I may have ranted about this last year. I’m sure I did actually.
We are just a few days away from the beginning of school. Let me make it clear we have a very good school system. We have amazing teachers. I’ve never been displeased with any of the teaching my son has received. Never. We have adored all the teachers we’ve been placed with. We have been blessed with wonderful Christian teachers. So this has absolutely nothing to do with our teachers, but more the bureaucracy of education in general.
First of all the kiddo had to sign, along with us, 3 forms. One form was an acknowledgment that we have received and read the Code of Conduct. We all signed it, but do you think I seriously read all 63 pages to the kiddo?
Another form was a school compact. A parent and the child had to sign. It basically states we know our responsibilities to help our children and their school. And the last form was an Internet Acceptable Use Policy form.
Seriously, my 4th grader had to sign these 3 forms. (And I as the parent had to fill out a total of 10 forms. I didn’t even include the free/reduced lunch form application that I never bother to fill out due to the fact I know we do not qualify.)
Here’s my frustration. Do they seriously think any child understands all that these forms entails. Even a bright, intelligent, above average child can’t completely grasp all they are asking on these forms. And how can you hold an elementary child responsible for all of these things. I’m not saying we shouldn’t teach them to be responsible. We most certainly should, but having them sign compact agreements?
But here’s the kicker. Take a look at the form below. It has something to do with the Hatch Amendment. I’ve blacked out the names and such on it. Could someone enlighten me as to what most of “sociograms, sociodramas; psychodrama; blindfold walks; isolation techniques”, “contrived incidents of self-revelation, magic circle techniques” among many of the other things listed even are? I mean I’m not the smartest cookie in the jar, but I did graduate from a university with a 3.2 GPA. And I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but what about parents who have very little education. Do you think they understand all of this.
And why on earth would we even need to sign a form stating we don’t want our child to be taught “Pornography and any materials containing profanity and/or sexual explicitness”? Is there something I’ve missed?
Now I know that most likely the school system is basically trying to cover their “rear ends” in case of a lawsuit.
But it all just makes me wonder. So what are your thoughts? And if you have any idea what some of those things listed are, please enlighten me.
