If you could change one thing...

[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.