Back To School Rant

[ElenitaB]

I call that break the three months from June till September as their quality time off.

Um, unless you're striving to improve earn a Masters or Ph.D. during those months.

Even when I taught college as I was working on my Ph.D., I saw that my future "summers off" were filled with writing articles in the hopes that they would get published because in many parts of academia, it's "publish or perish."

My DS is a high school freshman this year. His elementary/middle school (it was a PreK-8 school) was wonderful and provided what I thought was a great foundation for him. We were allowed to take the kids out for vacation trips (until they hit 7th grade when the absences are noted on their transcripts) and homework was never assigned on weekends. This past week has been very difficult for him... there is tons of homework to be done every night (literally, one night it was 1:30 when he finally finished). I won't even go into the textbooks I've had to buy (it's a private school and only some of the textbooks are supplied by the state) and yes, the famous calculator ... still sitting in its package. But I know that in a few weeks, the discipline and demands of his new school will become routine. For now though, there are rumblings and grumblings. Saturday was Freshmen Parent Orientation and even I walked out of there feeling slightly inadequate. And I have every confidence that four years from now, all the sacrifice and hard work will have paid off. "Keep moving forward..."

On a separate note, I always wondered why I was asked what I do for a living and where I worked... in high school I can see it though, as it provides a way for the kids and the school alumni to network with people in what could be their chosen profession.

[Ian]

Um, unless you're striving to improve earn a Masters or Ph.D. during those months.

I'm fairly certain the OP was talking about kids having the summers off, not the teachers.

[brivers222]

Um, unless you're striving to improve earn a Masters or Ph.D. during those months.

I didn't know we were talking about a bunch of "doogies" on here... I was thrown off with the school supplies like pens and pencils and graphing calculators.

I apologize... yes if your a 10 year old improving on your masters degree by all means, you get weekends offs

Even so, if you are going to further your education past the mandatory k-12 you do make the choice to lose your summer vacations... I understand why you would want to, but at the same time it is a choice to lose it. Granted getting a full time job will also render your summer vacas useless for the most part.

What the person said below you (above me) is correct for my comment...

I'm fairly certain the OP was talking about kids having the summers off, not the teachers.

I was commenting on how people want the kiddies to have weekends off... when in fact they get 3 whole months off each year. In the real world they will be lucky to get even weekends offs as it is...

Its all good though, I know the point you are making... just it was taking my comment out of context of the OP

[Ian]

I was commenting on how people want the kiddies to have weekends off... when in fact they get 3 whole months off each year. In the real world they will be lucky to get even weekends offs as it is...

Yeah, but do we really want our 5-10 year olds worrying about what life is like "in the real world???"

I know I don't. I want my kids to have time (lots of it, preferably) to be kids. There's far too much time in life spent in "the real world."

[brivers222]

Yeah, but do we really want our 5-10 year olds worrying about what life is like "in the real world???"

I know I don't. I want my kids to have time (lots of it, preferably) to be kids. There's far too much time in life spent in "the real world."

I understand what you are saying, but seriously having homework each night and then some homework on the weekend is what you do to get to your summer vacation. Its like a right of passage through school.

I know back when i was in grade school, you busted your little tush (i miss the days with a little tush lol) day in and day out... then that final day of school for the year was a well anticipated release of excitement.

But then again, back then we really didn't have to worry about our 13year olds dealing with "adult issues" and having to go on birth control or whatever... so something has seriously changed for the worse.

[Ian]

I definitely don't have that memory of grade school. In fact, I barely remember getting much in the way of homework back then. Maybe a math sheet to fill out and I know we'd get the occasional project to do, but definitely nothing on the scale of what DD gets in 3rd grade.

I obviously expect that to evolve as time goes by ... it just seems to me that loading an 8 year old up with homework is a tad misguided.

[Janmac]

I'm a little older than Ian, so I don't even have that memory - nightly homework - of high school. There was some homework but not hours every night.

I do not recall homework in elementary and I do recall being out for the summer the first week of May and returning to school - reluctantly - after Labor Day.

This was before standardized testing and before the "scores" on the tests started dropping. And the school year started getting longer. And homework was assigned.

And so many papers got sent home. I do remember my brother having a note pinned to his shirt to make sure his teacher saw it.

I also remember many school supplies being provided by the schools but this was years before even simple calculators. I suppose a student had to provide his own slide rule.

Jan

[VWL Mom]

I suppose a student had to provide his own slide rule.

Jan

Yes, we did, and for some bizarre reason I still have the one I bought at Peerless Stationery in 1970

[Jared]

I definitely don't have that memory of grade school. In fact, I barely remember getting much in the way of homework back then. Maybe a math sheet to fill out and I know we'd get the occasional project to do, but definitely nothing on the scale of what DD gets in 3rd grade.

I obviously expect that to evolve as time goes by ... it just seems to me that loading an 8 year old up with homework is a tad misguided.

I agree, Ian. In my old district, teachers can assign 30 minutes of reading each night for homework, but nothing else until the third grade. The workload starts to pick up in middle school, which leads to even more work in high school.

Elementary school students and massive amounts of homework doesn't jive with me.

[Janmac]

VWLMom - talking about dinosaurs, I still have my pinking shears from 1967 or 68 (who remembers?). Something else to add to the stuff that's not on the back to school lists nowadays.

Jan

[ElenitaB]

Sorry for missing the context of the comment I took out of context.

Janmac, do they even teach sewing anymore in school? Is there anything like Home Ec on the curriiculum?

[RedSoxFan]

My daughter had sewing in 5th grade (she's in 8th). She had to make a pillow. That was 1 qtr. Another qtr was for cooking.

[Georgesgirl1]

Unless your already well-compensated teachers decide to go on strike, of course ... my DD lost most of her summer making up time she lost because her teachers refused to report and do their jobs.

But, of course, all they really care about is the children.

In many states (Georgia included), the teacher's unions cannot go on strike. I am actually glad that this is the case b/c I wouldn't want to be told that I have to go on strike, b/c I really do care about the children! Of course, we also don't get compensated as well as in the northern states either.

[Ian]

In many states (Georgia included), the teacher's unions cannot go on strike. I am actually glad that this is the case b/c I wouldn't want to be told that I have to go on strike, b/c I really do care about the children! Of course, we also don't get compensated as well as in the northern states either.

That's the thing ... our teacher's are compensated what I think is very fairly.

The average teacher's salary in our district is $70,000 per year. For someone who only works 9 months out of the year, that equates to a functional yearly salary of nearly $94,000.

[Hammer]

That's the thing ... our teacher's are compensated what I think is very fairly.

The average teacher's salary in our district is $70,000 per year. For someone who only works 9 months out of the year, that equates to a functional yearly salary of nearly $94,000.

But Ian, the same is not true of all districts. If I remember were you live, you live in an affluent district in PA. I live in an affluent district in NJ where the teachers are paid well. If I go to a district just down Rt. 73, their teacher median salary is almost $25,000 less than my township. In NJ, the only thing that is uniform is the entry salary for a 1st year teacher must be a certain amount (I'm not sure what that is anymore since Mom retired 6 years ago).

[Ian]

But Ian, the same is not true of all districts. If I remember were you live, you live in an affluent district in PA. I live in an affluent district in NJ where the teachers are paid well. If I go to a district just down Rt. 73, their teacher median salary is almost $25,000 less than my township. In NJ, the only thing that is uniform is the entry salary for a 1st year teacher must be a certain amount (I'm not sure what that is anymore since Mom retired 6 years ago).

Yep ... totally get that our district is well-paid, Christine. In fact, that was my entire point.

The teachers in our district are extremely well compensated for what they do. That's precisely why I found them choosing to go on strike, in the middle of the worst economic crisis this country has seen in a hundred years, extraordinarily distasteful and alienating.

[Hammer]

Yep ... totally get that our district is well-paid, Christine. In fact, that was my entire point.

The teachers in our district are extremely well compensated for what they do. That's precisely why I found them choosing to go on strike, in the middle of the worst economic crisis this country has seen in a hundred years, extraordinarily distasteful and alienating.

While I disagree with your assessment that the economy is in worse shape than during the great depression (though I'm sure there are some economists which may say that, as I contend that the electronic media works to push their own agenda), I agree with you about well paid school districts striking. I've lived in my district for 10 years and never have I heard of a strike by these teachers, and they are paid on par with your teachers. Just proves my point that it is a case by case situation.

[pink]

I started school at the end of August (I am a second semester Junior) and it is hard for me right now.

I have advisors and teachers setting mandatory meetings outside of the scheduled class time and which always seem to happen when I have work. When I ask if I could just get a briefing of what occured they tell me I need to be at the meeting no matter what even though I have a job. They tell me that school is more important than my job and yet, I couldn't pay to go to school if I can't go to work!

My job is not good about giving me days off and I don't think I should have to just because the school doesn't want to help me out. It's stressful.

I literally wake up at 8 am every day, go to school until 3:30. Go to work from 4-9 and then stay up until 2-3 am every night just trying to keep up with my homework. I also work on the weekends so I usually have one weekend day off a week and that day is spent running errands, doing laundry, cleaning up, etc. I guess I'm an adult now.

People say college is fun but to me, it is really not seeming that way. There is no time for fun.

[brivers222]

People say college is fun but to me, it is really not seeming that way. There is no time for fun.

Someone mis-lead you... College is hard work, HighSchool is the fun years!!

Being 16 years out of HighSchool and 10 years into my (big boi job)... i long for the those days back! Life was a piece of cake back then!