Quoted: Scott, my parents went to lots of parent/principal conferences during my formative years. After a while we could handle things with a phone call. They knew my parents would fight whatever they tried to pull, so it was easiest for them to roll over.

Grade school, this was definately me.  When I walked into the school I could hear the murmrs, OH SHIT, here he comes again.

Middleschool, I have been relying more on my son to handle the issues with dad standing watching his six and giving advice.  Here, they have tended to back off the social issues and concentrating more on scholastic in these grades.  Still alot of the same socialistic issues are there, just now my son knows how to identify them and has developed his own sense of right and wrong.  I don't know how good this is for being a conservative neither far left nor ultra-religious, he's a tad of a square peg.  He says he's invisible and that's the way he likes it.  

This was an issue last year as he tried to fit in but less of one this year as he has come to realize that this is temporary and he has a life outside the school system.  IMHO, this is very important.  As a parent we must stress school is a temporary thing and if you come out of it with two or three real life long friends, you're lucky.  

Tj

Quoted: TomJefferson, that a good way to handle it, I came out of the K12 system with no friends, but I made it out without fucking myself up at all, so its all good. Wheres BillytheKid lately, anyway?

LOL, He's doing fine just lost his inet privalages for a while for not doing homework.  It's his first year for study hall.  Typical boy!  Computer listed test scores are a scourge on early teens.

Did alot of camping, boating, and shooting this summer but a bit bummed as Gunstock this year is a week after his fall break so can't attend unless I fly him down.

BTK is gettng ready for school and said to say "Hi".

Tj

We solved this problem.  We moved.  Our old city was very multicultural and very diverse.  Not a problem in and of itself if all people were treated equally.  Some however were always treated more equally than others.  After a few altercations, and on several occaisions my kids were told by other students " I'm (pick your minority) so I can do whatever I want and not get in trouble."  I thought that this sounded strange so I checked with other parents, including those of that minority.  I found out that the statement was accurate.  We now no longer have this problem.  The schools here are excellent and have no PC undertones permeating the school day.  The kids have less homework as more time can be directed to school work during the school day.  The teachers can actually teach since they don't have to spend their time settling disputes and dealing in long winded appeasement.  I truly hated moving, I grew up there, but the difference in my kids is proof of the correctness of the move.  I truly wish that these schools in the inner suburbs truly understood that by their disparate treatment of students they were actually promoting racism, but they don't.  The minutae of the moment clouds the big picture.  To any minorities that may read this and misinterpret my words all I can say is this.  No one is holding you down but yourself.  The majority does not care what you look like or where or into what circumstances you were born.  This is America, you have the same opportunity to succeed or fail as everyone else.  Your kids have access to incredible resources for self improvement and education.  Take advantage of them to the fullest.  Do not however expect to be cow towed to, molly coddled, or treated as " special ".  You have now achieved well deserved equality, but the only way you will keep it is to truly act as equals.  You are not more equal.

I think that if my kid had to deal with a situation like that, that I'd be playing the bull in the china shop.  I'd be a regular visitor to ALL of my kid's classes,  and I would be a "guest teacher",  whether the teachers and administrators like it or not.      Oh, my conduct would be legal,  for sure, but it'd be quite pointed, too.

My kids will receive a fair and BALANCED education.   If the teachers want to teach about the bogus non-holiday known as kwanzaa, or the foreign (and hence irrelevant) holiday of cinco de mayo,  then they're going to learn about the truth of Christmas...and taking impartiality to the extreme, I'll also teach them about Boxing Day,  which is a uniquely British holiday.     (Christmas for the servants, staff, and hired help, essentially.  Dec. 26, if I remember right.)  And if the colored kids are special,  damned straight the white ones are, too, and I'll never let anyone forget it!

I don't object to a broad based education that's sensitive to other cultures, races, and beliefs....but I sure as hell draw the line where it's NOT respectful of AMERICAN WHITE culture and beliefs!   THAT WILL BE TAUGHT,  DAMMIT!!!



CJ

I know you all have your War Paint on about these rules, but let's be honest.  those rules are there to TRY and eliminate some of the most common disciplinary problems that teachers have to face.  If they are not dealing with discipline/social problems then they can actually TEACH reading, writing, a 'rithmatic...

I used to teach at a junio high.  We were not trying to turn your children in to socialist.  We just wanted to keep them settled down long enough to teach them math and science.

You know, it would help as well to understand that a kid fighting with another child over a game of 'kick the fat kid' is going to take time and resources that YOU, Mr./Mrs. Taxpayer are providing.

Loosen your tinfoil and look at WHY the teacher is making the rules.

They are trying to do their job, without the need to spend half their day solving petty fights, arguments and disagreements.

TRG

PS.  Shiny side out on the tinfoil, fellas...