As a teacher I see the other side. Delta brought up the best point. It is not a teachers job to do it all. Our nurses spend way to much time redressing kids that come to school inappropriate. I have given out to much of my string to pull those pants up. Umm who bought the pants?? Not the school! I have kindergarten children coming to me with no manners, yet we are supposed to work miracles. Maybe teachers could spend more time on educational needs of the kids if we weren't dealing with so many behavior issues. Spelling, handwriting, and counting IS in our curriculums. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to call parents and can't reach them for days or when I do they are so clueless what to do. It takes a team to raise a child. We need to stop critizing the schools and the parents and work together!!!

Charlotte

Parents now a days show up (sometimes) for parent teacher conferences.  They (as a general rule) are not involved in their children's school life.  I am one parent who knows most moves my kids make, and am the first one to be in the office when something has gone wrong (on either side - student or teacher)  The current principle at the high school hates to see me show up cause he never knows what exactly has happened.

My kids know that if THEY don't inform me, and I find out through other means, then they are in double trouble.  I have ongoing and constant communication with the schools.  I know my kids friends, where they live, their phone numbers, and their parents.

That's how I was raised.  It drives my kids nuts that I know things they don't think I know.  I believe in giving them enough rope to hang themselves (failure teaches) then shortening their rope dramatically until it's time to let it out slowly again.

My kids could all read, count, know their alphabet and colors etc. long before they entered kindergarten.  My secret weapon?  My children have been read to LITERALLY since the delivery room.

Teach them to read young and they will be able to discover ways to solve other problems - especially math word problems.  Making change is the easiest thing in the world.  It is appalling that today's youth is so far behind living in the real world.  Won't college be a treat for them.  Or have college profs taken to hand holding too?

Cat who is disgusted with the education system.