This is now TWO WEEKS since I started to COMPILE a KNOWLEDGE BANK for parents dealing with public schools. As I refresh my memory by going through my archives I see that things are NOT GETTING BETTER. The same obstacles and mindsets of the system still prevail to stymie parents.
Did you score 100% or near in the Dysfunctionality Rating ? http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/2014/01/disturbing-trends-for-parents-1981/
I am going to develop my thesis that things are GETTING WORSE. As COLONIZERS AND USURPERS the players in the system are now employing ever more sophisticated pscyhological techniques to rob parents of their natural-born instincts and shape the language to ENFEEBLE PARENTS TO STAY COMPLIANT TO THE SYSTEM'S NEEDS.
I will develop this theme as I go along. Deliberate deskilling of parents, in my opinion, is a moral crime. Compliant parents actually harm the cause of public accountability in public education. If ordinary citizens feel that parents are satisfied, or non-complaining, then they too will be lulled into avoiding DUE DILIGENCE in how taxpayer money is spent or corrupted.
FIVE ALERTS CAME IN TODAY that cause me to start this train of commentary EARLIER THAN LATER.
1 The annual PARENT SATISFACTION SURVEY is now going out. The results are always the same — parents love their school, but think the whole system is doing poorly. "Stroking" of parents in individual schools is proving very successful !
2 REPORT CARDS are to be changed in a number of districts to eliminate grades, to be replaced with "communicating" with parents. This is ILLEGAL and outside the requirements of the School Act (BC).
3 Again, the teacher union, is ACTIVELY PROMOTING PARENT WITHDRAWL OF STUDENTS from standardized tests which test for basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.
4 Our BC TEACHER REGULATION BRANCH makes it easy for parents or public to easily check ithe credentials and status history of any teacher in a public or publiclly funded school. Today, in one school district out of 60 I found I was unable to access the list of names of teaching staff. A query is in place.
5 I am closely following what's happening in AUSTRALIA with their just announced REVIEW. Even on top of a recent complete curricular change, considerable criticism had arisen. I briefly summarize one Editorial titled "Learning by Gobbledygook." Apparently the previous overhaul yielded considerable "wooly expressions and overt social engineering". ALL curriculum subjects are to integrate and contain THREE OVERARCHING PRIORITIES – indigenous history/culture, global engagement (especially Asia) and sustainability. "In toto" this editorial continues, this "review is very much in order."