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grenolia grunt
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Posted: Fri Aug 7th, 2009 11:08 pm |
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| What are Plus days?
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MeKidding AreYou
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Posted: Fri Jul 31st, 2009 01:17 am |
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| You keep calling me names.......and that hurts my feelings.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 08:56 pm |
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MeKidding AreYou wrote: areyounotkidding me wrote:
There are people out there who really want to be teachers for the sake of the kids and that's who we need to find and weed out Wow, you want to find and weed out the teachers who teach for the sake of kids??! You wouldn't have any teachers left! Despite what you may think, there are few people who became teachers because of the excellent pay. the bad ones like PUSD. The system needs to be changed so we are able to do that.What system would that be?
. You rap all teachers and all schools and all students into one tidy little pile and stomp up and down on top of it.
Actually, Oh Odd One, this would have been a great year to weed out the bad teachers. You see, there were some teachers who lost their jobs this year. Was it based on their proficiency in the classroom or their reviews by supervisors? No, it was based on tenure. So, in some cases, we have teachers who continue to be teachers based on how many years they've been teachers. Period. Is that a good system? I don't think so.......
As far as wrapping all teachers and all schools into one tidy pile, nothing could be further from the truth. I am almost to the end of my four children who have started and will graduate from PUSD schools. For the most part, PUSD has been a good district and my kids have done well and they have had some fine teachers along the way. Having said that, dealing with the many teachers I have come in contact with as a parent, the district has some teachers who have no business in front of a classroom and there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. I am obviously very frustrated with the time the district wastes with the meaningless activities such as 8th grade graduation. As I have stated more than once, I have no problem with a short ceremony to celebrate the moving on to ninth grade. But, it has never been a short ceremony. It was usually two days of practicing for this silly exercise. How about instead of teaching my kid to stand up in unison you teach my kid what a predicate nominative is and the proper usage of "there are" and "there is"? It seems so simple to me.
Finally, OH ODD One, thank you for allowing me to get my soapbox out again. I know I am not addressing some of your "points", but you are just too silly and out there to take at all seriously. But, I would like to make one final point. The one thing that Diane Douglas has done is to ask questions and has made her such lightning rod of controversy and is the reason I have grown to respect her all the more.
I think this has been Diane's attitude: 'I know we have done that for years, but what is the logic of keep doing it this way' or 'how about we take a fresh look at this issue - maybe there is a better method of accomplishing our goals.' Diane, keep it up!!!
Last edited on Thu Jul 30th, 2009 09:22 pm by
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MeKidding AreYou
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 07:03 pm |
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areyounotkidding me wrote:
Actually, OH Odd One, you're not keeping up again. I never said our people aren't fine people. I believe I have been very clear that our educational eystem is subpar compared to many countries in this world for a myriad of reasons. One very clear reason is we can't get rid of really bad teachers because of tenure. If you are truly a teacher (which I am doubting the more you write on this forum), that is very troubling to me. ??? Why do you think I'm a teacher? Because I have attempted to educate you? LOL You have shown yourself through your many silly personalities and posts to be prejudiced against homosexuals and minorities. I'm really lost on this one. I know some people have MPD, but I'm not one of them. And, I have nothing against gay Mexicans. Another example is PUSDTeacher, who has set of issues all her own (number one, she writes like a third-grader). Now now...don't make me point out your errors. Besides, when it comes to writing online, there really are no writing rules. i can even type without capitals or correct punctuation..............see? OMG lighten-up. There are people out there who really want to be teachers for the sake of the kids and that's who we need to find and weed out Wow, you want to find and weed out the teachers who teach for the sake of kids??! You wouldn't have any teachers left! Despite what you may think, there are few people who became teachers because of the excellent pay. the bad ones like PUSD. The system needs to be changed so we are able to do that.What system would that be?
As I have stated before, I think there are a lot of High School Moms out there Like you??  who understand there need to be some substantial changes in our educational system, not only in PUSD, but throughout the country. Sure. I agree with you about the 1/2 days and the school lunch thing. But you are against EVERYTHING. You rap all teachers and all schools and all students into one tidy little pile and stomp up and down on top of it.
By the way, you and others have tried to insinuate that High School Mom is me on this forum. Frankly, I have not tried to discourage this in the least as she is one smart mother. Ah...self love.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 05:25 pm |
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MeKidding AreYou wrote:
Now now AYKM, just because AYNKM says that people in this country aren't as good as people in other countries and that our children don't learn anything in our schools, doesn't make it so. It's one person's opinion...multiplied time and time again under various forms of ID...but still, one person's opinion.
Actually, OH Odd One, you're not keeping up again. I never said our people aren't fine people. I believe I have been very clear that our educational eystem is subpar compared to many countries in this world for a myriad of reasons. One very clear reason is we can't get rid of really bad teachers because of tenure. If you are truly a teacher (which I am doubting the more you write on this forum), that is very troubling to me. You have shown yourself through your many silly personalities and posts to be prejudiced against homosexuals and minorities. Another example is PUSDTeacher, who has set of issues all her own (number one, she writes like a third-grader). There are people out there who really want to be teachers for the sake of the kids and that's who we need to find and weed out the bad ones like PUSD. The system needs to be changed so we are able to do that.
As I have stated before, I think there are a lot of High School Moms out there who understand there need to be some substantial changes in our educational system, not only in PUSD, but throughout the country.
By the way, you and others have tried to insinuate that High School Mom is I on this forum. Frankly, I have not tried to discourage this in the least as she is one smart mother.
Last edited on Thu Jul 30th, 2009 10:01 pm by
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What Me Kidding
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 04:10 pm |
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| What's a Plus Day?
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MeKidding AreYou
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 03:54 pm |
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AREYOUKIDDING ME wrote: I think they should do away with Kindergarten, 8th grade, AND high school graduation ceremonies. After all, I don't think the children have accomplished anything worth celebrating. We need to push...push...push because as mentor, AYNKM said, the people in this country aren't as good as people in other countries.
Now now AYKM, just because AYNKM says that people in this country aren't as good as people in other countries and that our children don't learn anything in our schools, doesn't make it so. It's one person's opinion...multiplied time and time again under various forms of ID...but still, one person's opinion.
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MeKidding AreYou
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 03:48 pm |
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areyounotkidding me wrote: As you often do, Oh Odd One, you are missing the rather obvious reason why I am so against 8th grade graduations. They are a waste of school time... It was easy for me to miss your reasoning since none of the articles you provided elude to that way of thinking. It would appear that you and your other IDs, High School Mom, No Mood, etc., are alone in thinking graduation wastes time in school. All the other information in the articles state that graduation sends the wrong signal to students. That, and parents go over-board by renting limos, etc. That much, I agree with...but then that's not your point, is it?
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 02:33 am |
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As you often do, Oh Odd One, you are missing the rather obvious reason why I am so against 8th grade graduations. They are a waste of school time, a waste of valuable time that should be used teaching kids what they need to know when they get out of the PUSD system. Our schools need to be improved if we are to compete with the rest of the world. Wasting the kids' time with meaningless exercises such as this is not what is needed today. If any kid feels that this is a significant ceremony in the least, you are right, OH Odd One, the parents are clueless. I would almost be proud of you that you backed into a correct statement, if only you weren't so completely odd.
If I may quote High School Mom from below in which her statements are right on the money, in my humble but usually correct opinion: "Truly a sad state of affairs, but the facts are the facts. This school district is most definitely NOT focused on college prep. Unless the parents demand a more challenging curriculum for their student(s), the district will simply let the kids slip by with bare minimum grad requirements, and then the district is applauded for having such high graduation rates. That, my friends, is the bottom line with PUSD (and probably all other school districts). Sad but true."
So, we continue to have worthless activities like Plus Days, eighth grade graduation, and numerous teacher training days instead of having more student training days. This needs to be changed......
Last edited on Thu Jul 30th, 2009 01:54 pm by
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MeKidding AreYou
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Posted: Thu Jul 30th, 2009 12:38 am |
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By Chicago Tribune
"Jun. 11, 2006--It used to be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, but today's school kids hear Sir Edward Elgar's stirring "Pomp and Circumstance" almost as often as they hear "Happy Birthday to You."
By the time they reach their freshman year of high school, many of them already have four commencement ceremonies under their belts: There's preschool graduation, followed by kindergarten graduation, followed by 5th-grade graduation and finally 8th-grade graduation. We're all for marking milestones, and there's nothing cuter than a 6-year-old in a mortarboard, all pumped up to face the rigors of 1st grade. But we can't help but applaud the nascent movement to dial back the excesses of 8th-grade graduation events.
There's nothing wrong with a "moving on" ceremony, as Indian Prairie School District 204 billed this year's events.... "
Gag me...
A "moving on" ceremony?? They have blown their whole case out of the water for those who think 8th grade graduation is promoting the mindset that they have finished school.
If kids have had a "preschool graduation, followed by kindergarten graduation, followed by 5th-grade graduation and finally 8th-grade graduation," then why would they see the fourth ceremony as "the end"? Wouldn't they just consider it part of the process?
To critics of 8th grade graduation: Why is it that there is "nothing cuter than a 6 year old in a mortarboard?" OMG!!, they might be thinking that they are finished with school!! Stop the celebration!
Geez...think for yourselves and raise your children with the belief that it is okay to celebrate your successes along the way...but you're going to go to college.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 10:06 pm |
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| Odd, just completely an oddball.....
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AreYou Me
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 09:48 pm |
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What Me Kidding wrote: No_mood wrote: ................................I don't care one way or the other about 8th grade graduation. It isn't something that should be celebrated...............................
What, HE kidding?
LOL...That's funny. 
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AreYou Me
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 09:45 pm |
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areyounotkidding me wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/fashion/22grad.html
For the most part, this article is, again, about the haves and have nots. In short, some schools and parents go over-the-top with celebrating, while some schools keep it simple. My kid had a graduation and it was a nice, simple affair. He went on to high school...then college.
Obviously, the "experts" can't decide if it is really a good thing or not.
From the article:
"The education scholar Diane Ravitch...: “I don’t think anyone should say, ‘Hey, it’s only eighth grade.’ Lots of parents celebrate their kids’ accomplishments and we don’t say, ‘Hey, it’s only Little League.’ At least we have parents celebrating their children’s educational achievement. It says, ‘There are good rewards to staying in school.’ ”
Other principals say that the middle-school years have become a distinct period of maturation, worthy of recognition. “It acknowledges that students are uniquely different than students at high school and elementary school,” said Susan Howard, principal of Briarcliff Middle School. “We get little kids at the beginning of sixth grade and we graduate out young adults.”
And some students do deserve more than a handshake, said Jonathan Zimmerman, a New York University professor who writes about American education. “There are kids for whom getting through eighth grade is a remarkable achievement: kids in foster care, the homeless kid who is constantly moving,” he said. 'That kid should have a party.'"
I would say that if your child considers 8th grade to be "the end" because they had a ceremony, then you haven't done your job as a parent. Why some people think teachers should also be their kids' mom or dad is beyond me. Teach your kids some values. Don't blame your failures on the schools. LOL.
Last edited on Wed Jul 29th, 2009 09:46 pm by AreYou Me
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 08:35 pm |
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More on the foolishness of eighth grade graduation ceremonies.......
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/fashion/22grad.html
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What Me Kidding
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 05:29 pm |
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No_mood wrote: ................................I don't care one way or the other about 8th grade graduation. It isn't something that should be celebrated...............................
What, HE kidding?
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MeKidding AreYou
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 05:21 pm |
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areyounotkidding me wrote: With her son graduating from 8th grade, Susan Estergren was looking forward to seeing him decked out in a cap and gown, just like his older brother.... (When the ceremony was toned-down)
"We're not too pleased," Estergren said Monday outside Hill Middle School. Her husband, Greg, was more explicit: "They've really shortchanged the children."
Of a dozen districts contacted at random by the Tribune, most have retained an 8th-grade graduation, but not all.
For the Chicago Public Schools, no changes are on the horizon....
...Even so, he [Dr. Louis Kraus] doesn't see a reason to jettison commencement entirely. "People just need to keep things in the proper perspective."
That sentiment is echoed by Supt. Steve Griesbach of Gower School District 62, who noted that many students at Burr Ridge Middle School who have been together since kindergarten will soon scatter to public, private and parochial high schools. For that reason, a graduation ceremony is appropriate, he said.
"This really marks the end of the Gower years," he said. "That is something symbolic." ..."This is still going to be an important event for some people. No matter what you do, traditions don't die," said principal, Michael Raczak.
Looks like just a few schools out in Corn Field County have done away with 8th grade ceremonies. Probably because they couldn't afford it. Obviously, many many people still see them as an important part of the education experience. Sorry AYNKM....try again.
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AREYOUKIDDING ME
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Posted: Wed Jul 29th, 2009 04:54 pm |
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Ah...I'm in heaven.
I think they should do away with Kindergarten, 8th grade, AND high school graduation ceremonies. After all, I don't think the children have accomplished anything worth celebrating. We need to push...push...push because as mentor, AYNKM said, the people in this country aren't as good as people in other countries.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Tue Jul 28th, 2009 11:58 pm |
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NO POMP TO CAP END OF 8TH GRADE: Junior High Graduation Toned Down After Years of Chasing the Joneses
Posted on: Thursday, 8 June 2006, 09:01 CDT
By Bonnie Miller Rubin, Chicago Tribune
Jun. 8--With her son graduating from 8th grade, Susan Estergren was looking forward to seeing him decked out in a cap and gown, just like his older brother.
But when Michael Rizzotti walked into the gymnasium to the strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" in Naperville this week, it was without the traditional robes and diploma. In fact, the event wasn't called graduation at all. Rather, this was billed as a "moving on" or recognition ceremony, a change made at all of Indian Prairie School District 204's six middle schools.
"We're not too pleased," Estergren said Monday outside Hill Middle School. Her husband, Greg, was more explicit: "They've really shortchanged the children."
Still, some school officials feel the time is ripe to scale back such graduations. An 8th-grade education is less of an accomplishment than it was during the early decades of the 20th Century, when many graduates moved on to factory or farm work. These educators also hope that downsizing the event will help rein in the extravagances that have crept into such rituals, from acrylic nails to limousine rides. Even Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has weighed in on the subject, drawing thunderous applause at a Father's Day sermon last year when he said 8th-grade graduations are sometimes overvalued.
"In our society, moving from 8th to 9th grade is no longer a milestone," said Supt. Howard Crouse of the Indian Prairie district, which includes parts of Naperville, Bolingbrook and Aurora. l
Of a dozen districts contacted at random by the Tribune, most have retained an 8th-grade graduation, but not all. The five junior highs of Naperville Community Unit School District 203 dispensed with formal proceedings long ago.
The National Middle School Association has done no polling of its members, but spokesman Al Summers said there seems to be more interest in keeping graduation festivities simple and within reach of everyone.
"It has become, who can outdo the Joneses. 'If Johnny has a stretch limo, then I'm going to get a Hummer limo.' It just gets ridiculous," Summers said.
GA_googleFillSlotWithSize("ca-pub-5440138744487553", "News_Main_300x250", 300, 250);
Unity Junior High School in Downstate Tolono recently held its final 8th-grade graduation, bringing the curtain down on a longtime pra'ctice. Several other surrounding schools in Champaign County are considering similar moves.
Principal Mary Hettinger said she had decided it was "more appropriate" to celebrate at the end of high school but also was motivated by the increasing opulence attached to such events, a trend not limited to urban and suburban communities. "We're sitting in the middle of a cornfield, and we still have to curtail excess," said Hettinger, whose school, which had 103 8th graders this year, will go to a daytime ceremony next year. "We had gowns and girls getting their hair and nails done ... the whole thing was turning into something like a mini-prom."
For the Chicago Public Schools, no changes are on the horizon, but administrators are imploring families to keep it simple for their 8th graders.
Charlotte Stoxstell, principal at Bethune Elementary School on the West Side, said she gets exasperated when parents go overboard in the run-up to the commencement period, which for Chicago schools starts Friday and generally runs through June 17.
"They're planning trips to Great America or the Wisconsin Dells, and meanwhile you can't get them here for open house or report-card pickups," she said.
Some child development experts cite "hurried-child" syndrome as a reason to shrink the festivities. These young grads often feel pressure to wear sexy attire, have a date and adopt other behaviors beyond their years.
Such pressures are usually driven by parents "who see this growing up too soon as some kind of reflected status," said Dr. Louis Kraus, head of child and adolescent psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center.
Even so, he doesn't see a reason to jettison commencement entirely. "People just need to keep things in the proper perspective."
That sentiment is echoed by Supt. Steve Griesbach of Gower School District 62, who noted that many students at Burr Ridge Middle School who have been together since kindergarten will soon scatter to public, private and parochial high schools. For that reason, a graduation ceremony is appropriate, he said.
"This really marks the end of the Gower years," he said. "That is something symbolic."
When the Indian Prairie district proposed downsizing 8th-grade graduation last summer, it solicited feedback from parents. Of 1,000 respondents, about 75 percent said it could be eliminated, officials said.
So, this year, commencement went from an evening occasion in a large community venue to a morning assembly in the school gymnasium during a regular school day. The objective was to recognize the transition as a stepping stone on the journey, not the destination.
"We were spending an increasing amount of time, energy and money on a ceremony that had lost any real meaning," said Crouse, whose district is the third largest in the state, with an enrollment of 27,000. The new ceremony got mixed reviews Monday. Many parents lamented the loss of coveted cap-and-gown photos or complained they needed to take time off from the office to attend.
And even a mid-morning ceremony didn't keep girls from teetering on 4-inch heels while swathed in organza and chiffon. Some parents, clutching flowers and balloons, whisked their students away for lunch and never returned, despite an edict that everyone respect the "sanctity" of the school day.
Matt Stevens, who graduated from Crone, another Indian Prairie middle school, gave the experience a tepid rating. "What they did was OK," he said. "It just didn't feel like we were ending 8th grade, because we had to go back to class. A lot of kids thought this was the parents' idea."
Michael Rizzotti, Estergren's son, said he would have liked to wear a cap and gown when he graduated from Hill. "Every other year had it and we were the only ones who didn't," he said. "This was kind of boring ... and most of my friends felt the same way."
Hill's principal, Michael Raczak, conceded that change is hard, but said he was generally pleased with the first-time effort.
"Overall, things went pretty well, although we still have some nuances to work out," he said. "This is still going to be an important event for some people. No matter what you do, traditions don't die."
brubin@tribune.com
-----
Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Source: Chicago Tribune
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No_mood
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Posted: Tue Jul 28th, 2009 10:05 pm |
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SometimesRational wrote: LOL.....You got him pegged, Apache Mom!
I read his comments and agreements with himself in the latest edition of the Peoria Ind. and I knew it was him.
He gripes about 8th grade promotion every year. I say this...AYNKM or High School Mom or No Mood or whatever he wants to be known as, simply doesn't believe that kids should be allowed to be kids and should not be allowed to celebrate their successes. He is against any kind of celebration at school. He would put an end to Kindergarten graduation, 8th grade graduation, and probably doesn't think too highly of High School graduation either. Maybe it's a case of sour grapes...LOL.
Anyway, he lives for arguing and trying to irritate people. It's best to just talk around him. He won't go away, unfortunately. No, he'll continue on making comments and agreeing with himself using another ID...sad really.
Please do not put me in the same category as AYNKM, High School Mom and the rest. I don't care one way or the other about 8th grade graduation. It isn't something that should be celebrated as the school systems across this country are graduating illiterates anyway.
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AreYou Me
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Posted: Tue Jul 28th, 2009 04:54 pm |
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| I am simply obtusified.
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What Me Kidding
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Posted: Tue Jul 28th, 2009 04:46 pm |
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areyounotkidding me wrote:
.................bringing school schedules into closer alignment with parents' work realities has to be part of the mix.
My parents don't work. Does that mean I will never have to go to school??????...........................?????????????????????.......................????????????????????
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AREYOUKIDDING ME
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Posted: Tue Jul 28th, 2009 03:52 pm |
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areyounotkidding me wrote:
...And, when you compare us with other countries, we're pretty low on the totem pole....
Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that children sit behind a desk for 365 days straight or that we turn schools into round-the-clock childcare centers. Nor do I think we should stop advocating for more flexible workplaces and better after school programs. But bringing school schedules into closer alignment with parents' work realities has to be part of the mix. Whether the solution is a longer school day or a longer school year, getting there won't be easy. There will be funding issues and union contracts to contend with and it will require an unprecedented partnership between parents and teachers. But the Calendar Mamas here in Illinois are ready to take it on!
Thanks for my daily fix.
This cut and post sounded great until the end. But, I don't see any reason why children should have any days off. I work 7 days a week. If I have to work, I think the kids should also be in school. That would bring the school schedule a little closer to alignment with my work realities. So, whoever wrote this is a wimp. It doesn't sound to me like the Illinois Calendar Mamas are ready to take on anything but another cup of coffee.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Tue Jul 28th, 2009 12:18 am |
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The moment my now 10-year-old daughter started kindergarten, I knew that school schedules were a missing piece of the work/family puzzle. From the assemblies at 11:00 a.m. that only a handful of parents can attend to the countless days when children are off or released early from school, sometimes it's hard to believe we're living in the 21st century. Yes, most moms of school-age children are in the workforce today (a whopping 70% of us) but you wouldn't know it if you glanced at a typical school calendar. Let's use my local district here in Evanston, Illinois as an example. During this school year alone, we had 8 holidays, 3 days off for parent-teacher conferences, 2 teacher in-service half days, 5 early dismissal days (also for teacher training), plus a 2-week winter break and 1-week spring break. And, that's not even counting the 2+ months the kids have off in the summer.
As if the current schedule wasn't difficult enough for families to juggle, our district recently proposed to expand the number of early release days to carve out more time for professional development. Now, what parent wouldn't want their child's teachers to have top notch training? But, should that come at the cost of even fewer full days of instruction for students and a more chaotic schedule for parents whose work and childcare arrangements often revolve around the school day?
This was the question at the heart of a campaign spearheaded by ParentsWork, an Illinois parents' organization I started to bring about changes - in our communities, schools, workplaces and laws - to better enable us to care for our children and families. Given our Evanston roots as well as the fact that many of our founding members have children in the public schools here, taking on the calendar seemed like the perfect place to start.
So together with other concerned parents and with the support of our local PTA Council, the "Calendar Mamas" (as I like to call us) researched the issues, submitted Freedom of Information Requests, attended committee meetings, testified before the school board, wrote letters to the editor, and organized a petition drive that garnered over 300 signatures. Not only did we succeed in halting the expansion of early dismissal days in next year's calendar but perhaps even more importantly, we sparked a community dialogue about the impact of school schedules on the education and care of our children. And hopefully, this will spur additional changes not only in our schools here in Evanston but across the state and our nation.
The American school calendar is long overdue for an overhaul. Originally designed for an agrarian society, it is largely out of touch with the needs of many working families today. And, when you compare us with other countries, we're pretty low on the totem pole when it comes to the length of our school year, which could have something to do with how we stack up globally.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that children sit behind a desk for 365 days straight or that we turn schools into round-the-clock childcare centers. Nor do I think we should stop advocating for more flexible workplaces and better after school programs. But bringing school schedules into closer alignment with parents' work realities has to be part of the mix. Whether the solution is a longer school day or a longer school year, getting there won't be easy. There will be funding issues and union contracts to contend with and it will require an unprecedented partnership between parents and teachers. But the Calendar Mamas here in Illinois are ready to take it on!
A Peaceful Revolution is a weekly blog about work/life satisfaction done in collaboration with MomsRising.org. Read a post by a leading thinker in the field every week.
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AREYOUKIDDING ME
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Posted: Mon Jul 27th, 2009 11:05 pm |
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| Ah...I never get tired of this rant. Sometimes I just log in to re-read this same gripe over and over again. I couldn't agree more.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Mon Jul 27th, 2009 04:24 pm |
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Start and End Times / Early Dismissals / Area 1 and 2 Schools
FIRST SEMESTER
Aug 7 Freshman Orientation
Aug 10 School Starts for Students
Aug 27 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training/All Schools
Sept 7 Labor Day
Oct 1 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training/All Schools
Oct 9 First Term Ends
Oct 12 Columbus Day
Oct 16 HS Report Card Distribution
Oct 22-23 *Early Dismissal/Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences/Report Card Distribution
Nov 5 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training/All Schools
Nov 11 Veterans Day
Nov 26-27 Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 3 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training
Area 2 HS; Area 1 Elementary
Dec 10 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training
Area 1 HS; Area 2 Elementary
Dec. 16-17 HS Course Assessments
Dec 17 Second Term Ends
Dec 31 HS Report Card Distribution
Dec 18-Jan 1 Winter Recess
SECOND SEMESTER
Jan 4 School Resumes
Jan 6 Elementary Report Card Distribution
Jan 18 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 28 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training/All Schools
Feb 11 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training/HS Only
Feb 11-12 *Early Dismissal/Elementary Parent-Teacher
Conferences/Progress Report Distribution
Feb 15 Presidents’ Day
March 12 Third Term Ends
March 15-19 Spring Break
March 24 Elementary Report Card Distribution
March 26 HS Report Card Distribution
April 23 Testing Break
April 29 Early Dismissal/Teacher Training/All Schools
May 14-17 HS Senior Exams
May 19-20 HS Course Assessments
May 18-19 Eighth Grade Promotion Ceremonies
May 20 Students Last Day/ Fourth Term
Ends/Elementary Report Card Distribution
May 20-21 HS Graduations
May 28 HS Report Card Distribution
Bold Print: No School
SUGGESTION: FEWER OF THESE TEACHER DAYS. WHY?? PARENTS HATE THEM AND ARE WASTED TEACHING DAYS FOR THE KIDS......ASK YOUR CHILD THIS YEAR WHAT THEY DID ON THESE HALF DAYS....
Last edited on Tue Jul 28th, 2009 12:05 pm by
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Fri Jun 12th, 2009 08:49 pm |
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Sorry, Smoke, but your post was nonsensical. Who cares what you did 30 years ago? The times they are a changing and our education system is in need of radical adjustments. We are in a global economy now and our kids do not measure up to the rest of the world's kids when it comes to education standards. Let's see 180 days minus 3 days for eighth grade graduation minus 7 or 8 wasted days for those silly half- day teacher days minus 3 or 4 days for reward activities minus 3 or 4 days for useless field trips, etc, etc. and pretty soon it's more like 160 days of actual teaching days.....
And why is completing the eighth grade such an accomplishment??? Frankly, my dog, RALPH, could complete the 8th grade with no problem......everyone passes no matter what, right? Too bad the real world doesn't work like that......
Obama Proposes Longer School Days, Extended School Year
 For this generation of students to remain competitive with their international peers as adults, they need to start spending more time in school. This week President Obama proposed that American school children extend their time in class, either by lengthening the school day, or spending less time on summer vacation.
“We can no longer afford an academic calendar designed when America was a nation of farmers who needed their children at home plowing the land at the end of each day,” Obama said. He continued to say “That calendar may have once made sense, but today, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy.”
In fact, American children spend the least amount time in the classroom when compared to other countries. Currently, the school year length in the States is 180 days. Advocates are pushing further toward a 200-day school year, which would align with Thailand, Scotland and the Netherlands, and leave us a close second with Israel, South Korea and Japan, who leads with a 243-day school year.
via MSN Encarta
This comes as Obama makes it very clear that education is on his hot-list of priorities. He admits the notion of spending more time in school is not “wildly popular”, but necessary.
He was applauded for his breadth of knowledge regarding the public education system in the U.S. He cited that one-third of the 13- and 14-year-olds in our country cannot read at an appropriate level for their age, and that the eighth grade curriculum is two years behind competing nations. He says the part of the problem is our “race to the bottom” mindset, wherein states are comfortable with lower standards for students.
Obama and his Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are truly advocates for a superior education system than that we’ve previously and currently known. It’s imperative that states use the stimulus package money to rebuild curriculum, increase teacher pay, improve school conditions, offer newer technologies to students and even extend the school year to ensure that this generation can not only keep up with their international peers, but even surpass them in the professional environment of the coming decades.
edu_in_review384:http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2009/03/obama-proposes-longer-school-days-extended-school-year/
Last edited on Sat Jun 13th, 2009 05:03 pm by
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Smoke14
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Posted: Thu Jun 4th, 2009 07:14 pm |
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| I have been reading everyone talking about 8 Grade graduation. why is everyone so bent out of shape on this issue. 30 years ago we had a graduation celebration and this year so did my child. 9 years of elementary school is a long time to endure for young kids. It's nice to actually celebrate the accomplishments of these 8th graders going to High School. it is not as much of a cost to everyone as they think. If stopped; it would not be able to pay for 1-2 more teachers in the school like someone stated earlier. as far as them practicing for the graduation, so what that it took two days, do you think that our kids are going learn so much more in those last two days of school. they already spend more time in school then we did as kids and you think that another two days will make a difference. maybe if we actually concentrate on actually teaching kids the proper way and not only teaching them what they need to pass the AIM's test every year we could actually have some pretty smart kids.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Fri May 22nd, 2009 11:49 am |
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| BigJimandthetwins,spankthemonkey, eleanor gruntz, areyoukidding me (with a moustache), sometimes rational, et all....I must say you have to be the oddest character I have encountered on this forum.....and let's leave it at that......aren't you also a teacher??? Last edited on Fri May 22nd, 2009 11:50 am by
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SometimesRational
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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2009 05:54 pm |
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LOL.....You got him pegged, Apache Mom!
I read his comments and agreements with himself in the latest edition of the Peoria Ind. and I knew it was him.
He gripes about 8th grade promotion every year. I say this...AYNKM or High School Mom or No Mood or whatever he wants to be known as, simply doesn't believe that kids should be allowed to be kids and should not be allowed to celebrate their successes. He is against any kind of celebration at school. He would put an end to Kindergarten graduation, 8th grade graduation, and probably doesn't think too highly of High School graduation either. Maybe it's a case of sour grapes...LOL.
Anyway, he lives for arguing and trying to irritate people. It's best to just talk around him. He won't go away, unfortunately. No, he'll continue on making comments and agreeing with himself using another ID...sad really.
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Apache Mom
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Posted: Fri May 1st, 2009 12:31 am |
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My goodness, you really are a loser.
I love the way you're holding a conversation with yourself.
It's both ironic and appropriate. After all, you're so insignificant that you need to make up additional personalities to find someone to speak with, and no one really cares what you think.
Now go back to taking to yourself and your many personalities.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 09:12 pm |
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Last edited on Thu Apr 30th, 2009 09:17 pm by
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 09:09 pm |
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| I think the graduation is overdone though. If that's all it was was punch and cookies in the cafeteria, that's fine. But two days of practicing to make sure everyone rises and sits in unison is a bit much for me.
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trulyunbelievable
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 08:30 pm |
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I disagree about 8th grade promotion, it's a nice ceremony as a transition to high school, not as a means to an end. My kids' ceremonies were in their school cafeterias with cookies and punch put on by the PTSO. It was nice and I'd hate to see it stopped.
Re PLUS Days, I had a child who went to that a couple years ago. It seemed to be more a reward/fun time than a particularly meaningful experience.
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High School Mom
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 06:30 pm |
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AND - on a side note - don't worry: I'm sure Apache Mom, Peoria Dad, AnnieR, PUSD Teacher, WatchdogWillie, Jim40, Frankie, and - of course, our friend MICHAEL (who are all probably one in the same) will be the first to respond and tell me I'm wrong. I'm waiting for the onslaught of hateful venom (typical M.O. for him/her/them). I'm prepared. I have keyboard in hand as my defense mechanism!
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High School Mom
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 06:24 pm |
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DITTO to AYNKM and PlusDayParent. Although I know eliminating 8th grade "promotion" ceremonies will be met with vocal resistance from parents of current 8th graders (and - I probably would have participated in the protest!), looking back, it just doesn't seem necessary to have such "pomp and circumstance" (no pun intended) for transition to high school. It sends the wrong message to these 8th graders, when the final goal should be (at the minimum) participating in their high school GRADUATION, and (HOPEFULLY) going on to college (of course - my experience has also proven that PUSD is not all that concerned about anything beyond just getting these kids outta there, and high graduation rates, and not too worried about who is and who is not going on to college. Truly a sad state of affairs, but the facts are the facts. This school district is most definitely NOT focused on college prep. Unless the parents demand a more challenging curriculum for their student(s), the district will simply let the kids slip by with bare minimum grad requirements, and then the district is applauded for having such high graduation rates. That, my friends, is the bottom line with PUSD (and probably all other school districts). Sad but true.
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areyounotkidding me
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 05:48 pm |
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Plus Day - I couldn't agree with you more, especially about eighth grade graduation. It is such a waste of time, especially the practice that is required leading up to the actual ceremonies. My kids literally practiced two solid days for these graduations. It is really absurd and would be a good year to put a stop and call it a cash saver.
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plusdayparent
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Posted: Thu Apr 30th, 2009 03:54 pm |
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My child participated in PLUS DAYS the past few days at the Peoria Complex. I asked her what she did and ,she saidwell we skated, sat by the pool, went to a movie, had a dance, screwed around in the hotel, and that's about it. Did they have speakers or learn anything germaine? Well, I think so, but truthfully, no one really paid attention to that......
Could it be activities such as these should be stopped? I don't know the cost of all of this, but to put all these kids in a hotel and then to get subs for all the student council sponsors who were there, it had to be expensive....
While we're at it, how about ending eighth grade graduation? Just what is the point of eighth grade graduation? Maybe ending these two activities only will save a job or two.....
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