What are you doing to Fix and Better your Public School?

[bleedingheart]

In light of all the bashing of the public school system I would like to ask the DUers who live in areas where the schools are not doing well to tell me what you are doing to make things better?

My community has a good school, however I helped my sister run for school board 5 years ago and again this year so that she could make a difference and she and her fellow board members have.

In fact about 7 years ago there was a born again christian homeschooler who was on the school board in our community who ran for the school board and then proceeded to be the biggest impediment to the local school that there ever was. When he was up for re-election, pro-public education Democrats and Republicans worked together to get him off the school board, which is the only example of bipartisanship I have ever seen that was amicable...because it was about our kids.

In Pennsylvania, the School Board is elected by the populace. The School Board determines how the school is run and how the money is spent. If you want to make a difference you start there...YET in the troubled school districts it is hard to get people to run...yep...people don't run even though they pay taxes. OR...you have communities where self-serving people run and then have no agenda or their own self-serving agenda.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Teaching in it

[bleedingheart]

2. thank you!

so many pubic school teachers get bashed and people cite every "bad apple" case as proof against public education...when in fact the majority of them are very good and love to teach.

sadly I believe that most of the problems with the children start in the home...

[Im with Rosey]

9. I have two kids

My FIRM belief is that everything starts at home. My son is 24, when he was about 15ish, he told me the best thing about me being his mom was that I was always there when he needed me. Security during very difficult times is critical. He is now 2nd year law student. My 17 year old daughter just got accepted at Stanford. Most importantly, they are both good people. They both went to same schools almost all the way through, I spent all my time raising them and supporting their education. I was extremely lucky to stay home with them, I know a lot of people can't and I don't take that for granded. I think teachers are under-valued(and under-paid) but I also think support at home is under-valued.

[Goblinmonger]

3. See, I knew I liked you for a reason.

What do you teach? I teach high school English and communication.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. I am a certified art teacher

with a specialization in ESE/gifted. I teach k-8 enrichment gifted in a pull out ESE center. This year I am in the computer lab and am teaching digital photography. I am also nationally certified.

I'm presently working on adding a few areas to my certification (studying for the tests) because I think the gifted program might go belly up!

[JohnstownDEM]

5. To make it better...

...I will be running for school board in 2007. If I win, I will be the 3rd generation of my family to serve on the board.

[Godhumor]

6. Teacher here, too

I teach US History and World Geography in NE Washington DC. I certainly hope I'm making the school better and not worse.

[niallmac]

7. We have a swamp nearby.

We don't let the kids play in it and I barely have enough time to earn enough money to keep clothes on our back and not get into debt so I just don't have time to work on draining the swamp. Look where I live. We are not right wing christian fanatics AT ALL. We do however fit one part of your evil doers title. We are home schoolers. I think the implications are a bunch of crap.

[bleedingheart]

11. you know what...all parents home school to one degree or another

my children go to public school, and when they come home i go over their work and I do my best to give them exposure to other topics that the school doesn't cover as well as help them apply what they have learned to the world around them.

We go to the museum, the science center, the ballet and the library. We visit the local creeks and ponds and we take nature walks...

BUT while I care for my children I do care about the other children. Not all parents can give what I do to my kids and those children deserve a chance. I vote, I participate and I do my best to make the world better. I do not hide from it. That is my point. I am tired of people bashing but not doing...

[goddess40]

8. I'm meeting with the superintendent on Wed. about our bully prob.

Our district bully program is a couple of sentences in the handbook, which includes some zero tolerance bullshit. I ordered 5 copies of The Bully, The Bullied And The Bystander by Barbara Coloroso to hand out at the meeting.

I also have volunteered more hours over the years then I can count. I was popcorn mom for 11 years, spent 20+ a week in the library during my children's elementary years (it's now 4 hours a week in middle school) I help with vision screen, was PTO president at twice. I ran the reading program for four years, which was about 2 hours a day. I ran the summer fund raiser - we run a gate at the fair. Plus loads of one day events that I helped with.

I vote!

[bleedingheart]

10. Sadly bully children are raised by bully parents

I know because I live down the street from a family full of bullies. The children are so rough but it seems to be the only thing they have learned. I spend most of my time trying to teach them manners.

I too volunteer as much as I can, and have helped with the stuff I can fill in with...I am thinking about working more with the library as they seem to need more help.\