School Changes

[Tobina+1]

"one unbalanced/angry/spiteful" person

Or a divorced parent who doesn't have custody and takes the kid from school.  I think you see more of that than the gun-wielding crazies.

[Wilma]

I don't remember there having been an honor roll while I was in school, so when was the honor roll created?  Isn't it supposed to be something for the students to strive for, to show that they are a cut above?  And when did it become popular to not show your intelligence, to pretend that you are something that you are not?  "Dumb" students are maybe ridiculed, but it seems that if a student is smart it is something to ridicule, too.  Maybe that is why our schools are turning out mediocre students while foreign students are far ahead of ours.  OK, I will stop now before I start preaching.

[Wilma]

What I intended to say is that grades should be as important as being the star football player, or the head cheerleader, or the homecoming queen.  But when do we ever hear about the grades that our students are getting if it isn't through who made the honor roll?  Better stop again.

[Lookatmeknow!!]

I totally agree with you on that one Wilma!!  We put to much importants on what sports are child plays, how good they are, if they are a cheerleader, and the list goes on and on.  WE at our house, put lots of pride in our children's grades.  They have a new system at the school that allows the parents to go on the internet and check their childrens grades.  My oldest one hates that.  I can go on anytime that I wish, to see how she is performing in school on her subjects.  She knows this, too.  Because I can also print out the grades and show her what she has.  She HAS to at least get A's and B's.  I would rather them be all A's, but I know that she has always struggled with math.  That is usually the one that gets her down.  Last summer, I requested that she go to summer school to help her with her Math.  She seems to be getting more confidence in the subject.  This is why she has a hard time with Math. 

Ok, I am on the soap again.  But Honor Rolls are a good thing.  I have always tried to tell my children that getting good grades are a good thing.  They do have honor rolls at the Elementary levels.  Don't know why they are not put in the paper every 9 weeks???

[Tobina+1]

I think it's very important for kids to get praise besides from their teachers and their parents.  Maybe I'm just young enough that I remember the thrill of some older woman or man coming up to me in the grocery store or at the gas station and complimenting me on my grades or performance on the court or asking me what Model UN was.  Publishing sporting events and grades and other school activities alike help keep the community involved in the school and the kids.  Starting with a compliment over something they read in the paper about the kid just opens up the communication line between adults and kids.  Heck, the bank in my town goes through the paper EVERY WEEK and cuts out articles on every single person who does business at their bank and sends them a hand-signed card with the article in it.  I even got one from them for my wedding announcement (and I hadn't lived in town for over 8 years)!  

The public is not raising that child or teaching that child so why does all this need to be published in the paper?  

And I highly disagree with this statement.  You've heard of the saying "it takes a village"?  That's the best draw of a small town!  The fact that if your kids do well, everyone can find out about it.  And if they do something bad, it will get back to the parents.  Whether you know it or not, everyone is raising every child in town.  Our actions, our responses, the way we treat the kids, the way we participate in activities... it all sends a message to our kids!  And you wonder why kids aren't coming back to the community when they get out of college or have a job?  Why would they come back a community that didn't care about them all through school?  
I disagree with PEP's idea of posting the bad grades for sure, but I really think it's important to make public the excellences of the children in our community!  It's not putting someone down; the kids that don't make Honor Roll may be in the paper the next week for some other activity they're involved in.  I think the paper should cover (and Rudy et al does a good job of this) ALL activities of the schools; sporting and non-sporting.  Bad bahavior will also get appropriate coverage; in the police section.

[lola330]

PEP is a troll.  He instigates cuz he loves the fallout.

Tobina:  What police section?

[Wilma]

You have a point there.  There used to be a section but for some reason it was discontinued.  All we get now is who got tickets and for what.  Nothing about emergency calls, accidents, etc.  The sheriff that used to be saw to it that major incidents were covered.

[sixdogsmom]

I miss that too! (The police section)

[Tobina+1]

Yeah, I guess it does only show tickets and deeds.  My hometown where I grew up has started putting all Police, Sheriff, and EMS responses in the paper, along with the total 911 calls for each day (no names, just type of response... cattle out, domestic disturbance, etc).  It's about 2 months later, but it's published.  Maybe they just needed "filler" in the paper. 
Point is... good kids should get good publicity.  Honor roll, awards, sports, activities, community service, etc.  The Cuffer Clan does a fine job of doing that, I think.

[pepelect]

PEP is a troll.

You REALLY want to go there?



I just want the same energy put in to education that is being wasted on security.  How much does it cost to re-key a lock?

How much is an A worth?

We have teachers that are living with no pay increases, teaching more students, and still teaching better than 95% of the schools in the state but we have to spend time to worry about security?   

One campus would be ten times easier to secure than three.   2/3 as many doors means one third as many potential entrance points. 

How about giving the little vandals something to do rather than beat the crap out of property.  Why can't we unlock the doors and give them something to do when school is not in session.  If Longton can keep their brand new remodeled school from burning down by letting the public use it than that is a good model for WE.

Why are you against public access to bad grades?   Have you ever seen a traffic citation for good driving published in the coveted police section?

Good news is boring and not worthy of reporting it doesn't put ink to paper.   

"one unbalanced/angry/spiteful" person

I take offense to the statement that all of us unbalanced/angry people are spiteful.  I may be hateful, rude, and sarcastic but never spiteful.

We have 24hour news about death, destruction, and a good homicide all sell more papers than one math quiz or a PT test result.....if a child is so emotionally unstable that a published math score sends him/her over the edge than the entire system is very, very flawed.  You are not reaching the kid if the peer pressure is greater than the parental or teachers influence.   We are failures as a society if we can not show both the positive and the negative and grow from both.   

Peer pressure is the weakest excuse I have ever heard.   I have been told about this so called weakness that everyone else has since I was 10 years old.  I don't believe in it.   Just like sheep being lead to slaughter.  We don't have a brain so we just go with the flow.  If someone thinks that we are stupid then we must be.  If peers think I am fat than I must be.  If you think I am a victim than I must be.