Obama: Is it right to critizice and critique his every move?

[Melody]

My mom used to say pert near all the time. LOL

What's the story? Why did you decide to home school him?

I was volunteering a day or so each week at the kids' school in the copy room.  A little before Christmas break I asked Andrew's teacher how he was doing.  She said he isn't turning in all his homework.  Now Andrew, a 10 year old boy, gets a bit lazy right around Christmas every year and needs some good ole' parental motivation to get him back on track.    Nothing new.

So we get on him a bit and pay closer attention to his homework.  A few weeks later I see his teacher and ask for an update.  Now here's 20/20 hindsight for me: I'm the one asking, never does she make any effort to communicate with me on her own.  She tells me he's still not turning in all his work.  Hmm. So we turn up the heat at home.  We start checking his assigment book with what he's bringing home, he gets banned from all entertainment.  A couple weeks later, again, I see her at school and ask about improvement:  No improvement.  So I ask if she can glance at his assignment book to make sure he's actually writing his assignments down, that could be the disconnect, right?  She tells me, "I don't have time to do that, he's in 5th grade, he shouldn't need babysat." And actually, I agree to an extent.  I'm not about to baby him, each grade only gets more difficult.  He just needs to work harder. 

So no entertainment for the rest of the school year, plus more chores to help him appreciate the amount of work he had in the first place.  A good amount of stern talking to and what nots.  A couple of weeks later, again I ask, this time not feeling good at all about how things are going.  Andrew is working his tail off, we're seeing him do the work, he's not a happy camper to want to keep falling short in any area.  I look into his organization, I inquire of his social interaction..bullies..etc.  Nothing.  He's happy, plays football periodically with the boys at recess, no problems in class, isn't too shy, isn't a trouble maker, gets along with faculty.  I am so perplexed. She tells me it's the same offering nothing more than lathargic shrugs of her shoulders.

What else do I do but walk him up to his classroom and watch him put his work in the designated basket.  Well, now she takes an interest in his assignment book and writes that he had a missing assignment that day.  An assignment I watched him put in the basket.  Now I'm livid.  I'm upset wondering how he has been working very hard and not getting it recorded. 

I go to the principal's office the next morning.  The secretary tells me how she had to make copies of all her daughter's work at one time with no uncertain facial expressions.  Well, that is ridiculous.  The principal arrives and I tell her about it.  She assures me that not only do boys go through this at this age, but that she is going to look into it in case there is room for mishap like student helpers or something. 

A few days later the principal gets back to me and says that it is a mystery BUT that Andrew's teacher throws away unnamed papers.   !!!!  Aparently she couldn't have mentioned this the other times?!  Honestly, I had not been paying close attention to how often his name was on his work.  The principal asked the teacher if she could retrieve the unnamed papers... of course not, she does her work at home and they are irretrievable. 

The principal brings in a 3rd party, another teacher that Andrew will report to each morning and afternoon to make sure he has done it, it's named, and has it for the next day.  Not 2 full weeks go by and I go up with him to ask about something she wrote on his assignment book about needing another copy of a report that could only be done in class.  Ready for the worst, it was nothing.  However that afternoon she wrote again that he was missing an assignment.  This time one that not only did I see done but now there is that 3rd party teacher that checks.  I ask the 3rd party teacher the next morning if everything went well, she said yes, that particular morning Andrew's stuff checked out fine. I told the office I was withdrawing him and wanted a copy of his records.

So that was the last straw really.  I was patient but now I had done all that could be done.   I went to his classroom and inquired about it.  Some background: the night before I drilled Andrew about what happened to the assignment.  Finally, exasperated he says that if she didn't have it maybe he never got it at all, he just didn't know what could have happened.  Well, I myself seen that completed assignment so here is my son, not even sure of himself anymore, desperate to have some kind of answer because "I don't know" doesn't get far in our house.  I'm not against him working hard, learning lessons but this, as his mama, I could see this was too much.  The teacher tells me that he said he didn't get the assignment, and I explained that I seen the completed, so did the other teacher, and I seen him turn it in because I was there to ask about the other note she had written him about the report.  She said nothing, literally, the woman does not act like she cares.  I said, "Well, I am tired of this, I will be cleaning out his desk."  She says she is tired of it too.  !!!  It was the end of the 2 quarter, his report card was A's and 2 F's.  They did a science fair project and his data record kept missing.  He did the project twice and still it disappeared, it was a huge part of his grade that quarter.

There ya go.  I ordered his diagnostic testing before the cirriculum.  This boy tested out in 8th grade social studies, science, reading, and spelling.  Math and English are the only two things he's not ahead in.  He's working on his school work as we speak.  He will be able to have trumpet lessons much easier now and we want to join the Y or something.  I'll be having Hannah homeschool starting in the fall as well.

Throughtout all this, God really blessed me. There are teachers and a vice principal at our church who I sought council from.  They were so supportive.  I've written a letter to the board.  It's a lower income school district, though it's the best school in the district.  Not as many parents are able to be involved like I am and it makes me want her held accountable so that other kids aren't dismissed as "capable just not motivated" like she put on his last report card.



back to your regularly scheduled program.   

[Melody]

MY, i commend your wisdom. I pray daily for the wisdom God has given you.  And your kiddo is blessed to have a mother who not only homeschools, but who is great in wisdom. : ]

Thanks Ginger!  I still need more too. 

[bishopnl]

MY,

That's insane.  First of all, a teacher who THROWS AWAY unnamed assignments?  I was in public school my entire life (not that I learned anything from it) and I've never heard of such an irresponsible action.  Kudos to you for handling it in such a patience, persistent manner.  Once I found out the teacher was throwing away assignments, I would've snapped.

This probably sounds very conspiracy theory-ish, but does she have any clue of any of your personal beliefs?  My general experience with public educators is that they tend to be left leaning--I'd hate to think a teacher would abuse her authority merely b/c of a grievance against a parents religious or political beliefs, but I have a pretty low opinion of the public education system (I'm sure everyone here is shocked )

My experience has been that other than a few basic things, every useful piece of information I got was acquired outside the classroom.  Their is no room in the Constitution for a useless government agency like the Department of Education, and it should be scrapped.

[Melody]

MY,

This probably sounds very conspiracy theory-ish, but does she have any clue of any of your personal beliefs?  My general experience with public educators is that they tend to be left leaning--I'd hate to think a teacher would abuse her authority merely b/c of a grievance against a parents religious or political beliefs, but I have a pretty low opinion of the public education system (I'm sure everyone here is shocked )

It's crossed my mind that there could be some personal problem she may have but she has never said anything to me or Andrew lending any evidence.  But Andrew has at times been vocal, mostly on the playground about different things.  He's had discussions about oneness, baptism and the Holy Ghost with kids before.  One kid, who moved earlier in the year, was very very hungry for God and would ask Andrew stuff.  This little boy told Andrew that his dad worshipped satan, I have no idea if that is actually true.  He said that his dad ripped up a Bible he had.  Andrew told me and I asked the secretary if it was a problem for Andrew to give him a Bible on school grounds.  The boy rode the bus and was always grounded so we could never get together with him or his family.  So we gave him a Bible and his little face lit up, he said now he could finish reading the story of Samson to his little sisters.  LOL.. I hope he wasn't disappointed in the ending.  He also told Andrew that he listened to "Unshackled" on the radio every night and that they always said they felt better after they prayed but when he prayed he never did. 

So.. the teacher had to have known some.  I'm obviously conservative looking and so is Hannah, Dakota would ask Andrew Bible questions in class sometimes too..lol  Poor Andrew, Dakota would come to school with some wild question and Andrew didn't know many of the answers.  2 teachers in training came to our International Expo last year and liked it.  And the principal is a widowed pastor's wife (baptist) who is not shy or at least with me talking about stuff. 

Who knows.  It is weird though and I've resolved that I probably won't ever really know what happened or why.

[Sis]

That could be a possibility but it also sounds like this teacher is burned out and shouldn't be teaching anymore. I've seen some bad teachers in my life but this one tops the list! Even the bad teachers I've known had time to talk to a parent and show them the work books, etc.

I was reading that and feeling bad for Andrew who was doing the work and getting punished for it because you had no idea at first what was going on.

But once a teacher is tenured, it's impossible to get rid of them. The best they could do is move them to another location.

I have seen kids totally turned off school by actions like this. They hate learning, and end up hating authority because it hadn't been fair.

And I agree, you were extremely patient, but now you have proof that it's not just you. You have another teacher who saw the same thing.

[BrothaJason]

We should definitely pray for our leaders such as Obama...but its obvious this guy is just a puppet to carry us along the one world government path. But really we shouldn't worry over this stuff that Obama is doing just trust in God, he will bring you through. Even if things get so bad to where Christianity is banned and everything associated, which I think is very possible in the future...God will bring us through all of that!

[Gingerale]

Amen brotha! I totally agree with you! And I think you're right on the money about Christianity being banned.

[Sis]

But perhaps we can slow it down, by speaking out, Until some of our loved ones get in (or back in) church.

[Brother Dad]

I think ministers are obligated to take a moral stand.  As Seth said, morals should come before politics.  Since the federal government is intent on politicizing morality, sometimes the two cross lines.  For example, ministers have a moral obligation to preach against abortion, homosexuality, and other issues of that nature.  The federal government should have no jurisdiction in these matters, but since they have chosen to, it's inevitable that politics and morality are sometimes going to meet. 

As for respecting the office, I respect the office of the presidency.  But I have little respect for the character of a man like Barack Obama.  I'll leave it at that.

I am in agreement and could not have said better.  Thanks Bishop

[Brother Dad]

The federal government should have no jurisdiction in these matters, but since they have chosen to, it's inevitable that politics and morality are sometimes going to meet.

lol i don't know how to do that properly yet..

But in response to that.. so much for the seperation of church and state.  I wonder how the goverment even got involved into that area of it anyways.  Something to research i guess.

I just don't like that everytime i turn on a christain radio station they are saying obama this and obama that.  He is still a human being that needs a savior just like us and for people to constantly put him down i just don't see that as being a christain response to the situation.  I think prayer and love would be a more appropiate response?
[/quote]It is not Obama we should be speaking out against as much as the stands he takes.