Posts by Susan James

Gary Taylor50 said:Paar... Uhhh...
Honestly, I care way less about what books they're reading and much more about whether they'll actually be trained in finance and IT by the end of it. Will they even grasp basic chemistry or geography?
I remember hearing somewhere—not here, but elsewhere—that they were going to try integrating subjects, like mixing history with geography or chemistry with biology. Is there actually anything like that in this new curriculum?
As for the reading list—a friend of mine is a librarian at a local school library, and when we were chatting about it, she told me Tolstoy is just plain boring. 😁 Personally, he was my favorite thing to read during those three years of high school. So, I am genuinely thrilled they changed the list and finally ditched Judith. Maybe they should swap in *Kids in the San Diego Zoo*? Every kid ought to read that. Who cares about Othello if he ends up getting tangled up in a drug nightmare anyway?

They didn't take Judith out.
We didn't discover *Kids in the Zoo* until 8th grade, and we ended up reading *Fractions* in high school German class.
I wouldn't put that book on the mandatory reading list myself, unless maybe for a German elective (since it was actually quite motivating regarding the language itself 😬).

Yeah, they will integrate it; basically, they'll try to make sure the material doesn't just repeat itself across different subjects.

silentraven6 said:If our actual goal is to teach literature, then we should know that the classics were often born from taboos and were even banned back in the day. Looking at it through a modern lens, it’s essentially the same thing; it's just that people used to have less information and education, so those old taboos seem like nothing to us today. Or maybe enough time has passed that we just don't recognize them anymore.

Parents of children who are supposed to be reading Black Mother aren't shaping their reading tastes, nor can they stop them from reading whatever they want.

Having someone who is seventeen tell me what I am or am't allowed to read... I don't even have the mental capacity to process how abstract that even is.

I was already reading Lolita when I was 17.🤣
I can't even remember if it was on a required reading list or if I just happened to stumble upon it myself...

I think I'll give Black Mother a read.

Gary Taylor50 said:Aside from the required reading lists and English class, does anyone else have beef with this new curriculum? I’m talking to you, physics teachers, math nerds, chemists—what’s your take? And what about religious studies? Are they actually going to cut back on those hours, or are we still stuck with religious content bleeding into subjects where it has absolutely no business being?

They aren't going to change the schedule at all.

Nikola Jokic made a great point: if people are bothered by religious studies or the topics covered there, they just shouldn't enroll their kids in those classes.
Personally, I wouldn't sign my kid up, since it's an elective.

It's honestly pretty funny to me how these critics don't seem to have any actual, well-reasoned arguments. Instead, they just bicker over specific book choices, and of course, they love to complain about the people who designed the curriculum. It still baffles me that they didn't just take a second look and admit the whole thing was flawed simply because it wasn't given a "blessing" right at the start.

Especially Paar, who seemed personally offended just because he wasn't consulted during the process.

Today at 2:00 PM, we had a guest over on Reformer.

It was a pretty good conversation—though, honestly, if the host were a bit more engaging, I think it would have been even better.

rowdypanther12 said:It'll be interesting to see how this reform plays out with such a tight budget

It’s just going to become an excuse—an excuse to stall progress, justify laziness, or dodge implementation altogether.

The real mess is how people who didn't even have a hand in designing the reform are already tearing it apart.
All those loud headlines in the news and that whole circus during the first day of the legislative session really helped fuel the fire.

This whole thing about standardized testing feels like a bone thrown to the public just to watch everyone bark at each other like little puppies.
It’s distracting us from much more critical issues.
Take things like grading policies, or how we document student achievements (which, from what I hear, seems to be getting buried under layers of unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy).

Some of that funding was supposed to come from federal grants.
I was actually hoping some of that would go toward hands-on vocational training—it makes so much sense to me—but instead, the burden will likely fall on parents. They'll probably end up having to chip in alongside the teachers, and once they realize they can't afford 😢, the whole idea will just fizzle out.
Or maybe we'll see a few small successes driven by a handful of enthusiasts in the better-funded school districts. 😢 😢 😢

Sarah Hall53 said:Nah, I don't think it's a missed opportunity at all. Honestly, if we're looking at this, let's actually compare how long the school year lasts here in the States versus over in Finland. And hey—if the weather isn't even a deciding factor, why wouldn't we just look at copying the Australian academic calendar? ☕

Actually, you might have a point there.🙂
We really need to sync the school calendar with the tourism season.
At the end of the day, we're a major tourist destination and our economy relies heavily on it.😉
Kids usually need to wrap things up by early June so they can help their parents out with guests in vacation rentals or restaurants.🥳
If we could extend the season a bit and realize that those early visitors in May are just as important, we could probably shorten the school year to end by April at the latest.☕

It’s funny how summer work is always such a big debate, but when winter hits and snow starts piling up—making it hard for teachers commuting from other cities to even make it to class—nobody seems to complain about the winter break being too short, or even existing at all!🤔
It was never even a question back then.

The argument that we haven't had enough snow lately is kind of like saying 2014 wasn't a warm summer just because it rained the whole time.

I don't know, personally, I feel like focusing on a child's current developmental needs and teaching them good work habits is way more important than obsessing over the weather forecast.
Realistically, having two and a half months off in a row isn't great for anyone, especially since they end up facing four straight months of classes without a break afterward.

Sarah Hall53 said:It’s funny how nobody seems to be talking about short breaks anymore—instead, everyone is obsessed with extending the school year itself. Like, imagine stretching the whole thing from September 1st all the way through August 31st just to squeeze in two extra weeks for some "project-based learning" nonsense.
Honestly, that sounds like a total nightmare. Imagine being stuck in a classroom until July 1st when it’s a blistering 100 degrees outside. And before anyone starts lecturing me about how school calendars work in other parts of the world or in more developed Western countries—please, just do a quick Google search to see what kind of heatwaves we deal with here in the States during July and August.

Oh man, this is such a massive oversight in the reform. It feels like they didn't give a single thought to the fact that America has its own specific climate to deal with. 🙄

From what I know, June can get plenty of rainy days, and honestly, I've noticed the weather patterns have been shifting so much more intensely every single year.

rowdypanther12 said:I honestly think extending the year by adding more short breaks throughout it is a pretty positive move.

I'm on the same page.

Karen Richardson3 said:From what I gather, there’s an active public debate going on right now, so you could always take your question directly to the American language and literature task force—basically the people who actually put him on the shortlist in the first place. Honestly, you'll probably get a much more sensible answer from them than from us, since they're the ones who can explain exactly why they think a song lyric intended for musical performance belongs on a list of potential reading assignments.

Personally, I think there's a real opportunity for a killer classroom session if an English teacher decides to dive into a text like that.

At the end of the day, everything boils down to one fundamental question: what is the actual goal of teaching American language and literature?
I'm actually a big fan of the shift being attempted with this curriculum reform, because I truly believe the point of studying our language isn't just about memorizing trivia about "classic" masterpieces or reciting literary theory definitions.
To me, the core mission is literacy—developing the ability to read deeply, which then serves as the foundation for building critical thinking skills.

It honestly seems way more meaningful to take a work that some might even dismiss as "trash" and have a class where kids actually debate the characters, their motivations, and their actions—analyzing the plot and defending their stances using evidence from the text—rather than just forcing them to endure 16th-century classics written specifically for a 16th-century audience.

🙏 🙏 🙏
yes!

I had a teacher like that back in Elementary School (until she went on maternity leave in 8th grade, and you could see such a massive difference when the substitute took over) and I had one like that in high school too.
In my opinion, they don't need a massive reform; they just need common sense and a genuine love for the subject they chose to study and teach.
What they really need, though, is support from their peers and the Department of Education—both in terms of being able to do their jobs well and being paid a decent wage.
Looking at this reform, I think it might actually provide that kind of professional support... and of course, love, because you can never have enough of that. 😬
But I get why there's so much pushback. There are people who hate change, or who haven't been doing their jobs properly, so they're finding this transition really tough.
My biggest fear is that everyone will focus all their criticism on the specific content (like whether it should be Springsteen versus Dante) while ignoring the underlying processes. And those processes are what actually matter.

Larry Walker24 said:It looks like Bruce Springsteen isn't exactly thrilled about his name showing up on a shortlist of potential reading material that professors might pick to include in their curriculum.

"Regarding that high school textbook where they’re looking to include a selection of my songs, I'm against it: because those works aren't poetry, because I can't stand schools, and because I refuse to profit off someone else's hard work," the legendary musician and frontman of Queen told CNN.

🤣 What a legend 🙏

But honestly, did anyone ever ask if guys like Tin Ujević or Dante wanted to be part of the required school reading? 😬
Maybe that’s been the flaw in all those past reforms. 🤔

I didn't catch the broadcast last night, but honestly, after talking to so many different school administrators over the past week, my excitement about these educational reforms is starting to fade pretty fast.

Regarding required reading, I was actually incredibly lucky with my English teachers back in high school 🙏, which is a huge contrast to what my partner experienced, though we both share a deep love for literature and read constantly. I’d say that passion just runs in the family—well, in my case, it wasn't just family, but I grew up seeing adults who really valued reading and showed me how engaging it could be.

One thing that gave me such an advantage in high school was that we weren't forced to write long, tedious book reports. Instead, we had to show up prepared to actually discuss the work in class; the themes would pop up in our worksheets and show up on tests all the time. It was nearly impossible to "fake it" without having actually read the book, but we didn't have that crushing pressure to just churn out a formal essay.

Nowadays, since the era of Google, required reading in our schools has basically turned into "copying"—and let's be real, it's less even copying and more just straight-up copy-pasting from the internet.
It’s definitely a good move to introduce more contemporary works, if only to ensure there isn't some quick summary available online so students are actually forced to pick up the book and read.😬

I think I agree with Susan James on this one; we need to find a middle ground. I'm perfectly fine with a curriculum that balances the timeless classics with modern literature.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, schools aren't state-run agencies; they're public institutions, and once you actually wrap your head around that distinction, you’ll probably see how totally pointless this whole complaint really is....
Anyway, I’m going to quote
"The leaders of the county professional boards are organizing training sessions on the topic of GOO for all teachers, regardless of their subject or specialty."
Which basically means that if that religion teacher finishes that training, they are officially qualified to cover those specific topics from GO, no matter who likes it or who doesn't....
By the way, a religion teacher might actually be more skilled or deliver the material better than some biology, English, or math professor... and honestly, there is absolutely no reason to go around trashing someone's expertise or profession just because of your own personal biases...

Aha, so "state-run" vs. "public"—that's the big distinction, right? 🤔...
The real difference is that it's funded by everyone's tax dollars—whether you're an atheist, a Buddhist, a Muslim, or anything else... and the fact that it is mandatory for all those kids.
I'm just not comfortable with a homeroom teacher being a Catholic who teaches a subject that not all students attend, especially when they're essentially encouraged to push that subject even if the kids don't want to take it.

It's interesting that you skipped over my point about the homeroom teacher situation. 🤔

I can agree with you that how a specific person handles certain topics depends entirely on them. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was belittling anyone—where exactly did I write that? Ideologically speaking, I don't think a religious studies teacher should be the one teaching certain civics topics.... or do you really think they can, just because of some training organized by a government agency?
If they go through that training and teach a class strictly by the manual, will they still stay true to their own faith?

Personally, I don't mind if religious themes come up during English, Art, or Music class, because I have no intention of denying the incredible art that was created under the influence of various religions.
I actually see that as a strength.
It provides a great foundation for discussion, learning, and critical thinking...

To be honest, I’m less worried about who ends up teaching philosophy, sociology, or even psychology, and more concerned about why religion teachers in elementary schools are being given homeroom duties. Even in classes where kids don't attend religious studies, they're still assigned as advisors, and that just doesn't sit right with me.
I just have a bad feeling about a child having their religion teacher following them through their entire academic journey—handling parent communications, grades, absences, field trips, even graduation stuff. I honestly don't understand how public schools are allowed to permit that kind of setup.
It feels like a way to subtly "nudge" students into sticking with that elective subject until they graduate.

And don't even get me started on the civic or health education topics that they suggest homeroom teachers should cover during class time.
(Though, I suppose there are some psychologists acting "on behalf of the family," but I’m really hoping the psychological association does its job if anyone tries to push an agenda onto them.)

Michelle Nelson4 said:Is this happening for everyone across the board, or is it just starting with certain groups? Because if my kid ends up getting traditional grades for this mid-term, but then suddenly doesn't next year—only to have them brought back again the year after—I'm going to start seeing this whole reform as nothing more than a classic, chaotic mess that leaves a child feeling completely lost...

No,
that's why the plan says they’ll start with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades during the 2016/2017 school year, and then bring in the 2nd, 4th, and others starting in 2017/2018.
(Since grading officially kicks in at the third grade.)

For your little one, the old system still applies.

And I assume this has to be consistent across all schools, not just the "pilot program" ones—otherwise, imagine how much of a headache it would be if you had to move your kid to a different district halfway through the year!

Something like that, I guess...

Daniel Reed68 said:Since we've already established—our kids are all in the same boat...
It isn't quite accurate to say their C's would be A's elsewhere. Sure, they demand a lot from the kids—they do—but other schools demand a lot, too.
I think you might be overstating the situation with the science and math grades a bit, and you missed one crucial detail: those grades dropped after the break, and the science test was actually announced before the break—so they had three full weeks to prepare. I'll be the first to admit I let my kid slack off over the holidays and wasn't persistent enough about reviewing during that last week of vacation.
And those grades aren't as "demoralizing" as you make them sound—my kid got a D on the science test and a C in math 😵. I knew she wouldn't get better than a C in science because when we were reviewing before the test, I saw her time-telling skills were shaky, and there just wasn't enough time left to fix it. As for math, she usually gets great grades, and when I asked why she got a C, she told me, and I quote: "My brain engines just wouldn't start." 🤣 Those three weeks of doing nothing were enough to let the brain get rusty, and as a parent, I have to take my share of the blame for the lack of practice. Let's be real, the science unit was on telling time, where kids have to learn to read an analog clock. With smartphones and digital displays everywhere, it's genuinely hard for kids to learn how to read a clock with hands, and we had to reinforce that at home because having science twice a week isn't enough to truly master it. Speaking of which—you might not believe me, but I overheard some high schoolers talking on the bus the other day (they were specifically talking about reading analog clocks) and one kid said that in his class, maybe a FEW people actually know how to do it, while everyone else is clueless... high school 🤔—it was honestly a shock.
Anyway, regarding my second grader, it's not like he's studying for hours every day. He finishes his homework, reviews a little bit of what they did in the previous lesson, and that's it. All told, it takes him an hour at most. I know I have a bright kid, but I also know his flaws and how impulsive he can be, so even though he understands the material perfectly, he sometimes doesn't pull an A on a test.
It isn’t really that black and white. The curriculum just keeps getting more intense with every generation. I have an older daughter in high school, and looking at my younger one in second grade, the workload is already significantly heavier than what my oldest dealt with back in the day. Of course, you can't blame the teacher for that; she’s just trying to hit all the required benchmarks and get the best results possible. That’s why I actually don't mind those frequent math dictations. They aren't always about a single grade—she’ll collect about ten of them before they ever impact her report card average—but if they help kids master mental addition and subtraction through practice, it makes learning their multiplication tables a whole lot easier down the road.

I might be a bit of a dreamer, but I honestly think it’s pretty silly to hit kids with a big exam right after they get back from a holiday break.
I totally get where everyone is coming from—most of this material is definitely essential life stuff. But honestly, having to cram or study right through the holidays feels a bit much. And starting a whole new semester with a massive test on day one? That just seems unnecessary to me.

Daniel Reed68 said:Since we've already established—our kids are all in the same boat...
It isn't quite accurate to say their C's would be A's elsewhere. Sure, they demand a lot from the kids—they do—but other schools demand a lot, too.
I think you might be overstating the situation with the science and math grades a bit, and you missed one crucial detail: those grades dropped after the break, and the science test was actually announced before the break—so they had three full weeks to prepare. I'll be the first to admit I let my kid slack off over the holidays and wasn't persistent enough about reviewing during that last week of vacation.
And those grades aren't as "demoralizing" as you make them sound—my kid got a D on the science test and a C in math 😵. I knew she wouldn't get better than a C in science because when we were reviewing before the test, I saw her time-telling skills were shaky, and there just wasn't enough time left to fix it. As for math, she usually gets great grades, and when I asked why she got a C, she told me, and I quote: "My brain engines just wouldn't start." 🤣 Those three weeks of doing nothing were enough to let the brain get rusty, and as a parent, I have to take my share of the blame for the lack of practice. Let's be real, the science unit was on telling time, where kids have to learn to read an analog clock. With smartphones and digital displays everywhere, it's genuinely hard for kids to learn how to read a clock with hands, and we had to reinforce that at home because having science twice a week isn't enough to truly master it. Speaking of which—you might not believe me, but I overheard some high schoolers talking on the bus the other day (they were specifically talking about reading analog clocks) and one kid said that in his class, maybe a FEW people actually know how to do it, while everyone else is clueless... high school 🤔—it was honestly a shock.
Anyway, regarding my second grader, it's not like he's studying for hours every day. He finishes his homework, reviews a little bit of what they did in the previous lesson, and that's it. All told, it takes him an hour at most. I know I have a bright kid, but I also know his flaws and how impulsive he can be, so even though he understands the material perfectly, he sometimes doesn't pull an A on a test.
It isn’t really that black and white. The curriculum just keeps getting more intense with every generation. I have an older daughter in high school, and looking at my younger one in second grade, the workload is already significantly heavier than what my oldest dealt with back in the day. Of course, you can't blame the teacher for that; she’s just trying to hit all the required benchmarks and get the best results possible. That’s why I actually don't mind those frequent math dictations. They aren't always about a single grade—she’ll collect about ten of them before they ever impact her report card average—but if they help kids master mental addition and subtraction through practice, it makes learning their multiplication tables a whole lot easier down the road.

I really believe that having an analog clock at home is a parental responsibility. If I’m being honest, I’d go a step further—it's our job to actually teach our kids how to read one.
I honestly feel like it’s a bit silly to expect parents to take the blame just because their kid needed some downtime before the holidays kicked in. Every family has those moments where everyone just needs to recharge, you know?

By the way, I know this teenage girl who went out and bought this massive, oversized watch with these really flashy hands, but she honestly had absolutely no clue how to actually read the time on it.
She basically bought it just to wear it as a fashion statement—even though the hands actually move and tell the exact time! 😂)

Karen Richardson3 said:I haven't actually stumbled upon a formal list yet; I just took a quick peek at their website to see what was up.
It’s totally possible they’re keeping the specific roster under wraps just to dodge the inevitable backlash from parents who are either all for it being implemented at their kid's school or completely against it. 😁

On another note, I honestly think it's great how the mainstream media actually gave us the straight facts regarding the new administration's plans for the overhaul, and it’s pretty inspiring that regular Americans were able to push back through activism and protests to make sure those reforms actually stayed on the table. 🐔

😂 🤣

About a year ago, I was scrolling through an article in a liberal newspaper, and it mentioned an AP project that was part of the push for the recent curriculum reforms. They listed certain schools that were essentially acting as the pilot leaders for these changes.
From what I recall, it wasn't a huge group of famous schools; in fact, there were only a handful of them in the Chicago area...

If I'm understanding the rollout correctly, they start with the first, third, fifth, and seventh grades, and then move to the even-numbered grades when the kids hit 17 or 18.

Also, I have this feeling—and I really hope I'm right—that the shift toward moving away from traditional grading starts for everyone this year. 😂
Basically, they'll be using descriptive feedback for individual students instead of letter grades, and numerical grades won't kick in until the third grade. 🤔

silentraven6 said:I didn't get into the specific issues because, honestly, they aren't even the point. The way they communicate is exactly the same as with any other parent—it’s just completely one-sided. It’s always this constant list of grievances, followed by them immediately shutting down the second you mention the school counselor or ask what kind of actual, tangible support they're expecting from you. Then, suddenly, all those problems that triggered the need for an individual meeting become "nothing." They claim it's just "adjustment" and everything is perfectly fine now. It's the exact same pattern I've seen with you.

I don't really have any defenses up. I just take every bit of energy I can muster and try my hardest to actually listen—though, honestly, I’m usually a total nervous wreck while doing it. Once I've processed everything, I'll try to ask some direct questions or maybe even suggest a solution. As for body language... I honestly don't know. Maybe there's something there, maybe not. I might just have to be blunt next time and ask her directly: "Do you feel like I'm being guarded with you?" You know as well as I do that typing things out online isn't the same as sitting down face-to-face with someone. It's especially true here on the forum, where I come looking for advice on the stuff I'm too hesitant to say out loud. Often, after talking it through here, I realize that half the issues aren't even about the situation itself—they're just my own personal anxieties playing tricks on me.

Regarding their relationship... He actually has this deep sense of respect for her. He understands that she’s the teacher—the one responsible for his learning. Sometimes he won't even show her his homework because he feels like that’s her job; he figures if he messed up, she’ll be the one to catch it and correct him. That’s really all there is to it, aside from him constantly questioning why he isn't allowed to do certain things. I think he lost some of that connection once she called him out for not saying hello when she walked in. But she had her back turned! It was such a non-issue, yet he just bowed his head in shame over something totally senseless. I mean, I don't exactly go around greeting people's backsides either. That was actually the first time I stepped in and spoke up. I told her, "Look, I didn't greet her either, and I apologize, but she was facing the other way." The kid was already sitting in class by then.

I find the whole thing about withholding praise—or worse, giving it to the wrong person, which in this case is me—really interesting. I've mentioned several times now that it might actually be more effective to direct that positive reinforcement toward him instead. If he felt seen for his efforts, he’d probably be much more motivated to nurture those new, better behaviors in her. But honestly? It’s just a brick wall every single time.

It all just weighs on me, honestly. I find myself constantly questioning my actual role in this whole educational process. I feel like I’m stuck in this bizarre atmosphere where I'm being talked *at* or reported to, but I’m certainly not some court reporter or a police officer for my own kid. I want to be involved. I want my child to learn how to socialize properly, and yeah, I want to help correct certain mistakes along the way. But instead, I end up feeling like a sponge—just sitting there, soaking up information and staying quiet because any suggestions I try to make seem to hit a glass wall and just shatter. It feels like my input doesn't even matter. And then I can't help but wonder about the other parents out there. How do they handle it? Especially the moms dealing with kids who have much more intense struggles, or families that are just completely dysfunctional. It makes you realize how heavy this all is.

Look, I get it—to some extent, I really do. The class is restless, there's no real direction, and even though they’re moving forward quickly (even if some kids are faster than others), she herself admits they're bored. But wouldn't it be better to actually *do* something? Maybe host a workshop? Perhaps we could team up and make a real impact. If the kids see us parents actually working together, things might change. We could even chip in to buy some teaching supplies—brain teasers, hands-on tools, stuff like that. Right now, everything seems stuck on just audiovisual lessons; besides the occasional creative workshop, it feels like there's a real lack of sensory learning tools in the classroom.

I don't want anyone thinking I have some inherent grudge against the teacher. Honestly, she has her strengths. The kids are genuinely progressing, and they actually understand the material—it isn't just rote memorization. In fact, I think her rigidity might actually turn into a competitive advantage for these kids later on when they hit specialized high school courses, because let's face it, nothing in the system is going to change much in the next few years. We'll just have to power through. My main goal is just helping my kid not get lost in the shuffle of the system, plain and simple. My only real hesitation is whether we truly need this "military discipline" right at the start of their schooling. Elementary school should be about socialization and picking up basic life skills. It's a process; it doesn't all have to happen instantly for every single child at once.

Just listen, this is just who I am. I'm going to try to improve the communication here. I'm looking for ways to help and seeking advice... I can't help myself, I just have to try.

Maybe try bringing the kid into the conversation too.

rowdypanther12 said:Not really the point, but I'd honestly prefer if we could just move on from this topic 😁

It’s not completely out of left field, either.

Think about how we celebrate various holidays through school programs or community events.
Like blessing bread,
holding a mass to kick off the school year,
the blessing of a gym,
or even blessing sports gear and equipment.

They weave it all in through literature, music, art, history, geography, or foreign language classes... you even see it on preschool worksheets where they sneak in a little religious touch. It just gets integrated seamlessly.

At the end of the day, we ALL observe Catholic holidays.
Those are our federal holidays.
(Personally, I’d much rather have Ash Wednesday off than Juneteenth! I could really use a break in February, whereas June feels like we already have too many days off, but hey, life happens.🥳 We really need to put some pressure on the new administration to make Ash Wednesday a public holiday so people can actually stay home and observe their fast in peace.)

Larry Walker24 said:My daughter was targeted by systemic bullying and brutal insults at school—kids actually called her Satan just because she didn't go to church. Now, watching this new administration in D.C. get their "blessing" through prayers and holy water before they start rolling out their new cabinet ministers... honestly, it makes me sick. As a mother, I feel this wave of nausea and genuine fear. I can't help but wonder if we're heading back to those dark, ignorant days. With the church stepping back into the spotlight like this, am I going to see more kids getting humiliated and tortured just because they don't fit a religious mold? It feels like that old-school intolerance is making a comeback.

Judging by what people are saying on social media, this Chicago intellectual isn't alone in her fear. A ton of other parents feel the exact same way—watching their kids deal with nothing but pure contempt and bullying from classmates just because they don't show up to Sunday school or church.

People probably jumped to conclusions about her after just reading a few lines—labeling her some kind of old-school radical, a nostalgic dreamer, or even a Mexican woman. But honestly? They couldn’t be more wrong about Davorka Semenić. She grew up in a devout Catholic household, took religion classes, and had a traditional church wedding, but at the end of the day, she’s an intellectual through and through. She’s a true cosmopolitan who actually cares about the big picture. That’s exactly how she chose to raise her daughter, too, though it turns out that kind of parenting comes with a massive price tag here in America.

I grew up Catholic, plain and simple. I’ve been in Sunday school since I was five years old, and back in the seventies, I was part of that first little group of kids doing First Communion at our local parish in the suburbs of Chicago. It was a tiny crowd—just four girls from my class heading to class once a week. School wasn't really an issue, but I do remember this one awkward moment that stuck with me. I was in second grade when my teacher called me up to the chalkboard in front of everyone. She pointed out that I went to church and then asked me to write down the names of all the other kids in class who attended too. I felt the heat immediately; I could see a few kids in the room giving me these judgmental, mocking looks. My parents, though, weren't having any of it. They stepped in, and the teacher actually ended up apologizing and backing off. Honestly, it didn't mess with my grades or how she treated me after that. I never dealt with any more bullying for being religious after that incident. Back then, it just wasn't a topic of conversation—it was private. And honestly, that's how it should be today. Whatever faith someone chooses is their own business, period.

And then the '90s hit... everything changed.

My boyfriend was just some college kid back then—total casual vibe, jeans and sneakers—when he got drafted to go fight in the war. He’s American through and through, but he wasn't religious, and his family didn't exactly grow up in the pews. Still, he always figured it would be fine for us to have a church wedding. Now, I know there are ways for Catholics to marry someone from a different faith, but since he didn't belong to any denomination at all, things got incredibly messy. The Church insisted he get baptized first. To pull that off, they made him commit to six months of religious education classes. Can you believe that? We were right in the middle of a war, and the guy didn't even know if he’d make it back alive from the front lines, yet here we were dealing with this nonsense. That was the moment I really felt let down by the Church, so we decided to just go ahead with a civil ceremony back in '91. Eventually, we managed to pull the necessary permits from the local Archdiocese to allow a mixed marriage, and in '94, we finally had our wedding in a small chapel outside of San Diego with my old teacher officiating. Even after that, dealing with the massive, slow-moving religious bureaucracy was a nightmare—it kept tripping us up even when we were welcoming our daughter into the world.

When we went to get our daughter baptized at that same old Catholic church I used to attend for Sunday school as a kid, things got weird fast. The priest was filling out the paperwork and wrote down that her father was an American, and then he just assumed—like it was some automatic rule—that he had to be listed as Catholic too. I told him straight up, "No, that’s not right," and we ended up getting into this heated argument. He actually had the nerve to snap at me, asking how we even managed to get married in a church in the first place if we weren't following their rules. In the end, we just walked out and took our daughter to a different church to get it done.

They literally followed her all the way from school to her front door just screaming "Satan!" at the top of their lungs.

Everything was fine back when my daughter was in preschool, until we got back from our summer vacation and I walked in to find this massive crucifix staring me down from the wall—I'm talking floor-to-ceiling. Look, I’m a believer, but I can't stand it when people force their faith on everyone else like that. It’s totally disrespectful to ignore the fact that you’ve got atheists, agnostics, and kids from all sorts of different religious backgrounds in one classroom. Even as a Catholic, I feel strongly that religious symbols have no business being in schools, daycares, or any kind of public institution. Fast forward to when my kid started elementary school, and the teacher's very first move on day one was pulling all the parents aside to ask who wanted their kid opted out of religion class.

"We live in this quiet American suburb where everyone—except my husband—has always been religious. It turned out our daughter was the only one who didn't want to take religion classes, so we just went along with it at school so she wouldn't feel left out. But once she hit third grade and they started prepping kids for First Communion, suddenly the school lessons weren't enough. The church demanded she attend extra classes and Sunday Mass along with us parents. We weren't okay with being forced into that kind of thing, so we stepped away from the religion classes, the communion, and the services entirely," says the mother of a girl whose life basically flipped upside down after that decision. The fallout started with her teacher, and then, as usual, the other kids in class followed suit.

"The teacher was clearly stunned that we wouldn't bow down to every single demand from the church. She’d make these snide little comments here and there, which we didn't think was a huge deal—until the other kids started freezing her out. It's about a twenty-minute walk from school to our house, and her former friends would literally follow her the whole way just to yell 'Satan!' at her," recalls the woman from Chicago.

When asked if she and her husband stood up to those blatant provocations against their child, she admits—no, unfortunately they didn't. They had no idea what she was going through because she kept quiet, terrified that speaking up would just make everything even more complicated.

"What did you expect, having a non-believer in the house?"

"She didn't tell me the full extent of the bullying and the insults she dealt with daily until sixth grade. Back then, they were learning about the Crusades in class, and the teacher insisted Muslims were to blame for everything. My kid, visibly upset, actually asked, 'Well, what about the Inquisition?' The other kids just stared at her blankly because they'd never even heard the word, and the teacher just shut her down, saying it wasn't the time or place for such a debate. Once she finally opened up to me, I asked several kids in her class what they were actually being taught that made them so cruel to one another. They just stayed silent, unable to answer. But at a parent-teacher meeting, the mom of one kid straight-up asked me, with zero manners, what I expected when I have a non-believer living under my roof," says Davorka Semenić.

She also remembers how her daughter was the only one to pull an A on a religion test in seventh grade. While her classmates—the ones who went to church religiously—answered the question 'What makes a true believer?' with 'Constant prayer and attending church,' the girl they called Satan wrote: 'A true believer is someone who shows kindness to all living beings!'

"As a family, we really try to embrace differences and be tolerant. That's why our home library is packed with all kinds of books, including religious ones, because we believe reading them is part of being well-rounded. Since the Quran was the only thing missing from our collection, we found a copy at a local book fair and she got it as a gift. But when her college classmates found out, they harassed her, claiming a 'real' Catholic would never buy something like that. These kids think they're 'true' Catholics just because they cross themselves whenever they pass a church, yet they won't even give up a seat on the subway for the elderly, the sick, or a mother with a stroller. Even though they don't openly complain about her reading the Quran, the professors at the university do absolutely nothing to stop this toxic animosity among the students," says the professor from Chicago.

After everything she endured growing up, she eventually decided to go through with her First Communion and Confirmation at sixteen. Despite all the pressure from everyone around her, Davorka Semenić and her husband are proud today that their daughter grew up to be a smart, independent young woman who thinks for herself.

this is just gross

The article covers a bit of everything, but it really boils down to that old "we're all different, but let's just play along with the system to survive" mentality. It's like, sure, you can be a cosmopolitan individual and read anything from scripture to classic literature in private, but once you step out in front of the public, you’re expected to cross yourself just because that's what the people in power want. You marry in the church, you baptize your kid, and then that kid has to take religious education in school just to avoid being the odd one out.

To me, the whole piece feels like a subtle instruction manual for parents: send your kids to religious classes, otherwise, the people who love to perform piety will mock you or label you an outcast.
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