While updating my 2011 Reading list, the date of my last post sat there taunting me, so here's a quick update:
The whole Progressive Democratic public charter school thing is imploding. Parents who claimed to have been at all the introductory meetings where the unconventional aspects were explained kept wondering when their kids were going to bring home some worksheets or a report card, teaching their children a valuable lesson about the importance of listening carefully. The dissatisfied parents tried to change the school to something more to their liking, were shot down, left en masse (including all PTA officers), and made disparaging remarks to the local newspaper about the administration and daily goings-on.
A new PTA was formed and a week later there was another mass exodus after some discipline and safety concerns arose and were not resolved to the liking of many. This time several staff members pulled their kids and gave their notice.
Will the school still be there after the holiday break? Not if the charter gets revoked.
I still think it's a great idea. And we're still in for the time being. In this day of instant gratification, people are going to have to understand it doesn't happen all at once; it's going to take time and a lot of effort. But the administration is going to have to immediately address the safety concerns and disciplinary procedures. "Zero tolerance" does not mean a second or third chance.
Elle tested 12.6 (twelfth grade sixth month) in English and 3.5 (third grade fifth month) in math. Peer pressure has successfully pushed her out of the habit of being a lazy speller and without being assigned the task, she wrote and typed up a three-page essay on Kurt Cobain, in "Party" font (earning her, in her college sister's eyes, 45,972,482 cool points.)
Her old school books are still on the shelf next to my bed, taunting me...
Read me
Read me, my friend
Read me
Read me again
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1 comment:
Oh dear, now I can see what happened. That didn't last long, did it? Poor little school.
Am a firm believer, now more than ever, that everything happens for a reason, and it's not like you're not prepared, not with the pile of books on the shelf : ) .
Becky
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