If you could change one thing...

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

If you could change one thing about your child's school, what would it be?

The class size?
The teachers?
The school lunches?
The curriculum?

How could your school be improved?

Reply to this message -- let's get our wish lists started!

[BusyMommy3]

I actually work within my childs school disctrict, so maybe my perspective is a bit different. Every parent would love to see smaller class sizes... that would be a dream! I think for the most part we have wonderful teachers... or at least enough to choose one. Our biggest issue on my wishlist is funding!!!! Our district is land locked for tax funding and we struggle every year. We lobby non-stop for fair funding and help.... but so far nothing. Sooooo that's my wish!!

[wright1212]

This is hard for me and hard not to rant, my question should be what would I keep the same... which would be the teacher is nice...thats it!
My son is in special education in a rural school with no funding or even training in inclusion. So my number 1 change would be for him not to go to that school. As of Jan next year I will be homeschooling and counting down the days until then. This month our fight is they cant not handle ADHD and want him on more medication. They also dont potty train, dont include, dont push him, there is no recess, no social meals, very very little therapy, few supplies for his level, and so on. I want to change every thing and feel I have already moved mountains just to get him a one-on-one aide. I will not be sending my daughter there, she will most likely go to a private school after my husband graduates. I've been told by several professionals that we are in the worst school district they have ever seen. I feel I am giving up by homeschool since I want to keep moving mountains, but I need to do what my son needs. I hope to keep consulting and motivating other parents. Whew.
My daughters pre-k, 1 thing I would like to change is the careless student workers in the lab preschool. Its great to have more hands to help, but not when they stand around and neglect. If they work there they need to take it seriously.

[sedland]

I'm a former teacher and am currently getting my Master's in Education. In the program by eyes have been opened to what's really "wrong" with our schools. Our schools were set up with a military model and high stakes testing does nothing more than make our kids good test takers and not good thinkers. Our classrooms should be based around building community, student centered, the teacher really as a guide, and allowing kids to make mistakes and truly learn from those mistakes. Children should be assessed on far, far more than tests. Portfolios, group work, projects-those are the things that show us what a kid really knows. Our system needs a rehaul, No Child Left Behind needs to be thrown out, administrators and teachers need more training on how we really learn. If we could do this, kids would ace tests no problem and not because they were taught to the test but because they truly understand what they've learned. I also would have plenty of recess and physical activity and healthy eating as a part of their day!

[carolee]

I would change homework. I don't think homework does anything except teach our children to hate school. Teachers are assigning "projects" that are due a week or 2 later to 2nd graders. These kids lack the mental capacity to time manage at that age. They don't understand that they have to work an the assignment a little each day to achieve the goal. They become frustrated and miserable. So the burden falls on us parents to become the homework police. I am too busy with other essential aspects of raising my family to be stuck with managing my kid's homework schedule. Kids have no social time to just go outside and play with other kids like we did when we were young. As I found out in an article in the February issue of Parenting the is little evidence to support the assumption that homework is necessary or even helpful. I urge parents of school age children to read the article. It reinforced what I already believed. There are no positive benefits to homework.

[gothgirl]

I plan on sending my child (just two weeks to meeting him!) to the school that I went to. I love Carlisle's class sizes and how the teachers know all the kids' names. I love how the administration is so approachable and they actually listen. However, I absolutely loathe the accelerated programs. I was in their sad attempt at an accelerated program and as I got older, the program just got worse. There were a couple of years that we didn't even have a class. They gave us the option of doing independent study--with no class time, no guidance, and no structure to follow. We had no idea what we were being graded on. And when you get into high school, we offer nearly no college level courses. The school is really accommodating to going to our local community college but if you do take classes there, you can only take four or five classes at the high school because of schedule differences. I have never been impressed with our accelerated program but as the years have progressed, I have become increasingly disappointed.

[NJRoadie]

Our schools in NJ get huge amounts of funding. Cost per pupil in my district is $15,000, in the poorest districts there is a court mandated amount spent. It has to be equal to the amount the most expensive districts spend, so places like Newark and Camden get $22,000 a kid.

Teachers make great money here too, (of course it costs more to live in NJ!). Still, that money does not seem to buy great teachers.

Personally, do away with tenure (which, for those of you who didn't know it, means three years and 1 day on the job NOT ten years).

Require parents to do volunteer hours in the school - this will help both them and the schools stay true to the mission of education. I've taught in wealthy and impoverished districts, and the difference is always, always, always - parental involvement and attitude toward education.

[changehappens_3]

Hi everyone. This is my first time on this site and responding to the Moms Congress Initiative. I am all for moms in the community and helping out in school programs. I have been a student of an Adult Participation Preschool in my hometown where I go with my child and learn a great deal about early childhood education, parenting skills and life skills as a mom. It is a fantastic program and has been around since mid 1970s. There has been some concerns with our State budget cuts and programs such as these and other programs that are being cut completely soon. We just had a Board meeting tonight on the whole situation. It is really sad to see education being cut at all different angles from all over our state of California. My wish is to have more options for current funding for the Parent Participation Preschool Program to remain open for the rest of the year (until June) and continue in the years to come. As parents in the class, we are conjuring up ways to keep the program running depsite near falling budget cuts. Has anyone been in this situation before in your own state? Thank you for your time and thoughts!

[eniese]

I would have elementary teachers specialized in subjects too. Have a math teacher who is well trained and knowledgeable about how young children learn math. Do the same for every subject. Instead we get well intentioned elementary teachers who teach subjects (particularly math and science) that they have barely any comprehension of themselves. You'd need roughly the same number of teachers that you have already, they'd just be distributed differently.

[CLS]

I can't pick just one, so here's my top 2.
1.) Preschool funding - My husband and I want our son to attend a preschool that has good teachers, an accredited cirriculum, and close proximity to the elementary school he will eventually attend (so he can make a friend or two before the first day of kindergarten). We currently cannot find those three things. We make too much money to qualify for the preschools run by the school district. The "private" preschools near the school are a joke as far a cirriculum goes. So, we've had to settle for a daycare/pre-school combo in a different school district, that we pay over $10,000 a year for. I'm happy to pay the $ since I know it's for my son's future, but I can't imagine how families with more that one child or families with only one income can afford it. There's so much research out there showing how important early education is. We need to do something about that.
2.) School lunches - Our preshool recently enacted a "healthy" lunch policy. I was very excited about that since good nutrician is very important to me. Come to find out that the "healthy" lunch basically meant that they quit seving syrup with pancakes, started serving soggy canned vegetables with lunch, and started offering fish sticks one lunch a week. At least they are making an effort, but really are boxed "fish sticks" any better than a frozen hamburger-like patty? Why not start serving whole grains instead of white bread, serve in-season (hence cheaper) fresh veggies and fruit that the kids might actually eat, and try vegetarian meals with real food instead of processed fish once a week?

[sedland]

For the mom who wrote about homework. I agree totally. Homework, especially for young kids, does not have a lot of purpose. Really good point.

[sedland]

For CLS: You should read Einstein Never Used Flashcards. It's an excellent book that highlights current research on how our little ones learn. It might make you feel better about the "curriculum" at your sons preschool. It was really eye opening for me as a mom of two preschoolers myself.

[kkgump]

I am a mom and an educator. I have been a teacher, a mentor for new teachers and I teach courses online for teacher professional development. As someone who has been in the middle of all of this I truly think it all comes down to teacher quality. When teachers and others begin to treat teaching as a profession, things will get better. You can buy new books, serve healthier food, add more PE and art, lengthen the school day, start the school day later...any number of changes like this could have a positive impact but it all comes down to the teacher in the classroom. When you have a teacher who knows his/her content, who creates an atmosphere of mutual respect, who understand assessment, instructional techniques, multiple intelligences, learning styles and continually strives to become better...then you will have kids who love going to school and who learn more...period.

[CLS]

kkgump: I think you made a great point. When I look back at my school years, the classes I enjoyed most were those that had good teachers. (I was lucky to have a great math teacher in Jr. high & high school, and lo and behold I use a lot of math in my career.) The real challenge is how to effectively find the good teachers, and how to keep those good teachers motivated to keep up the good work. In a corporate enviornment you offer bonuses based on profits. Maybe there should be teacher bonuses based on some measure of how much the kids learn over the school year.

sedland: Thanks for the book recommendation. I will check it out. As far a cirriculum we weren't looking for some fancy advanced/detailed learning path. We just wanted to be sure there was a balance between formal learning and play time. We also wanted our son to experience learning in a fun way. (You know learn about the science of plants by growing flowers, learn about music by getting to play with a tamborine, etc.) A lot of the preschools we looked at were either too focused on the typical classroom learning - sit for three hours a day learning the alphabet, or they are more like a daycare where the focus is just keeping the kids from hurting each other. I was shocked at how hard it was to find something affordable that had a good balance.

[kkgump]

I think teacher prep program can also go a long way to ensure quality teachers. Teaching is a profession and becoming one should be just as challenging as law school or medical school or any other profession. I think too many people are allowed to "get by" in college. Student teaching should be more rigorous as well. Bonuses are a nice idea...the issue is do you only use student success on state tests as a measure? What if a teacher has 75% of her kids come to her below grade level? I think you also need to look at teacher observations as part of that puzzle to determine bonuses...have qualified administrators deem who is an effectiveteacher and who is not. Of course...that means you need effective administrators ;)

[BusyMommy3]

I agree with good teachers being rewarded in some way.. But state testing is not the way to measure it!! Some teachers, some years, may have a class that really stuggles. We should be measuring how far they come through the year, not just cut and dry end of year tests. Regular evaluations as well as administrators keeping constant tabs on their staff would be a much better measure of quality teachers. I work in a district that tends to have a lot of students move and return maybe several times a year.... that leaves us to play catch up constantly. How can we then be held accountable for that child missing valuable information? I wish we could give 'bonuses' to active, involved, dedicated parents!!!

[familyonthego]

I think the school lunches need to be changed to more healthy, contemporary food. I don't know any families who feed their children the type of processed food that is provided for the lunches.
We need a Jamie Oliver revolution. The ironic thing is that in a parenting magazine I read lately there was an article about child obesity! Change the lunches (and breakfasts for some) - it's not just about what the parents do at home!!

[CLS]

I agree that state testing would not be a good measure to use for bonuses. Some kids just don't test well. And as someone else pointed out, some kids will come into a grade level already behind. Maybe something based on an evaluation of each child done at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year. Of course the evaluation would have to be done by an unbiased party, and things like amount of time missed would have to be accounted for so that it didn't hurt the teacher's bonus. There should also be a portion of the bonus that is based both on the administrator's opinion of the teacher's ability/motivation and maybe even have parents fill out a survey about how well they feel the teacher did with their child. Nothing will be perfect, but something like this would be a step in the right direction!

[CLS]

familyonthego - I 100% agree with you on the food issue. No way would I serve my family half of the food the school district serves on a regular basis. I did see an encouraging segment on Rachael Ray the other day. There was a teacher who had received a grant to start a garden project with her 1st graders. They planted the garden, harvested the veggies, and then cooked meals with those veggies. What a cool way to teach kids. They not only learned about photosynthesis and the other science lessons that were in the cirriculum. They also learned how to garden, how to cook, how to eat more healthy foods, and they were given the opportunity to taste things like parsnips that they might not have otherwise had a chance to try! I think her project eventually turned into a chicken coup + a garden that is used by the whole elementary school! We need more teachers like that around.

[KelEMcE]

1. I'd mandate that EVERY school have a self-contained gifted classroom at EVERY grade level, even if that means doing a combination class (say, a K/1 and a 2/3). My daughters are both highly gifted and are struggling through yet another school year without adequate services. A general ed teacher is not required to take coursework in teaching (or identifying, or counseling) the gifted child. As a gifted teacher, I have seen firsthand what happens to these kids when they are left to their own devices. We identify and help low students, students who speak a language other than English, students with emotional issues, why not our brightest kids? Where do we get the idea that gifted education is "elitist", but that it's necessary to spend money on the other "labels"? We are doing our kids a great disservice.
2. NO HOMEWORK! My kids have yet to do a single homework assignment that truly challenged them or reinforced skills that they needed reinforced. Yes, as a teacher I assigned homework. Now that I'm a mom, too, I understand the need for downtime and family time. A 7 year old should be outside playing on the swings, not inside doing yet another worksheet on a subject that she mastered during the lesson that morning.
3. As for the person who responded that elementary school teachers should specialize in subject areas: this is inappropriate for several reasons. The most important reason is that young children need to bond with their teacher. To have 3-5 teachers throughout the day is NOT developmentally appropriate for kids under age 10 or 11. Beginning in third grade, it may be appropriate to have one teacher teach science and another teach social studies, so that each can spend additional time prepping lessons and materials, then switch classes with each other. But to have more than 2 teachers at this age is not appropriate for most children. Most schools already offer "related arts" or "specials" classes, where the classroom teacher releases his/her children to the art teacher, or the music teacher, or whomever, during his/her planning time. That's enough of a change for most young children. By upper elementary school (grades 5-6), students do (or should) be changing classes by subject, at least part of the time, in preparation for middle school. At that level, the subject matter gets more in depth and complex, so specialization is necessary. A good elementary school teacher should be able to teach ANY subject through an 8th grade level. If your child's teachers are not qualified, you need to speak with the principal and/or superintendant of the schools to find out why.

[KelEMcE]

As for bonuses or tying teacher rewards to "outcomes", how do you measure that? What if your principal likes you, so your evals are great? What if you "took her on" this year and she is holding a grudge? What if you teach the "low" kids? What if you teach gifted kids who score in the top 1 percent on standardized tests, even without test prep? If standardized tests are the measure, which do you use? What about kids who are doing well in class, do well in life, but test poorly? Will we see even MORE test prep instead of thought provoking curriculum?

What about a teacher like me? I teach gifted and highly gifted students (IQs above 165, in some cases) who are native English speakers and live in a very wealthy neighborhood, who go to museums and performances and educational vacations, and have every single advantage a child could have. These kids would do well if you gave them a high school AP tests in fourth grade. (I have a second grader in my 4/5th grade class doing 8th grade math. It takes me about 4 hours a week to prep his individual, one-on-one math lessons. He's 7 and doing algebra 1, what I did in 9th grade.) So do I get a bonus for their test scores? Who will teach at the "poor" schools (either financially or academically) if there is little chance for significant test score improvement? Who will take on special ed kids, limited English kids, emotionally handicapped kids?

This is controversial because of the subjective nature of measuring student progress. And do you compare this year's third graders against themselves or against last year's? Or against others in the district? the state? the country? I have yet to see a proposal that actually identifies a way to reward teachers fairly.

[KelEMcE]

Our schools in NJ get huge amounts of funding. Cost per pupil in my district is $15,000, in the poorest districts there is a court mandated amount spent. It has to be equal to the amount the most expensive districts spend, so places like Newark and Camden get $22,000 a kid.

Teachers make great money here too, (of course it costs more to live in NJ!). Still, that money does not seem to buy great teachers.

Personally, do away with tenure (which, for those of you who didn't know it, means three years and 1 day on the job NOT ten years).

Require parents to do volunteer hours in the school - this will help both them and the schools stay true to the mission of education. I've taught in wealthy and impoverished districts, and the difference is always, always, always - parental involvement and attitude toward education.
This depends on your district. When I started, you needed three years. Later, moving to a new state, you had to have 7 years in the district. My husband is transferred frequently, so I will never earn "tenure". But I agree, do away with it! Too many teachers DO slack off once they get it.

[sdigioia]

My child is not of school age yet, but I work in a public school and I see a huge difference in the readiness skills that a Kindergartner with preschool experience possesses and one who does not, especially in regards to social skills. Good preschool is expensive and there are not many options for children who do not qualify for Head Start but can not afford private preschool.

[DrJanetRose]

One of the main things we found while researching what makes for successful girls, is the attitudes of the people she is surrounded with all the time. It is so important that teachers take a pro-active role in developing your daughter as a leader and encouraging her in areas the media often undermines.

I talk about this more in "The Seven Secrets of Parenting Girls. (http://parentinggirls.com/7secrets.htm)"

[nely42782]

What is most disappointing to me as a parent is the fact that the teachers and schools cannot do the job they are intended to do. I have two adopted boys school aged, one despises school and any sort of work, the other is a hyper child that wants to go, go, go. The oldest one that doesn't like school will not do homework, will sleep during class and just doesn't care. Guess what, the schools give him passing grades as long as his homework is handed in the last day of school with no form of punishment. I am outraged by this because it is teaching him the wrong way, you don't go in to a job and tell your boss 'I will do it when I want' that will get you fired. By the way, even if he does fail they still will not hold him back. Now my other son loves school but teachers have a problem with him sitting still and I can see them wanting to say something to him, but it is like they are worried to. I grew up in a Catholic school where you didn't miss homework or turn it in late and if you got out of hand, the teachers could deal with it to a certain point. We knew respect and responsibility. Let the schools do their jobs, our future and our childrens depends on it.

[thunderfeet]

I was lucky enough to have a brother that taught special education for 30 years to advise me. He told me the parents that were persistent and met with the educators at school would get things done. I seemed to always be at my sons school and never gave up. When the teachers at the high school said he would never be anything It made me mad and I went there and spoke up and he graduated. He is now a senior in college and is on the Deans Honor Roll. Stand up for your children. We as parents have to be their advocate. I have even met his professors at the college. My son Is in Information Technology. There are so many students we have to speak up. Every child should have an education.

[kwatanabe]

I am a kindergarten teacher, and I agree with those of you who think quality teachers are what makes the school system. Many teachers who got into the profession for the summers off would hate this, but teachers need to be held accountable for their teaching. Administrators need to check up on all their teachers to make sure there is effective teaching and learning in the classrooms. As a teacher, I appreciate my principal popping in to see how things are going. If teachers are doing their jobs well, what have they got to hide.
HOMEWORK: I do give homework 4 nights a week. Yes, in kindergarten. Teachers need to follow appropriate guidelines when giving homework. Ten minutes for each grade level is the recommended amount. I am always clear to parents that this is to let them know what we are learning and to keep parents active in their child's education .
But I'd like to know where all the funding is????? We have smaller budgets and larger class sizes this year.

[DrJanetRose]

I am a school administrator and I have also done extensive research in what is needed to raise strong girls ready to handle transitions in life, pursue higher education, and open career options. If I could change our current school system I would encourage both parents and educators to take a stance on stopping gender bias in our schools...in our text books, in our library books, and in the messages we send our our girls and boys about what it means to be female. Our girls need to see and hear about strong women in history, about females in leadership positions, about valuing themselves for their intelligence, work ethic, and independence rather than on physical beauty or attractiveness. By building strong, hearty girls and by nurturing boys to respect and value women for their IQ points rather than their chest size, we will be taking the steps necessary to change the gender bias that still exits in our world today. These messages need to start early. My eBook can help. It is free...my contribution to a future of open options for our growing girls....

[specialeducator]

Moms, you might be interested in thinking about additional school priorities listed on www.only4moms.com. Check into the "education forum".

[lonewolf]

i want to know how to get the less - homework revolution survey so i can start a group at my sons school . how do i start ?

[robbyn]

I think that teacher's need to learn more about compassion toward's all children and there disabilities.A teacher that loves to teach young children needs to have compassion.

[rouchelleh@aol.com]

EVERYONE, teachers, parents and students need to be held accountable. This is just another excuse for parents to blame the school system. What most people don't realize is that the test the child has to pass is as Basic Skills Test. In my state of Georgia, it is the CRCT; which I think is a joke! The children only have to achieve a 45% to Meet Expectations which is considered passing. This is the only test that you can actually fail and still "PASS." Raising children is a big responsibility, one that should not be entered into lightly. It is not up to others to teach your child everything. Children are entering school not knowing their alphabet. My child turned 2 five days ago, and he can already identify 15 letters. Read to your children! It makes a world of difference. Also.... stop pointing fingers at your teachers, they are overworked and underpaid, but their because they have a passion. IF your child has a bad teacher, it is YOUR responsibility as a parent to make-up for it. Report it to the schools, document, but take action with your child; not against the school!

[hregula]

I work as a teacher within my daughters' school district, however I teach at a different school. My dream would be that the funding issues be resolved. The DARE grant went away this year and we no longer have an afterschool tutoring grant. There are things I need for my classroom that I pay for out of my own pocket as there is no money from the school for it.
Standardized testing is the high risk thing that holds us all accountable. I teach at a low socio-economic school and the children that attend my school are definitely high risk children and often carry lots of baggage with them. Assessment by standardized testing is tough as not all students are the same. I am glad to see my state start measuring the actual growth a student makes and then making predictions on how successful that student would be in 5th grade.
Funding, funding, funding. A fantastic teacher is someone you want to keep at a school, so steps should be made to ensure that the salaries are worth it to the teacher. The out of pocket expenses should be tax deductible, so matter what, not based on a certain percentage, etc.

[hregula]

I love this reply! I definitely agree that EVERYONE is accountable for the children at the school, not just the teachers. Learning cannot stop once kids leave school.

[Team Captain]

If there was one thing I could change in education it would be what drives the current decision making process. Instead of making decisions with the funding provided that would educate the whole child, many decisions are driven by test scores and local politics. We need people at the top that value education and the role it plays in society more than the dollar and popularity.

[Feltfamily@sbcglobal.net]

I am a new school mom.My daughter started kindergarten this year.I feel as parents we need to take the responsibility of raising our children.I chose a charter school and am very pleased.An obese child does not get fat with a school lunch.My daughter gets homework every day.It takes her 5 min. to do it.If it takes longer than obviously she needed the extra work.We don't own video games,I don't turn on the T.V. when we get home.I work full time and manage to have a wonderful smart child and I credit myself.All the influential people around her have definitely played a big role in her life.Of course I chose most of those people.I think we need to be blessed with the education our child recieves and stop blaming everyone else for our behavior.Parents are ahuge problem with the problems today.Take care of your child and everything else will fall in place.

[crystele]

Hmmm, one thing, a better way to test knowledge at the start of the year. I understand teachers' need to spend some time assessing where each child is, but seriously, this takes 6 WEEKS at most schools.
Tutoring places like Sullivan & Score can figure that out in 2-3 days, why can't we do that in schools?
It might mean a child having a bad day gets misclassified, but a good teacher (goes back to quality teaching I suppose) can figure that out.

[crystele]

Math curriculum. It is awful! Unfortunately it is what is "tested" so no chance they're getting rid of it any time soon.

[jlsantiago]

I echo your sentiments for NJ. My husband works at the board level of a NJ school system and they are going through some serious downsizing/budget cuts. I am told that tenured teachers can be let go if their position is eliminated/downsized and that seniority is what protects the longer tenured teachers over the newer teachers such that someone who has longevity in the district will not be the first to go in a layoff. With all that said, I am not sure that the profession of teaching as a whole has necessarily attracted the best and the brightest. My concern is in the elementary levels where young girls need better math and science skills but the teachers did not excel in those areas themselves growing up and may need to approach these subjects differently for girls than for boys who generally have a higher aptitude for math/science.

[chrisgiraffe]

I'm a former teacher and am currently getting my Master's in Education. In the program by eyes have been opened to what's really "wrong" with our schools. Our schools were set up with a military model and high stakes testing does nothing more than make our kids good test takers and not good thinkers. Our classrooms should be based around building community, student centered, the teacher really as a guide, and allowing kids to make mistakes and truly learn from those mistakes. Children should be assessed on far, far more than tests. Portfolios, group work, projects-those are the things that show us what a kid really knows. Our system needs a rehaul, No Child Left Behind needs to be thrown out, administrators and teachers need more training on how we really learn. If we could do this, kids would ace tests no problem and not because they were taught to the test but because they truly understand what they've learned. I also would have plenty of recess and physical activity and healthy eating as a part of their day!

Sedland, I've thought that ever since I attended High School (85-89). I'm amazed to hear anyone consider the same issues that always seem to take a back seat to temporary band-aid solutions. It's as though bureaucrats lack creativity, or is that a cliche'? Hehehehehehe.

In lieu of a badly needed overhaul the only thing I could suggest to help the current system would be smaller class sizes (i.e. more teachers). I think the advocates of 'no child left behind' would have had a much greater impact if they considered a mandatory class size limit rather than mandatory testing, which is probably an incurable matter of funding and, again, perhaps a lack of creativity on the part of bureaucracy. As complex as our government is I'm surprised anyone can get a cup of coffee in the morning but I wouldn't be surprised if the task wasn't outsourced to the local Starbucks.

[BRoxMum]

Doesn't it always come down to money?
Every problem that needs fixing or improvement requires money being spent.
I would like to see 2 teachers in every classroom!
We live in the 4th largest state, Florida where our tax dollars supplant the lottery money which goes toward education. That is not how the lottery was sold to us decades ago.
The lottery money was to supplement our tax dollars, now it's flopped???
Because of the mean age here, most taxpayers already put their children through school elsewhere.

[Vasica]

If you could change one thing about your child's school, what would it be?

The class size?
The teachers?
The school lunches?
The curriculum?

How could your school be improved?

Reply to this message -- let's get our wish lists started!
There isn't just one thing. The teachers need to be held to a hire standard, they would preform better being "at will" I have seen the difference personally. Classes need to have 25 kids max with a full time aid. Lunch, really? It can be much healthier again I have seen it done! The curriculum can be much better the charter use amazing programs there is no reason the public schools can't!

[rodeoflower]

I wish I could say only one thing needs to be changed in my daughter's school. We are overseas so our school runs through the Department of Defense. So here is the list of things I see.

My biggest issue is that darned no child left behind act.
Teachers are so worried about getting the struggling kids on task they neglect the kids who need to be challenged. My daughter LOVED school until last year when she was so bored. We've been in areas where entire classes are held back because the focus was not on the over all but on the struggling few. That is what tutors and special programing is for, not to penalize the education of the kids who aren't struggling. It's ridiculous!

Locally our class sizes are not terribly bad, no worse than when I was a child, with classes under 30.

However we have a principal that talks down to parents as if we don't know how to raise our kids. We have a school nurse that won't call when a child is injured. My dearest friend, her daughter came home from school one afternoon with a sprained wrist, and spent several weeks in a brace and on pain medicine. My friend was never called, so her daughter spent several hours in agony. The nurse needs to notify parents and let parents decide if it is necessary to pick up the child early. Lice epidemics are HUGE here and only after several parents and I argued with the school repeatedly that we need to know when an outbreak happens did they finally give an email alert when someone gets it in the classroom. Other contagious issues such as pin worm in over a dozen kids, no notice was sent out to parents. There is no reason parents should not be advised when things of these natures occure. No names need to be mentioned to protect the children affected while giving crucial information to parents as to what to watch for.

Our school adopted the healthy policy this year. Parties can contain no candy or sweets or chips of any kind ever, no exception. The farther we get in my daughters education the more it seems they are taking the child out of the concept. In addition, no peanut butter is allowed at school. Great for the school when kids like mine will ONLY eat PB&J sandwiches or buy lunch at $2.05 each day.

The other thing I hear is from my daughter, and the twelve girl scouts I had last year under my wing. PE is running and running and more running. Last year they were doing YOGA without any mats. Several parents complained and mats were eventually furnished. My daughter said they don't play games, they drill. She says it's boring. It's no wonder kids are obese these days (mine is actually slightly underweight). If they are not taught that exercise can be fun, how can we encourage them to get or stay fit. Kids need to learn that you can exercise by doing fun things like games and dance etc. Structured adult style physical activity is not going to teach these kids anything but to hate the thought of exercise.

Schools have become such that they try so hard to over protect children that they don't allow kids to be kids anymore. My daughter is nine and can't take her coat off on the playground when she gets hot from running around with her friends; if she does the monitor yells at her to put it back on.

Society and parents overall have allowed this, many are the same way in their own homes, over protective. It is no wonder tweens are yesterdays teens and pretweens are the tweens today. We are cutting our kids childhoods short by constantly trying to control the world around them. I don't think our parents did so bad raising us, but by the way people act today, you'd think we were raised in death traps and torture chambers. It is time we stand up to schools and regain control over their policies and procedures. Only if parents stand together will change ever happen.

[cvproudmama0709@gmail.com]

I totally agree with the 7yr old comment these kids need to have the hands on experience to grow and nurture the growing mind yes worksheets are important to teach them these things we are trying to teach i have a 2 year old and he learns more when he is playing than with just flashcards.

[mindy5140]

There are so many things that I would love to change in my childs school. The main thing is the use of the Art & Science Rooms. I know that's 2 things but I would love to have an Art Teacher at my childs school. As far as the Science room we have equipment that should be used but it's not.