Posts
"The constitutional right of parents to raise their children does not include the right to restrict what a public school may teach their children," Wolf unambiguously wrote in dismissing a suit by two Lexington couples who objected to lessons the local elementary school was teaching their children. "Under the Constitution public schools are entitled to teach anything that is reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens in our democracy."
Entitled to teach anything. That means, the judge ruled, that parents have no authority to veto elements of a public-school curriculum they dislike. They have no right to be notified before those elements are presented in class. And the Constitution does not entitle them to opt their children out of such classes when the subject comes up.
A call for separation of school and state
Jeff Jacoby
We ought to draw up a list of what rights a child attending public school actually does have.
He has a right to attend school for X number of years and X number of days per year.
He and his parents have a right to see his records.
He has some rights to privacy (I believe that is FISA law. Rudbeckia knows.)
He has some rights to testing, I believe. For instance, I think you can request an IQ test and the school must do it. (Barry will know. UPDATE: I'm online with my sister -- she says no; school doesn't have to test. I'll qualify that: if he looks like he may have special needs he has a right to be tested to see if he "qualifies for services.")
I think that may be it.
update 3-7-2007
Lynn G has discovered more rights!
By state law, we have the right to be informed when pesticides are being applied to the playground.
Also, there is the right to be told that the teacher is "not highly qualified." But this threshhold is so low it is meaningless.
Keep 'em coming, folks!
If you know or have heard rumor of a parent right, let us know!
9 comments:
They are teaching who knows what in my son's PE/Health class. He came home the other day with a paragraph or two he wrote on "What is a Family". This was the result of some "health" classes the students took. It appears that the main focus was not to talk about families, but to tell students it's perfectly fine to have families made up of gay or lesbian parents. I guess when they want kids to learn something, they use direct instruction. They then expect kids to parrot back the party line in a writing assignment.
I don't necessarily disagree with what was taught, but I do disagree with their decision to teach these things without one word of explanation to the parents. I have to play 20 questions with my son to find out what other ideas they are pushing.
These are people who have difficulty doing their main job of education. And they don't trust us parents to do our job. Well, then they shouldn't mind if I come in and tell them a thing or two about doing their job. I'll make them take a class and I will use direct instruction. No discovery. Then I will make them write a report.
By state law, we have the right to be informed when pesticides are being applied to the playground.
Also, there is the right to be told that the teacher is "not highly qualified." But this threshhold is so low it is meaningless.
Otherwise, it is an all or nothing, take it or leave it attitude around here.
I guess when they want kids to learn something, they use direct instruction.
A friend of ours said going to the middle school is like going to North Korea.
The whole place is plastered over in character-ed WORDS.
I've just staged yet another intervention.
hah!
I went to the school to pick C. up from the nurse's office and found a huge display about parents who "drink and drug too much."
So I wrote a post about it to the Irvington Parents Forum.
I'll post the links here.
It was pretty great.
I also sent out a private email that I'm sure got forwarded all over town.....think I'll post that one, too!
"I don't necessarily disagree with what was taught, but I do disagree with their decision to teach these things without one word of explanation to the parents."
At our school we have a Family Life Education Handbook for Parents. The parents can choose to let their kids participate or they can opt out of the program. Students learn that families come in many forms, however, gay and lesbian parents are not mentioned.
The philosophy of our school board is to foster values. That is clearly stated in the booklet sent home at the beginning of the school year.
Sometimes I am concerned with the "values" the school is imparting on my sons.
Our school really focuses on responsibility. The student should feel responsible for how someone else is feeling or what someone is doing. Individuality is not accepted. Follow the pack is the motto. Get along at all costs. I do not think this is wise.
--PaulaV
The student should feel responsible for how someone else is feeling or what someone is doing. Individuality is not accepted. Follow the pack is the motto. Get along at all costs. I do not think this is wise.
well....I may have managed to make that point around here.
Actually, I think I'll just post the email I sent around.
well....I may have managed to make that point around here.
Yes, you have...many times and in many different ways.
And one would think I would be over being dumbfounded, but I'm not.
--PaulaV
oh!
no, I didn't mean that -- "around here" meant Irvington
Gotcha!
However, you have said it before on KTM and I acknowledge it every time, but when my son comes home with yet another "values lesson" then I am momentarily stunned. You would think after reading KTM I would let it sink in. Perhaps I'm a slow learner!
--PaulaV
Post a Comment