain about having "bad " teachers . Now I suspect you(or someone else) will blow your top and accuse me of all manner of awful things. Have fun. No apple for this old teacher.

By the way,the reason I knew the young man with the long blonde hair had asked a quesetion about the up coming test was because it said so in the third line of the text .I did go back several times and finally figured out what he had asked. I'm sure the teacher didn't have an answer to the question, but smart remarks from either of them wasn't necessary and just gave 24 hour media something to stir up and fill time. One more reason for phone cameras to be controversial. I'd still love to know more about that whole situation and how the rest of the class felt.

Oh but it seems like every time something comes up about education you and the rest of that educational society blame the parents and the children, every time. I'm tickled you may be having a change of attitude in that regard.

No, I won't respond to why I was a bored student and considered myself a bad student except to say I was not a disruptive student. I was too busy day dreaming of better times, of what I was going to do with my life, etc.

Ya ain't gonna offend me no matter how hard you try; I'm just amazed at the stuff you write.

You indicate that teachers are intimidated by an 18 year old sitting in a class wanting to learn, that's what I have read anyway.

And now camera phones are controversial, don't you mean intimidating? It's hard to hide from a video camera isn't it? What's the purpose of putting video camera's on school busses? Why not put them in the class room and monitor the class room as a whole including the teachers teaching techniques and actions?

Didn't the police start using video to protect the officers and to use in court against the defendant? Some of the police didn't like it when civilians started videoing them though did they. What's controversial about documenting something? Apparently one kid in class thought the situation with the teacher swearing at a student was worth documenting. What harm was done by the student using individual thought and recording?

I do understand the code of ethic of sorts that Police stick up for police, Lawyers stick up for lawyers, firemen stick up for fireman, and Teachers stick up for teachers. But ya can't buck a video can you?

Sorry to say you are not an old teacher, you are a retired teacher, a has been just like this old Retired Federal Employee is a has been.

I did a lot of teaching and training as a First Class Petty Officer in the Navy. And that included a lot of 17, 18, 19 year olds and older and never felt intimidated. That is because I knew and understood my subject and provided the importance of learning to the safety of the ship. so that these young men would learn and learn well. The very same way I was trained and taught. Having the importance of the subject stressed along with the subject matter, rather than you gotta be here so you might as well learn. And leadership in the class is very important.