Results tagged “education” from Momtourage: Blogger Knows Best

 

Earthquakes, tsunamis, rising unemployment, (my husband is still unemployed 7 months later - so sexy) the economy, failing industries, the health care crisis, global warming, Detroit.  Have you heard enough?  Are you ready to just drive your hybrid car into a tree already?...wait a minute.  We need that tree.  Try driving into a Walmart...that would make us all feel a bit better...just avoid the greeter.  She's probably somebody's grandma and most likely the primary child care provider in her household.  As if all this isn't bad enough, we received some more troubling news yesterday:  Lily is receiving extra help in Math and Reading during school.  What?!  I thought she was doing so well in her new school? 

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Our six year old is enrolled in swimming classes this summer.  She can swim.  She does what we call 'the advanced doggie' - as she's very quick.  However, the strokes allude her at the moment.  While the other kids are at least attempting the strokes in class my daughter is just slapping the surface.  She's still not crazy about getting her face wet....so this is a problem.

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It's the end of the school year and once again, I find myself in the 'shocked and appalled' mode when it comes to the teacher's gift.  For the past two years, I was the official money collector for the teacher's gift in December and the end of the year.  In the past, I found it hard to collect even 5 bucks from the other parents....and that was in better economic times.  They would argue that 5 was too much.  Ultimately, I found myself 'sweetening' the gift kitty to the tune of $50 each time.  Now, I find myself in the complaining position.  Fortunately, this year there are three moms in Lily's class who take care of all 'teacher/party business' and I am eternally grateful.  However, they are collecting $20 from each student, 20 students overall, for the teacher apprecitation gift certificate.  That's $400 people!  Am I the only one who thinks this is a little much?  It feels like a bribe.

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by oneofhismoms




New York City has a strange phenomenon --  cut-throat competition for coveted spots at fancy private pre-schools.  I've always chuckled quietly to myself upon overhearing people obsessing about pre-school admissions.  I teach in a public school.  Though some public schools do deserve a bad rap, many of them, like the school in which I teach, are wonderful places -- places I wouldn't mind at all to send my child.  They're free, too.  I never thought I'd get crazy like that.  That is, until I tried to get my son into a public Pre-K class.

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While peering through the glass of a hospital nursery, Tony Pratofiorito carefully watched his newborn daughter Juliana. He'd been waiting nine months for her to arrive, and he couldn't have been happier. But, that moment of elation turned into concern when someone standing behind him asked about his daughter's nursery school prospects--twice.

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Many parents of Lily's fellow Kindergarteners are getting anxious about the upcoming annual testing for our district's Eagle Program - accelerated classes for exceptional students.  I spoke with four mothers after school yesterday in the park about how they feel their children are 'perfect candidates' (believe me I was sucked into the conversation, I tried to back out gracefully several times but, like the Godfather, they just kept pulling me back in).  

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We had our first official Parent Teacher Conference with Lily's new Kindergarten teacher last night, not that I didn't speak with her every day the first three weeks during Lily's transition from first grade back to Kindergarten but who's counting?  I'm happy to report, for the first time in her schort school history, that she's doing exceedingly well!!!  And I'm not just lying to make myself feel better about it this time!

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My daughter Lily is in Kindergarten in the local public school. There is a new phenomenon in going on in New York City elementary schools:  students watch movies and television instead of playing outside at lunchtime. On this one I'm not going to be a-political and try to show both sides of the issue because as far as I'm concerned, there is no valid argument for this besides furthering the interests of the fat, lazy, overpaid staff at her school... and I say that with all due respect.

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A little girl comes home from her first day of school.  Her mother asks, "What did you learn today?"   The little girl replies, "Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow."

Lily, our five year old, is having trouble adjusting to the 'independent work' of first grade.  She's bright and is operating at grade level but is breaking down (and having trouble pulling it back together again) when she makes a mistake, misses a direction, or something else equally as minor.  She also needs a little prompting to keep up.  However, this is not unusual nor alarming....at least for me.  We just keep reassuring her of her intelligence and ability.  We are her support group...and the meetings are daily not weekly.

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I know it's way early in the school year to be proclaiming this but I will go out on a limb and say, I love first grade.  I'll tell you why:  less homework than Kindergarten.  I'm not kidding.  Last year, when Lily was a kindergartner, we had at least one to one and a half hours of a homework a night.  It was brutal: trying to get her to focus on new topics (yes, they had us start new subjects at home, and we weren't even on salary), review old ones and do 'busy work' for what seemed like an eternity every day.  Every weekend we had a book report due too!  We were teaching Lily all about sharing at that time and one day she asked me, "Can I share my homework with my friends?"  Smart girl.  This year, so far, we only have one book report a month and only 30-40 minutes of homework a night.  We no longer start crying the minute we leave the playground after school....I'm talking about me!  There is a god.....and she is merciful.  Are you in homework hell?  Let us know your story.

 

There's a rumor in the entertainment industry (well at least among us comics) that Sesame Street retired the Cookie Monster character because of his unhealthy eating habits.  "He's a monster...he has a different metabolism than humans for gods sake!  And he never actually ate the cookies...more like crushed them."  I'm quoting fellow comic Karen Bergreen with that joke.  I don't see him anymore on new episodes of the popular childrens series.  Am I missing something?  Is he still on them?  Are we just not seeing the episodes featuring him in the northeast?  If it's true it makes me very sad 'cause I really liked him.  His complete lack of decorum around baked goods is rivaled only by my Hungarian grandmother.

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My five year old is in an Inclusion Class or CCT - Collaborative Classroom Teaching.  This is her third year of being in Inclusion and I'm all for it. She was born in late December, 12/22, as a matter of fact.  So, if we lived in the burbs she would have been held back in Kindergarten and not allowed to progress to 1st grade because she's not emotionally mature enough....and I have to agree.  I would have loved for the school to hold her back another year as she is sooooo intellectually and emotionally immature compared to the kids who were born in January.  Six Months to a year is a huge difference when one has only been on this earth for five years.  However, New York City likes to push all children forward regardless of their birthdate because that's just the way it is here.  If you were born in 2002, by golly you're going to 1st grade this year whether you're ready or not!....und you vill like it!!!!

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Lily is starting 1st Grade next Tuesday and she's growing more excited each day.  I'm excited too.....on so many selfish levels.  The only part I'm dreading is the back to school shopping for all her supplies.  The list for 1st Grade supplies for her school is only one page long but it's jam packed with expensive requirements: from oil pastel crayons; to reams of paper; blank CDs; and money for toner cartridges; we're looking at about $125 worth of supplies.  We're not just talking sparkly glue, pretty contruction paper and fancy backpacks anymore.   That is so 90s.  Due to the New York City school budget cuts, parents are now picking up the tab for much needed supplies.

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I took Lily to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan last week.  She's only five but we managed to actually look at paintings for almost one hour!  I spent several days really prepping her with books and online photos of famous impressionist works.  She was really thrilled to be able to point out the Van Goghs and a few other Impressionist works.

However, nothing topped her delight (not including the orange popsicle purchased from a street vendor afterwards) like the Jeff Koons rooftop installation work entitled Balloon Dog.  A great twist on an old favorite.  It's like being at a birthday party except I didn't have to buy anyone a present.

Finally, a bit of good news for American parents and their children! A new study being released today reports that the well-being of American children increased by almost 10 percent between 1994 and 2006. The study credits improved government programs as well as better parenting for the encouraging statistics. Mortality rates for children between the ages of one and four are down by a third, and homicide rates are down even more—they've decreased by 50 percent. Fewer mothers are smoking during their pregnancies and the number of sixth graders who fear being attacked or harmed at school has declined 36 percent. In addition, the report found that more parents are limiting the amount of television their children watch and are also reading to their kids more frequently. Even lead poisoning is on the decline; the number of children who tested positive for elevated levels of lead is down 84 percent.

Although the researchers behind the report acknowledge that some trends remain alarming, such as the increase in childhood obesity and low-birth-weight babies, they also agree that the new findings give families much to celebrate.

What do you think? Do you agree that the overall quality of life for children in this country has improved? Are you glad you're raising your kids now rather than 14 years ago? Share your thoughts!

--Victoria Loustalot, Real-Time Associate Producer 

We're faced with an educational dilemma here in Brooklyn. Lily, our five year old whose birthday is December 22nd, is having trouble keeping up in Kindergarten. Believe it or not, they're only 5, 6 at the most, and they're doing fractions this week! Lily, like most kids her age has trouble paying attention so fractions are really a joke to her and she's the youngest in her class so she has 'maturation issues' already. I even tried to make the fractions homework fun last night: if you have one booger and you cut it in two that makes two halves of a booger. You see maturation issues run in the family.

Now fractions to me, are first grade level work. Even Lily's teachers agree the standards of the state educational board that decides on curricula are not age appropriate. But make no mistake, many, many schools are pushing our children to learn earlier and earlier. New York State isn't alone in this. On a lighter note, I believe in a life of lowered expectations and standards. And that we should start disappointing our children now if we're really going to prepare them for the world.

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When parents say they love homeschooling their children that's the Paxil talking....or maybe they're afraid Jesus might send down a lightning bolt or something.  Whenever I think of homeschooling I think of Andrea Yates....and look at how that ended.  Not Good with a capital N G. 

According to AOL News today:  "A California court ruling that challenges parents' legal right to teach their children at home is angering home schoolers, who hope the state's Supreme Court will overturn the decision. Otherwise, advocates say, thousands of families may be forced to abandon home schooling." 

Good.  I may be a stay at home mom (I work nights) but I'm a big believer in school.....outside of the home.  I only have one child but I could not for the life of me imagine electing to keep her home 24/7.  That just sounds like torture....for both of us.  I know of another institution where people are forced to stay with one group all the time it's called prison....and they're all medicated there too.  Socialization plays a great role in one's education and isolating one's children at home does not sound like a good plan.....unless you have like 13 children.  Then one's backyard truly becomes 'the yard'.

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My mother used to say to me when I complained about my homework that, "Homework never killed anybody."  To which I always replied, "Yes, but I don't want to be the first."

Lily, our five year old, is in Kindergarten and she gets about 45 minutes to one hour worth of homework every day.  It's insane.  And on top of that, she has a spelling test every Friday!  Our first grade friend Imelia gets about 90 minutes of homework a day and is assigned the most complex, intricate, advanced projects which her full-time working mother (a teacher as well!)  usually winds up completing because they're just too difficult.  Come on people.  It doesn't matter how much information is shoved down our kids' throats, SAT scores have steadily been decreasing ever since the 80's.  So guess what?!  The endless hours of homework and the ridiculous expectations placed on our children are obviously not working.  I'm not a slacker mom either I'm a realistic mom.

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Quick Quiz:

• Does your child normally get all As and Bs?
• Does your child have good behavior?
• Does your child have two or less absences in school?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions (and you live in Florida) your child could receive a coupon for a free Happy Meal.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, recent school report cards in Seminole County have a promotion from McDonald's restaurants printed on the side, encouraging kids to get free fast food as a reward for good grades. (see image below)

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It's that time of the year again my friends. Time to tip your garbageman, your mail carrier (happy broke holidays) and all the other people who do things for us every day that we take for granted and most importantly, to take care of the people who take care of the people that matter most to us - our children.

I do remember the days when we made our teachers a special holiday card with crayons and my mother gave them a $5 bottle of Skin So Soft from Avon and everyone was happy but those days don't exist anymore.

Lily is in an Inclusion class. That means there are two teachers and two paras. That means four presents to buy for the holidays. So I offered to organize a class present for Lily's teachers because it is so much easier to give a collective gift certificate than to shop for four people. I also love giving gift certificates to the mall because than the giftee can buy what they want not what I think they might like. Cash is king.

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