*UPDATE* Be A Parent To The Little Bastards
Have you ever wondered why colleges and universities have to offer remedial reading, writing and math classes?
The obvious answer is because your precious little gift to mankind is an idiot. That is the primary reason. There are other factors, of course that come into play and they need to be examined. Let's do that.
Firstly, as we said, your precious, brilliant, sensitive and misunderstood child is an idiot. Other kids come out of the same lousy school and are able to read, write and solve math problems with numbers that exceed their digits, other appendages and nipples (as in, erect nipples count as two).
The other reason that chip off the old block can't read beyond a grade school level is because of the honored tradition of moving the herd forward. Teachers are forced to move the ignorant, smartass and illiterate bastards on to the next grade because school boards and parents are concerned that the little bastards might have negative feelings of self worth and low self esteem.
Guess what. That little bastard that you let watch television and play computer games instead of doing his homework deserves to feel like crap. Do you think your kids teachers are babysitters, mandated to entertain your less than average offspring- many of whom are the result of a night of drunken abandon? This may come as a surprise to you, but most teachers- even the lousy ones or the idiot ones- actually want your kids to learn. They become cynical because on top of having teacher unions screw them over, morning, noon and night, the vast majority of parents contribute absolutely nothing to their child's education, save grief.
Since when is it obligatory for teachers to provide a wonderful learning and educational experience for parents?
Parents become outraged because their stupid, spoiled and rotten bastard (when kids think they can threaten or insult teachers, the problem starts at home) kids aren't doing well enough in school and therefore, the school/teacher is at fault. It has to be that way, right? If little foul mouthed Johnny or little slutty looking Ashley can't read or write, it has to be someone else's fault, right? We suppose the good news is that slutty little Ashley gives a good blow job in the bathrooms. Wait! Maybe we can give her a trophy! She can wear her 'Hot Bitch' Tshirt with pride- just like mom!
Too many disinterested parents, frustrated with their own, shallow meaningless lives, in our opinion are looking to emasculate someone else, out of a sense of range. Their own lives are meaningless displays of material accumulation and a complete lack of commitment to their kids. Someone forgot to tell these morons that being a parent, is by definition, an acceptance that something is more important than you are. That's right- your kids are more important than you. Your children are not an extension of your sense of decoration or taste. They do not exist to please you and do your bidding (no doubt that is news to many in therapy). Your children are not an extension of you. They are their own beings, with strengths, weaknesses and potential.
It is your job to do your best so that they exceed your own best efforts. It is your job to raise decent, kind and honest citizens, with values, meaning and ideals that exceed your own. The schools, teachers and educators are there to help you do your job. They do not exist to do the job for you and they are not there to make you feel better about yourselves. The schools and teachers are not sex toys. Just because you can get the school to pass your kid to the next grade, even if he can't read, does reflect well on you. Just because the little bastard has moved ahead, doesn't mean he/she isn't an idiot. Deal with it.
Those of you that see yourselves as the paragon of virtue that kids must aspire to, are morons and selfish bastards. No matter how hard you try, you cannot use the schools as shortcut for your kids, so as to make your lives easier. Throw out the TV, turn off the computer. No blogs (save ours, of course) or other online habits supersedes your obligations as parents. In others, take your hands out of your pants, quit looking in the mirror and do something that proves that you actually care about your kid. Get involved. Make learning a priority- not finding a way around the problem the priority. Get to know your kids schools and teachers- and give them the room to do what they need to do. If the teacher is an idiot (clear that with Mamacita, first), gang up and run him/her out of the school on a rail. Make sure the teachers are tested for subject competency. If they aren't fight them- because you're fighting for your kids. Discipline your child. If the little bastard is mouthing off in school, he's mouthing off at home. Be a parent. Fix the problem. If you can't, get help. Being a parent is not a guarantee or right to be loved or popular. Being a parent that always has to accede to the little bastards demands in order to 'have peace' is being subject to blackmail. Take away, TV, the computer or the car- that's right, take it away. Be a parent. Stay focused and keep your eye on the ball. You are not and will never be a desperate housewife/husband.
We are sick and tired of our tax dollars having to fund remedial learning classes for material that should have been learned earlier.
Read the posts and comments below. Mamacita, Boomr, Dingo, MaxedOutMama, Square One, Carson and Carson's sis, et al. will make you think- which is probably the best thing that may have hit you in a while
*UPDATE* SC&A in no way meant to imply that we are against all forms of remedial education. In a comment, Mamacita had the following to say:
The obvious answer is because your precious little gift to mankind is an idiot. That is the primary reason. There are other factors, of course that come into play and they need to be examined. Let's do that.
Firstly, as we said, your precious, brilliant, sensitive and misunderstood child is an idiot. Other kids come out of the same lousy school and are able to read, write and solve math problems with numbers that exceed their digits, other appendages and nipples (as in, erect nipples count as two).
The other reason that chip off the old block can't read beyond a grade school level is because of the honored tradition of moving the herd forward. Teachers are forced to move the ignorant, smartass and illiterate bastards on to the next grade because school boards and parents are concerned that the little bastards might have negative feelings of self worth and low self esteem.
Guess what. That little bastard that you let watch television and play computer games instead of doing his homework deserves to feel like crap. Do you think your kids teachers are babysitters, mandated to entertain your less than average offspring- many of whom are the result of a night of drunken abandon? This may come as a surprise to you, but most teachers- even the lousy ones or the idiot ones- actually want your kids to learn. They become cynical because on top of having teacher unions screw them over, morning, noon and night, the vast majority of parents contribute absolutely nothing to their child's education, save grief.
Since when is it obligatory for teachers to provide a wonderful learning and educational experience for parents?
Parents become outraged because their stupid, spoiled and rotten bastard (when kids think they can threaten or insult teachers, the problem starts at home) kids aren't doing well enough in school and therefore, the school/teacher is at fault. It has to be that way, right? If little foul mouthed Johnny or little slutty looking Ashley can't read or write, it has to be someone else's fault, right? We suppose the good news is that slutty little Ashley gives a good blow job in the bathrooms. Wait! Maybe we can give her a trophy! She can wear her 'Hot Bitch' Tshirt with pride- just like mom!
Too many disinterested parents, frustrated with their own, shallow meaningless lives, in our opinion are looking to emasculate someone else, out of a sense of range. Their own lives are meaningless displays of material accumulation and a complete lack of commitment to their kids. Someone forgot to tell these morons that being a parent, is by definition, an acceptance that something is more important than you are. That's right- your kids are more important than you. Your children are not an extension of your sense of decoration or taste. They do not exist to please you and do your bidding (no doubt that is news to many in therapy). Your children are not an extension of you. They are their own beings, with strengths, weaknesses and potential.
It is your job to do your best so that they exceed your own best efforts. It is your job to raise decent, kind and honest citizens, with values, meaning and ideals that exceed your own. The schools, teachers and educators are there to help you do your job. They do not exist to do the job for you and they are not there to make you feel better about yourselves. The schools and teachers are not sex toys. Just because you can get the school to pass your kid to the next grade, even if he can't read, does reflect well on you. Just because the little bastard has moved ahead, doesn't mean he/she isn't an idiot. Deal with it.
Those of you that see yourselves as the paragon of virtue that kids must aspire to, are morons and selfish bastards. No matter how hard you try, you cannot use the schools as shortcut for your kids, so as to make your lives easier. Throw out the TV, turn off the computer. No blogs (save ours, of course) or other online habits supersedes your obligations as parents. In others, take your hands out of your pants, quit looking in the mirror and do something that proves that you actually care about your kid. Get involved. Make learning a priority- not finding a way around the problem the priority. Get to know your kids schools and teachers- and give them the room to do what they need to do. If the teacher is an idiot (clear that with Mamacita, first), gang up and run him/her out of the school on a rail. Make sure the teachers are tested for subject competency. If they aren't fight them- because you're fighting for your kids. Discipline your child. If the little bastard is mouthing off in school, he's mouthing off at home. Be a parent. Fix the problem. If you can't, get help. Being a parent is not a guarantee or right to be loved or popular. Being a parent that always has to accede to the little bastards demands in order to 'have peace' is being subject to blackmail. Take away, TV, the computer or the car- that's right, take it away. Be a parent. Stay focused and keep your eye on the ball. You are not and will never be a desperate housewife/husband.
We are sick and tired of our tax dollars having to fund remedial learning classes for material that should have been learned earlier.
Read the posts and comments below. Mamacita, Boomr, Dingo, MaxedOutMama, Square One, Carson and Carson's sis, et al. will make you think- which is probably the best thing that may have hit you in a while
*UPDATE* SC&A in no way meant to imply that we are against all forms of remedial education. In a comment, Mamacita had the following to say:
Teaching remedial reading and writing at the college level. . . is what I do now.We agree with Mamacita's remarks in their entirety (actually, inasmuch as we know that we have nowhere near the experience or knowledge that Mamacita has in the field of education, we'd be foolish not to listen to her. Unlike many of you, we do not equate our opinions, based on anecdotal experience, to as relevant as Mamacita's experience and education. Of course, we know that hardly matter to some of you).
You should hear the comments of my students.
"I wish I'd been flunked down in first grade; it would have been so much better than flunking out in high school and I might have been more ready."
"I wish my mom had let me stay in a regular classroom and forced me to work hard, than insist I go to a remedial classroom where all we did was play bingo and copy stuff off the board."
"I wish my parents would have shown up at maybe one choir show, just one. But it was Monday night football night."
"I wish my mom would have had stricter rules for me; I would have hated them but maybe I wouldn't have got knocked up at fourteen."
"If I'd known that people really did get better jobs with a diploma back then, I wouldn't have dropped out. But nothing else the teachers said made any sense so I figured they were lying about that, too."
"I used to think I had it easy and good, mom doing all my homework and all back then. Now I realize I don't know shit."
"Back then I just couldn't get it. Now, for some reason, I do. Better late than never, huh."
My students are anywhere from 18 to 80 years old. Some are brushing up their skills because they've been out of school for so long. Most of them are 'recovering' from bad public school experiences. Some have a diploma from expensive private schools that failed them. Some were homeschooled by parents who weren't qualified and really just wanted a free sitter for the younger kids. Many have been living on welfare and are tired of it, and ashamed that they have no skills, and are intent on gaining some. I have students who are escaping bad and dangerous marriages and wish to 'get smarter' so their children will have a good example to follow. I have students who are working out probation. Some have been laid off their jobs and are taking classes to get a better one, or to work out the terms of unemployment till they're called back to work. With only a few exceptions, they are eager to make up for lost time. With a few years on them, they now understand what they didn't understand before: that educated people are as much superior to uneducated people, as the living are to the dead. They harbor a lot of resentment towards too-lenient parents, or apathetic parents, and even more towards the schools that failed them by passing them along.
I do NOT believe in remedial classes for state universities. But remedial classes for community and tech colleges? Absolutely. I think some of our best and best educated people are those who failed or were failed the first time around, and who cared enough to mature and try again.
Some of my adult students are the finest people I've ever met. They got tired of flipping burgers or working minimum wage jobs, and they know why they were stuck there, and they've come back to try again. For real.
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