Posts by Susan James

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. Is anyone else seeing this? It’s like we’re all just collectively nodding along while everything goes completely sideways, right? I feel like I’m shouting into a void sometimes, just trying to make sense of the chaos, but does anyone actually stop to listen? Probably not. We’re all too busy chasing the next big thing or pretending everything is perfectly fine, even when it clearly isn't. It's exhausting, isn't it? Just constant noise without any actual substance behind it. Anyway, I guess I'm just rambling now. What do you guys think? Or am I just losing my mind here? kaže:
🤣

It honestly terrifies me to think that we actually believe the best way to start a kid off is by basically drilling fear into their bones from day one, as if school is some kind of prison sentence they need to be conditioned for? Like, seriously, since when did we decide that keeping children under this constant, suffocating thumb was the secret sauce to learning? Is that really how we want to spark a lifelong love for knowledge, by making them feel like they’re constantly walking on eggshells just to stay out of trouble? It feels so wrong, you know?

Look, the curriculum for first graders is basically just a collection of fundamental life skills that every single kid needs to survive—like, I mean every single day—dealing with the actual world they live in. So if we’re really going to try and force them into submission using nothing but strict discipline and the threat of bad grades, then I honestly don't see how it's even possible to motivate them to care about things like vectors, imaginary numbers, or learning Latin and Greek roots, right? 😕

🤦 Look, if you honestly think a single grade from first grade is some kind of terrifying catastrophe that’s going to ruin a kid's entire life—rather than just being a little signal that maybe, just maybe, you need to sit down and actually work through something with them—then I’m genuinely at a loss for words. Like, seriously, what am I even supposed to say to that? I’m sorry, but I really don't know how else to put this.

So, look, Susan James, you mentioned earlier that some kids just aren't being given a clear enough grasp on the curriculum—whatever that’s supposed to mean, really—but in my neck of the woods, we still have actual, salaried professors and teachers standing at the front of the classroom delivering the material. I honestly don't get where the parents are supposed to step in here; if I'm paying for professional educators to make these concepts click for my kids during school hours, isn't it kind of on them to actually make the lessons stick? 😕

So they’re getting paid, big deal—who cares? Honestly, you’re getting paid to do your job too, aren't you? But here's the real question I have for you: are you actually pulling your weight and seeing every single task through from start to finish, or are you just cherry-picking a tiny slice of the process and calling it a day?
And seriously, just try to wrap your head around the math for a second—how much actual time does a first-grade teacher even have to sit down with every single kid individually? Like, how are they supposed to tailor the lesson to fit each specific child’s learning style when you've got twenty or twenty-five little humans in one room? A class period is only forty-five minutes long, right? And that’s not even counting the time wasted trying to settle the rowdiest kids down—which probably takes at least a minute or two if things are going perfectly. It’s honestly a massive stretch to expect one person to meet every single high expectation we parents throw at them.😁

Honestly, what you’ve put together for your students is absolutely brilliant, but let’s be real for a second—not every parent out there has the background to actually know what their kid should be grasping, how they ought to be learning, or even what milestones they should be hitting, right? It feels kind of awkward for me to go around pointing fingers at them or trying to pin all this responsibility on their shoulders, especially when we're talking about those early elementary school years where everything really should be handled within the classroom. I mean, if the teaching itself isn't actually delivering anything meaningful, then what are we even doing here?

Look, I really don't think this is some deep-seated issue with how parents are educated or anything like that; it’s purely about whether they're actually stepping up and taking responsibility for their kid. I mean, sorry if I'm being blunt, but if we as parents can't spot a red flag when it's staring us right in the face, what are we even doing? We always have the option to just head down to the local elementary school and have a real, honest conversation with their teacher, right? And let's be real, we aren't living on a deserted island—there are other parents around us all the time. So, if you already feel like you're out of your depth, how on earth are you supposed to figure it out on your own? There's absolutely no shame in asking for help.😉

I mean, honestly, I’m expecting school to actually be engaging and easy to wrap your head around, right? I mean, what else am I supposed to expect? And it’s not just about the classroom, either... so much of what they teach in elementary school starts way back in preschool... things like reading stories, retelling plots, answering questions after a read-aloud (like what was mentioned in the original post), or those little pretend play sessions where they run a fake grocery store or restaurant to practice adding, subtracting, and multiplying, etc.

.
Look, sorry, but if you’ve got twenty students breezing through the material without breaking a sweat while five others are struggling, you can't really claim the teaching method isn't working... the fact that our kid specifically isn't vibing with the way things are being taught is a whole different ballgame entirely. Either you step up as a parent and bridge that gap in a way they can actually digest, or you just let it ride. At the end of the day, none of us have a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining, and frankly, I don't see why everyone is making such a huge deal out of it.

I was born back in the late sixties, and I was sitting in those first-grade classrooms during a totally different era... we didn't even get grades for the first four years.
They told me to go to school and be a model student—to work hard and be a good friend—because my ancestors fought for these opportunities (you know, free public education that's available to everyone)😬
and that life would be a lot smoother if I just stuck it out and finished school.

Are you sure about that?😁...I was born during that same era too, but I was pulling grades starting from the very first grade...

Look, even yin&yang went through school back then without any formal grades,🤷

A parent's responsibility is to stay involved in their child's education and check in regularly with the teachers, but it shouldn't be about tutoring them at home.
It really just comes down to how much a parent wants to be motivated and proactive.

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I mean, seriously? Is this really what we're doing now? Just dropping random words like that without any context or a shred of actual conversation? It’s like walking into a crowded diner in Chicago, sitting down at the counter, and just grunting at the cook instead of ordering a damn breakfast sandwich. Are we just testing to see if the lights are on, or is there some kind of deep, philosophical subtext here that I'm somehow too dim-witted to grasp? If you've got something to say, just say it, right? Don't leave us all hanging in this weirdly silent void. kaže:
I’m telling you right now, and I mean this with absolute conviction: kids actually love to learn. Like, they genuinely crave it. They don't need some arbitrary letter grade or a GPA hovering over their heads just to spark that curiosity, you know? Why do we act like a report card is the only thing that makes knowledge stick?
Honestly, it’s more than just a minor setback—half the time, they just completely strip away anyone's will to keep going.
How does a kid even learn to walk? Like, how do they figure out how to balance and move without falling on their face every five seconds? And how do they eventually master riding a bike? It’s all instinct, right? Then you look at these little kids in preschool and they’re already being taught letters and sounds, but there aren't any grades or report cards to serve as "feedback" to tell them if they're actually getting it or just spinning their wheels. How does that whole learning loop even work without a formal score?

Look, let’s be real for a second—kids just want to dive headfirst into whatever actually sparks their curiosity, right? And since we all know they aren't some cookie-cutter group where everyone is wired the same way, it’s pretty obvious that what captures one kid's imagination is going to be total boredom for the next. But hey, the school curriculum is what it is, isn't it? It’s set in stone. At the end of the day, those grades are basically just there to act as a carrot on a stick to keep them motivated and, honestly, just to keep things from descending into absolute chaos in the classroom.

I mean, I totally get where boldani is coming from on this one, but I’m honestly struggling to see where the parents actually dropped the ball here. Like, what exactly was their mistake? Did they just fail to pick a teacher with enough experience to handle a classroom? Or maybe they dropped their kid off in a class where everyone else is basically bouncing off the walls, making it impossible for any student to actually focus on the lesson? I don't know, it just feels like there's a missing piece to this puzzle.
What's actually a valid excuse when you feel like the material just isn't being explained well enough for a kid to actually wrap their head around it? Like, how do you even frame that without sounding like you're just making excuses for them falling behind?

Why are you always shifting the blame onto everyone else? Seriously, is it really that hard to just accept that kids aren't some carbon copy of one another? Maybe our kid isn't some budding little Einstein right now, or maybe they just haven't hit that specific developmental milestone yet, or whatever... the point is, they need us to step up. I mean, at the end of the day, who knows our own child better than we do? Take my little one, for example. During the first half of the school year, she was constantly tripping up during spelling tests, always leaving one or two mistakes here and there, especially when the words got a bit longer. Eventually, I realized she was really struggling with syllable division—she just couldn't wrap her head around how to break a word down. So, what did I do? I told her to try singing the words out loud like a song. And wouldn't you know it? Just like that, the struggle with spelling vanished. Sure, I could have just sat back and let her keep struggling until she ended up hating school, or I could have sat around waiting for her teacher to fix it, or I could have just taken matters into my own hands like I did. It was a choice, plain and simple. And since I’m operating under the assumption that we all actually care about our kids being happy and confident, I don't see why anyone would find it difficult to just help them get there.

Wait, isn't this part of your post a little bit contradictory?
So, on one hand, you’re out here preaching about how kids are totally burnt out because their school schedules are absolutely suffocating them, right? But then, in the very next breath, you’re actually suggesting that a parent should just double down and pile even more of the exact same workload on top of them once they finally get home? Like, seriously, how does that even make sense? You can't claim the system is crushing them under the weight of too many hours and then turn around and advocate for adding even more pressure to an already exhausted kid at the dinner table. It’s kind of a wild contradiction, don't you think? 😕

Look, I’m not even trying to make some grand claim here, I’m just saying—this is my one personal gripe with the whole thing. It’s not about whether they're being taught too much or if the workload is getting out of hand, seriously, that's not it at all. It comes down to one thing and one thing only: their actual ability to sit still and focus.
Look, I’m telling you, bringing the curriculum closer to where they actually live isn't some massive extra burden on teachers—it’s just common sense. It’s not about piling more work onto their plates; it’s strictly and exclusively about taking the stuff they’re already struggling to grasp and explaining it in a way that actually clicks for them, you know? If we can present the material through a lens that’s actually engaging and relatable to an American kid, why wouldn't we? Is it really "extra" if it just makes the lesson finally make sense?

Honestly, I feel like I’ve already ranted about this on another thread, but here we go again because it’s just so obvious: giving grades to kids in elementary school is completely pointless. Like, seriously, what is the actual goal there? It feels totally unnecessary.

Let’s be real for a second—if we ditched grades entirely, none of these kids, especially the ones in second, third, or fourth grade, would ever even touch a book, let alone actually learn something. I mean, come on, let's get serious here... what would even be the point of going to school at all? You really think they’re sitting there finding multiplication tables fascinating while it's snowing outside and they could just be home dreaming away?😁
Maybe we should just push back those 9:00 or 10:00 AM start times for freshmen instead? Honestly, that might actually make way more sense than just getting rid of grades altogether...😉

🤣

It honestly scares me if we believe that we should start a child's education by instilling a fear of school and keeping them under strict control.

The elementary school curriculum covers fundamental skills that everyone needs—stuff you use every single day. So, if we have to rely on grading and discipline just to keep them focused on basics, I don't know how we're ever supposed to motivate them to tackle complex stuff like vectors, imaginary numbers, or Latin and Greek.😕

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I mean, seriously? Is this really what we're doing now? Just dropping random words like that without any context or a shred of actual conversation? It’s like walking into a crowded diner in Chicago, sitting down at the counter, and just grunting at the cook instead of ordering a damn breakfast sandwich. Are we just testing to see if the lights are on, or is there some kind of deep, philosophical subtext here that I'm somehow too dim-witted to grasp? If you've got something to say, just say it, right? Don't leave us all hanging in this weirdly silent void. kaže:
I’m telling you right now, and I mean this with absolute conviction: kids actually love to learn. Like, they genuinely crave it. They don't need some arbitrary letter grade or a GPA hovering over their heads just to spark that curiosity, you know? Why do we act like a report card is the only thing that makes knowledge stick?
Honestly, it’s more than just a minor setback—half the time, they just completely strip away anyone's will to keep going.
How does a kid even learn to walk? Like, how do they figure out how to balance and move without falling on their face every five seconds? And how do they eventually master riding a bike? It’s all instinct, right? Then you look at these little kids in preschool and they’re already being taught letters and sounds, but there aren't any grades or report cards to serve as "feedback" to tell them if they're actually getting it or just spinning their wheels. How does that whole learning loop even work without a formal score?

Look, let’s be real for a second—kids just want to dive headfirst into whatever actually sparks their curiosity, right? And since we all know they aren't some cookie-cutter group where everyone is wired the same way, it’s pretty obvious that what captures one kid's imagination is going to be total boredom for the next. But hey, the school curriculum is what it is, isn't it? It’s set in stone. At the end of the day, those grades are basically just there to act as a carrot on a stick to keep them motivated and, honestly, just to keep things from descending into absolute chaos in the classroom.

I mean, I totally get where boldani is coming from on this one, but I’m honestly struggling to see where the parents actually dropped the ball here. Like, what exactly was their mistake? Did they just fail to pick a teacher with enough experience to handle a classroom? Or maybe they dropped their kid off in a class where everyone else is basically bouncing off the walls, making it impossible for any student to actually focus on the lesson? I don't know, it just feels like there's a missing piece to this puzzle.
What's actually a valid excuse when you feel like the material just isn't being explained well enough for a kid to actually wrap their head around it? Like, how do you even frame that without sounding like you're just making excuses for them falling behind?

Why are you always shifting the blame onto everyone else? Seriously, is it really that hard to just accept that kids aren't some carbon copy of one another? Maybe our kid isn't some budding little Einstein right now, or maybe they just haven't hit that specific developmental milestone yet, or whatever... the point is, they need us to step up. I mean, at the end of the day, who knows our own child better than we do? Take my little one, for example. During the first half of the school year, she was constantly tripping up during spelling tests, always leaving one or two mistakes here and there, especially when the words got a bit longer. Eventually, I realized she was really struggling with syllable division—she just couldn't wrap her head around how to break a word down. So, what did I do? I told her to try singing the words out loud like a song. And wouldn't you know it? Just like that, the struggle with spelling vanished. Sure, I could have just sat back and let her keep struggling until she ended up hating school, or I could have sat around waiting for her teacher to fix it, or I could have just taken matters into my own hands like I did. It was a choice, plain and simple. And since I’m operating under the assumption that we all actually care about our kids being happy and confident, I don't see why anyone would find it difficult to just help them get there.

Wait, isn't this part of your post a little bit contradictory?
So, on one hand, you’re out here preaching about how kids are totally burnt out because their school schedules are absolutely suffocating them, right? But then, in the very next breath, you’re actually suggesting that a parent should just double down and pile even more of the exact same workload on top of them once they finally get home? Like, seriously, how does that even make sense? You can't claim the system is crushing them under the weight of too many hours and then turn around and advocate for adding even more pressure to an already exhausted kid at the dinner table. It’s kind of a wild contradiction, don't you think? 😕

Look, I’m not even trying to make some grand claim here, I’m just saying—this is my one personal gripe with the whole thing. It’s not about whether they're being taught too much or if the workload is getting out of hand, seriously, that's not it at all. It comes down to one thing and one thing only: their actual ability to sit still and focus.
Look, I’m telling you, bringing the curriculum closer to where they actually live isn't some massive extra burden on teachers—it’s just common sense. It’s not about piling more work onto their plates; it’s strictly and exclusively about taking the stuff they’re already struggling to grasp and explaining it in a way that actually clicks for them, you know? If we can present the material through a lens that’s actually engaging and relatable to an American kid, why wouldn't we? Is it really "extra" if it just makes the lesson finally make sense?

Honestly, I feel like I’ve already ranted about this on another thread, but here we go again because it’s just so obvious: giving grades to kids in elementary school is completely pointless. Like, seriously, what is the actual goal there? It feels totally unnecessary.

Let’s be real for a second—if we ditched grades entirely, none of these kids, especially the ones in second, third, or fourth grade, would ever even touch a book, let alone actually learn something. I mean, come on, let's get serious here... what would even be the point of going to school at all? You really think they’re sitting there finding multiplication tables fascinating while it's snowing outside and they could just be home dreaming away?😁
Maybe we should just push back those 9:00 or 10:00 AM start times for freshmen instead? Honestly, that might actually make way more sense than just getting rid of grades altogether...😉

Also, you mentioned that for some kids, the material isn't explained clearly enough (whatever that means), but in my world, the material is being taught by actual, paid professionals. I'm not quite following where the parental responsibility lies if I'm expecting teachers to actually present the lessons effectively in class.😕

What you did for your child was wonderful, but not every parent has the background to intuitively know exactly what a child should know or the best way for them to learn. I find it a bit unfair to pin all the responsibility on parents, especially in those early elementary years when it feels like everything should be mastered right there in the classroom. Otherwise, what's the point of school?

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I mean, seriously? Is this really what we're doing now? Just dropping random words like that without any context or a shred of actual conversation? It’s like walking into a crowded diner in Chicago, sitting down at the counter, and just grunting at the cook instead of ordering a damn breakfast sandwich. Are we just testing to see if the lights are on, or is there some kind of deep, philosophical subtext here that I'm somehow too dim-witted to grasp? If you've got something to say, just say it, right? Don't leave us all hanging in this weirdly silent void. kaže:
I’m telling you right now, and I mean this with absolute conviction: kids actually love to learn. Like, they genuinely crave it. They don't need some arbitrary letter grade or a GPA hovering over their heads just to spark that curiosity, you know? Why do we act like a report card is the only thing that makes knowledge stick?
Honestly, it’s more than just a minor setback—half the time, they just completely strip away anyone's will to keep going.
How does a kid even learn to walk? Like, how do they figure out how to balance and move without falling on their face every five seconds? And how do they eventually master riding a bike? It’s all instinct, right? Then you look at these little kids in preschool and they’re already being taught letters and sounds, but there aren't any grades or report cards to serve as "feedback" to tell them if they're actually getting it or just spinning their wheels. How does that whole learning loop even work without a formal score?

Look, let’s be real for a second—kids just want to dive headfirst into whatever actually sparks their curiosity, right? And since we all know they aren't some cookie-cutter group where everyone is wired the same way, it’s pretty obvious that what captures one kid's imagination is going to be total boredom for the next. But hey, the school curriculum is what it is, isn't it? It’s set in stone. At the end of the day, those grades are basically just there to act as a carrot on a stick to keep them motivated and, honestly, just to keep things from descending into absolute chaos in the classroom.

I mean, I totally get where boldani is coming from on this one, but I’m honestly struggling to see where the parents actually dropped the ball here. Like, what exactly was their mistake? Did they just fail to pick a teacher with enough experience to handle a classroom? Or maybe they dropped their kid off in a class where everyone else is basically bouncing off the walls, making it impossible for any student to actually focus on the lesson? I don't know, it just feels like there's a missing piece to this puzzle.
What's actually a valid excuse when you feel like the material just isn't being explained well enough for a kid to actually wrap their head around it? Like, how do you even frame that without sounding like you're just making excuses for them falling behind?

Why are you always shifting the blame onto everyone else? Seriously, is it really that hard to just accept that kids aren't some carbon copy of one another? Maybe our kid isn't some budding little Einstein right now, or maybe they just haven't hit that specific developmental milestone yet, or whatever... the point is, they need us to step up. I mean, at the end of the day, who knows our own child better than we do? Take my little one, for example. During the first half of the school year, she was constantly tripping up during spelling tests, always leaving one or two mistakes here and there, especially when the words got a bit longer. Eventually, I realized she was really struggling with syllable division—she just couldn't wrap her head around how to break a word down. So, what did I do? I told her to try singing the words out loud like a song. And wouldn't you know it? Just like that, the struggle with spelling vanished. Sure, I could have just sat back and let her keep struggling until she ended up hating school, or I could have sat around waiting for her teacher to fix it, or I could have just taken matters into my own hands like I did. It was a choice, plain and simple. And since I’m operating under the assumption that we all actually care about our kids being happy and confident, I don't see why anyone would find it difficult to just help them get there.

Wait, isn't this part of your post a little bit contradictory?
So, on one hand, you’re out here preaching about how kids are totally burnt out because their school schedules are absolutely suffocating them, right? But then, in the very next breath, you’re actually suggesting that a parent should just double down and pile even more of the exact same workload on top of them once they finally get home? Like, seriously, how does that even make sense? You can't claim the system is crushing them under the weight of too many hours and then turn around and advocate for adding even more pressure to an already exhausted kid at the dinner table. It’s kind of a wild contradiction, don't you think? 😕

Look, I’m not even trying to make some grand claim here, I’m just saying—this is my one personal gripe with the whole thing. It’s not about whether they're being taught too much or if the workload is getting out of hand, seriously, that's not it at all. It comes down to one thing and one thing only: their actual ability to sit still and focus.
Look, I’m telling you, bringing the curriculum closer to where they actually live isn't some massive extra burden on teachers—it’s just common sense. It’s not about piling more work onto their plates; it’s strictly and exclusively about taking the stuff they’re already struggling to grasp and explaining it in a way that actually clicks for them, you know? If we can present the material through a lens that’s actually engaging and relatable to an American kid, why wouldn't we? Is it really "extra" if it just makes the lesson finally make sense?

Honestly, I feel like I’ve already ranted about this on another thread, but here we go again because it’s just so obvious: giving grades to kids in elementary school is completely pointless. Like, seriously, what is the actual goal there? It feels totally unnecessary.

Let’s be real for a second—if we ditched grades entirely, none of these kids, especially the ones in second, third, or fourth grade, would ever even touch a book, let alone actually learn something. I mean, come on, let's get serious here... what would even be the point of going to school at all? You really think they’re sitting there finding multiplication tables fascinating while it's snowing outside and they could just be home dreaming away?😁
Maybe we should just push back those 9:00 or 10:00 AM start times for freshmen instead? Honestly, that might actually make way more sense than just getting rid of grades altogether...😉

I really feel like school should be taught in a way that captures their interest. I mean, what other choice is there?
And it doesn't just start in elementary school... so much of what we teach in the early grades actually starts back in preschool. From reading stories and retelling them—which ties back to the original post—to those little role-playing games where they play shopkeeper or waiter and practice adding, subtracting, and multiplying...

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I mean, seriously? Is this really what we're doing now? Just dropping random words like that without any context or a shred of actual conversation? It’s like walking into a crowded diner in Chicago, sitting down at the counter, and just grunting at the cook instead of ordering a damn breakfast sandwich. Are we just testing to see if the lights are on, or is there some kind of deep, philosophical subtext here that I'm somehow too dim-witted to grasp? If you've got something to say, just say it, right? Don't leave us all hanging in this weirdly silent void. kaže:
I’m telling you right now, and I mean this with absolute conviction: kids actually love to learn. Like, they genuinely crave it. They don't need some arbitrary letter grade or a GPA hovering over their heads just to spark that curiosity, you know? Why do we act like a report card is the only thing that makes knowledge stick?
Honestly, it’s more than just a minor setback—half the time, they just completely strip away anyone's will to keep going.
How does a kid even learn to walk? Like, how do they figure out how to balance and move without falling on their face every five seconds? And how do they eventually master riding a bike? It’s all instinct, right? Then you look at these little kids in preschool and they’re already being taught letters and sounds, but there aren't any grades or report cards to serve as "feedback" to tell them if they're actually getting it or just spinning their wheels. How does that whole learning loop even work without a formal score?

Look, let’s be real for a second—kids just want to dive headfirst into whatever actually sparks their curiosity, right? And since we all know they aren't some cookie-cutter group where everyone is wired the same way, it’s pretty obvious that what captures one kid's imagination is going to be total boredom for the next. But hey, the school curriculum is what it is, isn't it? It’s set in stone. At the end of the day, those grades are basically just there to act as a carrot on a stick to keep them motivated and, honestly, just to keep things from descending into absolute chaos in the classroom.

I mean, I totally get where boldani is coming from on this one, but I’m honestly struggling to see where the parents actually dropped the ball here. Like, what exactly was their mistake? Did they just fail to pick a teacher with enough experience to handle a classroom? Or maybe they dropped their kid off in a class where everyone else is basically bouncing off the walls, making it impossible for any student to actually focus on the lesson? I don't know, it just feels like there's a missing piece to this puzzle.
What's actually a valid excuse when you feel like the material just isn't being explained well enough for a kid to actually wrap their head around it? Like, how do you even frame that without sounding like you're just making excuses for them falling behind?

Why are you always shifting the blame onto everyone else? Seriously, is it really that hard to just accept that kids aren't some carbon copy of one another? Maybe our kid isn't some budding little Einstein right now, or maybe they just haven't hit that specific developmental milestone yet, or whatever... the point is, they need us to step up. I mean, at the end of the day, who knows our own child better than we do? Take my little one, for example. During the first half of the school year, she was constantly tripping up during spelling tests, always leaving one or two mistakes here and there, especially when the words got a bit longer. Eventually, I realized she was really struggling with syllable division—she just couldn't wrap her head around how to break a word down. So, what did I do? I told her to try singing the words out loud like a song. And wouldn't you know it? Just like that, the struggle with spelling vanished. Sure, I could have just sat back and let her keep struggling until she ended up hating school, or I could have sat around waiting for her teacher to fix it, or I could have just taken matters into my own hands like I did. It was a choice, plain and simple. And since I’m operating under the assumption that we all actually care about our kids being happy and confident, I don't see why anyone would find it difficult to just help them get there.

Wait, isn't this part of your post a little bit contradictory?
So, on one hand, you’re out here preaching about how kids are totally burnt out because their school schedules are absolutely suffocating them, right? But then, in the very next breath, you’re actually suggesting that a parent should just double down and pile even more of the exact same workload on top of them once they finally get home? Like, seriously, how does that even make sense? You can't claim the system is crushing them under the weight of too many hours and then turn around and advocate for adding even more pressure to an already exhausted kid at the dinner table. It’s kind of a wild contradiction, don't you think? 😕

Look, I’m not even trying to make some grand claim here, I’m just saying—this is my one personal gripe with the whole thing. It’s not about whether they're being taught too much or if the workload is getting out of hand, seriously, that's not it at all. It comes down to one thing and one thing only: their actual ability to sit still and focus.
Look, I’m telling you, bringing the curriculum closer to where they actually live isn't some massive extra burden on teachers—it’s just common sense. It’s not about piling more work onto their plates; it’s strictly and exclusively about taking the stuff they’re already struggling to grasp and explaining it in a way that actually clicks for them, you know? If we can present the material through a lens that’s actually engaging and relatable to an American kid, why wouldn't we? Is it really "extra" if it just makes the lesson finally make sense?

Honestly, I feel like I’ve already ranted about this on another thread, but here we go again because it’s just so obvious: giving grades to kids in elementary school is completely pointless. Like, seriously, what is the actual goal there? It feels totally unnecessary.

Let’s be real for a second—if we ditched grades entirely, none of these kids, especially the ones in second, third, or fourth grade, would ever even touch a book, let alone actually learn something. I mean, come on, let's get serious here... what would even be the point of going to school at all? You really think they’re sitting there finding multiplication tables fascinating while it's snowing outside and they could just be home dreaming away?😁
Maybe we should just push back those 9:00 or 10:00 AM start times for freshmen instead? Honestly, that might actually make way more sense than just getting rid of grades altogether...😉

I was born during the era of the Great Depression, and I attended my first grade classes back in a world that felt very different from today. We didn't have grades for the first four years of school.
My parents told me to go to school and be a model student—work hard and be a good friend—because that’s what our ancestors fought for, ensuring education was free and available to everyone. 😬
They also reminded me that finishing school would make life a lot easier down the road.

I used to absolutely love practicing my multiplication tables! 😍 But whenever it snowed, I’d spend my time daydreaming just like everyone else in my class or my neighborhood until it got too dark and we had to be ushered home before we froze. We’d spend our after-school time playing in the snow or helping clear the sidewalks in front of the school for people walking by.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, the whole point of having grades in first grade should be to nudge kids toward learning, which shouldn't be an issue for anyone—kids or parents alike.
And hey, if we think our kid is doing "well enough," isn't that just our own subjective opinion? It probably doesn't have anything to do with reality and everything to do with—forgive my bluntness—our own insecurities... instead of dwelling on those, maybe we as parents should focus more on the actual kids, especially during this first year where the foundation for everything else is being laid down...

By the way, personally, I don't believe there's such a thing as a kid who "can't do school"; I think there are just kids who haven't been taught certain concepts in a way that actually clicks for them... which, unfortunately, brings us back to the mistake many parents make, assuming someone else is solely responsible for all the heavy lifting while we just sit back.

As a parent of a first grader myself, my one major gripe with elementary school is just how long the days are. Twenty-three hours of school a week is way too much for kids this age; their attention span is basically tapped out after three or four hours tops.

So... maybe tell your friend that when her kid gets home, she should sit down and actually go through everything they did in class that day... once she does that, she might just realize exactly what I'm getting at. 😁

I truly believe that children naturally love to learn, and they don't need a letter grade to make that happen.
In fact, sometimes those grades actually kill their drive.
Think about it: how do kids learn to walk? How do they learn to ride a bike? Or how do preschool kids pick up their letters without needing "feedback" in the form of a report card?

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, the whole point of having grades in first grade should be to nudge kids toward learning, which shouldn't be an issue for anyone—kids or parents alike.
And hey, if we think our kid is doing "well enough," isn't that just our own subjective opinion? It probably doesn't have anything to do with reality and everything to do with—forgive my bluntness—our own insecurities... instead of dwelling on those, maybe we as parents should focus more on the actual kids, especially during this first year where the foundation for everything else is being laid down...

By the way, personally, I don't believe there's such a thing as a kid who "can't do school"; I think there are just kids who haven't been taught certain concepts in a way that actually clicks for them... which, unfortunately, brings us back to the mistake many parents make, assuming someone else is solely responsible for all the heavy lifting while we just sit back.

As a parent of a first grader myself, my one major gripe with elementary school is just how long the days are. Twenty-three hours of school a week is way too much for kids this age; their attention span is basically tapped out after three or four hours tops.

So... maybe tell your friend that when her kid gets home, she should sit down and actually go through everything they did in class that day... once she does that, she might just realize exactly what I'm getting at. 😁

I can agree with the bolded part, but I don't quite see where the parent's fault lies. Did they pick a teacher who wasn't experienced enough? Did they enroll their child in a class where the other kids are too restless for them to focus?
What's the excuse for saying the material wasn't explained well enough?

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, the whole point of having grades in first grade should be to nudge kids toward learning, which shouldn't be an issue for anyone—kids or parents alike.
And hey, if we think our kid is doing "well enough," isn't that just our own subjective opinion? It probably doesn't have anything to do with reality and everything to do with—forgive my bluntness—our own insecurities... instead of dwelling on those, maybe we as parents should focus more on the actual kids, especially during this first year where the foundation for everything else is being laid down...

By the way, personally, I don't believe there's such a thing as a kid who "can't do school"; I think there are just kids who haven't been taught certain concepts in a way that actually clicks for them... which, unfortunately, brings us back to the mistake many parents make, assuming someone else is solely responsible for all the heavy lifting while we just sit back.

As a parent of a first grader myself, my one major gripe with elementary school is just how long the days are. Twenty-three hours of school a week is way too much for kids this age; their attention span is basically tapped out after three or four hours tops.

So... maybe tell your friend that when her kid gets home, she should sit down and actually go through everything they did in class that day... once she does that, she might just realize exactly what I'm getting at. 😁

That part of your post feels a little contradictory to me.
On one hand, you say kids are overwhelmed by too many school hours, but then you suggest that after a long, exhausting school day, parents should pile even more work onto them by reviewing the exact same material at home. 😕

By the way, I've mentioned this before on another thread... grades in the early years of elementary school are completely unnecessary.

rowdypanther12 said:I honestly don't see this stopping just because of the upcoming elections—maybe things might slow down if there's a shift in funding, but that's about it.
Since the way this is structured isn't actually tied to politics, I really don't think the election results will have much of an impact.

The people actually doing the work definitely aren't tied to politics.

I am also a bit worried about the budget side of things—specifically whether they'll pause everything if funds run dry—as well as the selection process for who gets involved.

The team is looking for hands-on experts rather than just theorists, 🙏 and they're asking the government or the unions to cover full salaries while they work on this, plus hire replacements to fill their roles for those six months.
That's where my concern lies: how will management decide who gets to step away and who stays? I worry some people might get squeezed out if they aren't part of this six-month stint.
It’s definitely weighing on my mind.
On a brighter note, though, the team gives me hope. I think they'll do a great job filtering candidates. Even if someone makes a great pitch initially but then shows zero interest once the work starts, I trust they'll just bring someone else on board instead.

I really hope the people applying are the ones with genuine ideas and enthusiasm—people who aren't just worried about the office politics or the vibes in the breakroom when they return.

hiddendriver34 said:He actually stopped by my faculty lounge today to set up some sit-downs with the teachers. I’ve been working in education for a while now, and let me tell you, we’ve seen plenty of "education reforms" come and go, but this is the first time an actual reformer has walked into our workspace to actually talk to the people on the front lines about how things work.
For what it's worth, I'm also a huge advocate for getting rid of letter grades, even at the high school level. I truly believe I could provide a much more holistic and nuanced look at a student's progress through descriptive feedback rather than just slapping a grade on them. Using a narrow scale—like a 1 to 5 system—is such a blunt instrument. Believe me, trying to squeeze a complex human being into one single number within such a tiny range can be a total nightmare sometimes.

🎉 Me too, me too! 🎉

I know it means more paperwork and that it might be a bit more subjective, but I honestly think it's a great idea!

Anyway, that group sounds really promising to me, whether they are reaching out through the news or privately... I just really hope they don't mess up the selection process for those 300 members. I hope they are chosen based on clear criteria and that they are people who truly want to see change. The fact that they are coming straight to the teachers' lounges is just a massive plus.

rowdypanther12 said:I’d say the GDP really comes down to the national mindset 😁

I’d have to agree with that! 😬
It’s a bit of a double whammy when you look at where our tax dollars actually end up. On one hand, you have funds that technically enter the budget but get diverted into the wrong pockets because of political maneuvering and all the red tape that comes with it. It’s frustrating to see money meant for public good getting lost in those political loopholes. On the other hand, there's the issue of revenue that never even makes it to the treasury in the first place. A lot of people try to dodge their tax obligations because they just don't see the direct "return on investment." They don't feel like they're getting any real value back—especially when it comes to things like quality public education or infrastructure. It becomes this cycle where people opt out because they don't see the benefit, which only makes the whole system struggle more.

It’s a bit of a catch-22, isn't it? It feels like when it comes to school staff, you either get someone who is absolutely world-class—and likely being paid a premium for that expertise—or you end up with someone totally mediocre who somehow earns the exact same paycheck. It’s a frustrating gap to see.

I was just wondering who those people actually are. Top 300 picks. And what exactly will they be using to make those decisions?
To be honest, looking at the leadership behind this whole reform, I’m actually feeling pretty optimistic. I have a real sense that we might finally see some drastic, high-quality changes coming our way.

rowdypanther12 said:Did they make this in Finland?

Probably
there are quite a few similarities.

I personally absolutely love the idea of getting rid of letter grades altogether. I’ve been chatting with some folks in the American education system, and they keep telling me that something like this would never fly here—that kids just wouldn't bother studying without them. It reminds me of how we recently stopped issuing mid-term report cards; in my opinion, that was mostly just for show. It feels like teachers still just round up grades whenever they want to keep things looking a certain way, essentially maintaining that same old grade pressure.
I won't say the whole comparison is totally pointless, but we really need to shift our mindset regarding why we actually learn in the first place...

Just wanted to bump this thread, I stumbled upon this article

It covers a recent education reform over in Denmark. I actually really love what they're saying here, though I have to admit I’m a bit skeptical about whether something like this could ever fly here in the States 😢. It feels like such a different approach to how we handle things locally
.
In the Danish-founded school system, they have a preschool year (Grade 0), followed by nine years of primary school (Grades 1–9), and then a tenth grade. One thing that really caught my eye is that they don't actually use traditional grades until the 7th grade. Instead, teachers constantly monitor their students, providing continuous feedback on their progress, skill levels, and knowledge, along with practical guidance to help them plan and organize their learning.

Well, parents really have the final say in both directions.
Technically, they could try to skip enrolling their child entirely, but then they might end up getting a call from Child Protective Services for neglecting the kid's right to an education. 😬

I’m just kidding, obviously—a parent's opinion matters deeply, and they absolutely have the right to advocate for what they believe is best for their child. However, the child still needs official, professional documentation to determine which school they should actually be attending.
Especially if all the standard assessments show the child meets all the requirements for enrollment.

I mean, I can't exactly say I don't want my kid starting school during the 2017/2018 school year, even though they'll be turning seven. If I wait until 2018/2019 just because the teacher I really want for them will be teaching fourth grade then, it's a tough call. I'd love to wait just to get that wonderful teacher.
But I really can't.
(Though I'd love to!)

Brian Barnes5 said:We’ve still got plenty of ground to cover here, but I can't help but wonder... what happens when the school district's doctors say a kid is totally ready to dive into kindergarten, but the parents are looking at them and thinking they need another year to grow? Is it actually possible to push that start date back just because a parent feels their child isn't quite hitting those developmental milestones yet?

Generally speaking, no.
Without supporting medical documentation, you definitely can't.

However, during your consultation, you’ll talk about who the child is—their strengths and their struggles. You describe how they handle everyday situations.
Through that conversation, you might actually realize that the child is ready for school (even if you initially thought they weren't), or conversely, that they aren't ready when you originally hoped they were.

Based on what unknown mentioned, I would personally suggest holding a child back one more year simply because speech therapy is much easier to manage during the preschool years. It's not just about the developmental side where starting early helps them catch up sooner; it's also about the environment. In preschool, kids are focused on play and don't feel the pressure. They can undergo therapy without having to worry about learning letters or numbers at the same time, carrying a heavy backpack, or the daily grind of a school schedule. Plus, from a logistics standpoint, it's so much easier for parents to get them to appointments while they're still in daycare. When they start school, things get hectic. If you have a grandparent, a sitter, or a neighbor who can pick them up from daycare for a morning session, you have way more flexibility. Once you're working until 5:00 PM, trying to drag an exhausted kid to an afternoon session is a struggle, and finding available slots becomes much harder.
I should also mention that many daycare centers here in the States have speech therapists on staff who work specifically with preschoolers. That means you can get treatment right within the facility itself.
Schools rarely offer those services, and when they do, they're almost always focused on reading and writing.

Based on their birth date, you're actually required to have them seen by the school medical team.
You'll need to bring all the documentation from both their pediatrician and their preschool.
Since they just went through testing recently, they shouldn't need to be re-tested (at least, that's the plan).
The final call rests with the school medical staff, not the preschool staff.
The preschool can certainly make an assessment and share their perspective, but their opinion isn't binding.

That said, the preschool should receive specific guidance on how to support the child, since it’s not just about whether to delay school entry, but also about how to handle their remaining time in preschool.
(Just a little tip for the future: whenever you're dealing with these kinds of matters, it's always best not to approach school or preschool teams without a formal written report from a healthcare provider. 😉)

Dana Martin87 said:Just look at how that kid is developing... I was listening to U2 back in first grade while my peers were stuck on Taylor Swift. Every single night, I was watching The Daily Mail while everyone else went to bed after cartoons. By fourth grade, I’d already plowed through the Russian classics just for fun, while my classmates were still reading Segrt Hlapic. Don't even get me started on sexual maturity.

As far as early puberty goes, at least those signs were spotted early.
I remember being terrified that someone in class would find out I had my period or armpit hair because kids back then wouldn't have understood—plus, I was already way ahead of them. I actually waited for someone else in class to start their period so I could finally tell the gym teacher I couldn't participate without having to explain myself. It took over two years for that to happen.
Kids are incredibly insecure during puberty, and for me, the hardest part hit during the lower elementary years. It sucked feeling so "advanced" compared to everyone else.

That's why by middle school, I was totally confident, while other girls were losing their minds over a pimple.😁

It’s not exactly dramatic. But honestly, I wish I had started school a little younger. I would have actually fit in with the other kids. In puberty, that stuff matters, damn it.

Are you kidding me or just trolling? 🍿

When it comes to kindergarten enrollment—specifically when considering a deferral or an early start—they don't look at what their (pre)puberty might be like. Instead, they focus on the characteristics (emotional, social, cognitive) the child possesses RIGHT NOW. They look at whether certain traits might hinder school adaptation and academic success, or conversely, help it along.
Decisions are usually made by a team.

From what I understand, deferrals based on physical appearance are most often due to being underweight, which is usually tied to other underlying factors (like an illness or health neglect, etc.).
Growth spurts at that age are so unpredictable that trying to forecast them would be almost impossible, and frankly, pretty silly.

And regarding music choices—if we could delay school based on that, I'd probably delay my own kid indefinitely because the stuff kids listen to these days absolutely terrifies me! 🐔

Watching the news isn't really appropriate for children, and it isn't exactly recommended for adults either if they want to keep their sanity. ☕

James Cox6 said:So, last year I was helping out a friend by dropping off some enrollment paperwork for her kid—her boss wouldn't give her the day off, so she asked me to handle the school registration. No big deal.
The office wasn't crowded, which actually worked out because I ended up chatting with a special education specialist. I started asking about early enrollment and maturity levels, and she told me everything you guys have been debating here, plus one thing nobody else mentioned. The conversation went like this:

"Mom, do you have a boy or a girl?" I told her—a girl. "Well, you know," she said, "if you enroll a child at 6 years and 3 months, they might meet the height and weight requirements, but don't mistake that for physical maturity. If they seem short for their age, it’s probably not just about height..."
"You need to realize right from the start that your child might be the least physically developed in the class. They might be at the very bottom of the pack—the last one in the grade to get their period or start developing physically."
"It might sound crazy to you, but these things weigh heavily on those little pre-pubescent minds. You have to remember there are kids in that same class who delayed starting until they were 7 or 8, while yours is starting at 6 and 3 months... Just try to imagine the psychological gap—sometimes up to two years in developmental stages—when hormones kick in and throw all that emotional stability out the window."

So now I'm asking you moms—do you think this becomes a major issue for emotionally immature kids? (I'd prefer answers from moms of girls, since the specialist was specifically talking about female development)

Listening.🙂

🤦

I actually started school when I was 6 and a half.
Back in first grade, I was always at the front of the line (so I definitely met that specialist's criteria! 😛)
By sixth grade, I was near the back, and by eighth grade, I was the very last one.
To be honest, my development stayed pretty delayed for a long time. 🥳

Anyway, someone has to be first and someone has to be last! ☕

David Palmer5 said:It’s an undeniable fact that you see way more behavioral issues in students at elite prep schools than you do in kids attending local vocational high schools.🙄

In reality, our culture doesn't actually emphasize the true value of education. And let's be clear: real learning isn't just about memorizing facts for a test.

If you look at countries with the highest percentages of highly educated citizens—like Finland, Norway, the US, Japan, South Korea, Canada, or the UK—I think that speaks volumes on its own.

True, but when you look at those high graduation rates in places like Canada, the UK, or Scandinavia, you have to account for the huge influx of bright immigrants moving there from all over the world.😍

As for how high schoolers behave... hmm. Looking at a large prep school with maybe 500 students, you might actually run into more disciplinary issues there than you would in an entire district of vocational schools combined.🤣

silentraven6 said:Saying "that's just my opinion" is kind of like saying "everyone is entitled to their own opinion"... it doesn't really add anything to the conversation.

Give me an actual example of what those extra subjects would be. I'm genuinely curious.

Also, I'm wondering how many people here are just parents, and how many of you are professionals in these fields as well as parents?

Well, I'm definitely the expert here!
The more time I spend working with kids who are starting to act out or getting into real trouble, the more convinced I become that the school system itself is largely to blame. We’ve essentially pushed them into this corner. By placing such an overwhelming emphasis on traditional academic success, we end up driving kids right out of the classroom and onto the streets. It takes a massive toll on their self-esteem; when they feel like they can't meet the standards of a "good student," they figure the only way to find any sense of achievement is to lean into being a "troublemaker" instead.

Before the self-proclaimed experts on this forum start lecturing everyone about "family values," I just want to say that I truly believe the family is the foundation. Most of a child's core behavior starts at home. However, they also pick up a whole different set of behaviors at school—and then an entirely separate set while they're busy trying to find any excuse to skip class!
It’s no wonder some kids feel the need to skip school. For them, it doesn't feel like a place meant for learning or discovery at all. Instead, it feels like an environment where they constantly fall short—a place where their unique talents, interests, and skills just aren't valued. It can be incredibly draining when you're constantly being pressured to meet expectations that don't align with who you actually are or what you're capable of doing.

I honestly think the biggest misconception held by our parents—and even our grandparents—was the idea that sending kids to college was the only way to escape the grind. Their whole logic was basically, "Work hard in school and get a degree so you don't have to struggle like we did." They were so focused on making sure we wouldn't end up stuck in manual labor or working the fields just to get by, thinking a nice white-collar office job was the ultimate ticket to a smooth life.

To be honest, not every kid grows up wanting to sit behind a desk all day, and frankly, there just aren't enough of those office roles out there to go around anyway.
With unemployment rates climbing and so many people finding out that a college degree doesn't guarantee much these days, I completely get why kids aren't as obsessed with higher education anymore. You don't even really have to spell it out for them—they see it for themselves. They look around and see parents who went through the whole grind at places like UC Berkeley, only to end up unemployed or stuck in jobs that don't pay nearly what they were promised. It’s hard to value the hustle when you see that reality playing out right in front of you.

The most heartwarming thing I've noticed lately is that there are actually kids out there who genuinely get excited about different types of jobs while they play. It’s such a sweet thing to see.
Just look at these little ones in preschool—well, except for the kids who were handed a tablet by their grandparents!
People are curious about all sorts of things—how to start a garden from scratch, what it’s really like to work as a contractor, an electrician, or a carpenter. They want to know the ins and outs of being a tailor, a chef, a firefighter, or even a hairstylist. It's funny, I was just chatting with a neighbor about how much everyone seems to be looking for hands-on careers lately!
Kids are naturally such curious little explorers, aren't they? They’re constantly observing everything happening around them, trying to make sense of the world. I've always felt that the best way for them to process all that information is through play—it's how they actually get to test out those observations and experience things firsthand.
So, we send them off to school, but what do they actually spend most of their time doing there?
They just sit there, quiet and obedient, doing exactly what they’re told. It feels like all they do is study—and most of the time, it’s just pure rote memorization. I remember being back in high school, and it felt like we were constantly being told to "get a move on" or "keep your seat warm." There was always that pressure to stay focused and push harder, almost like if you weren't constantly grinding, you were falling behind.
I honestly don't see anything wrong with assigning homework. It’s about giving kids access to different types of information and teaching them how to actually hunt for answers on their own—as long as we aren't doing it at the expense of their actual interests. The problem is that we often fail to find that balance. I can't tell you how many times I've heard parents say things like, "You can't go play soccer until your math worksheet is done," or "You can't help Dad fix the car until you finish your reading assignment." I've even heard, "You can't help Grandpa in the garage because you haven't finished that geography project," or "No gardening with Grandma this weekend because you have tests all week." The mindset is always "school comes first, period." Teachers often back this up, too. But here's the thing I've noticed: when we constantly tell a child they can only enjoy life once their schoolwork is finished, it often backfires. In my experience, instead of motivating them, it just leads to a standoff where the kid ends up doing neither—they don't go play, and they don't finish the homework either.
By the time a kid hits eighth grade, they often lose interest in learning practical trades or hands-on skills, yet they aren't exactly hitting the books or excelling in school either. It’s that tricky middle ground where they seem to drift away from everything at once.
To be clear, I’m not talking about people losing focus because they’re glued to their computers or hanging out with the wrong crowd on the street. This is about something much deeper. It's about how families, relatives, neighbors, and even kids are genuinely showing interest in pursuing specific, high-level career paths. We're seeing real ambition and meaningful connections to important professions within the community.

Not everyone is going to be into poetry, geography, or obsessing over what happened 20 or 200 years ago...
Just like I had zero interest in technical drawing back in the day, my buddy sitting next to me in class couldn't care less about literature.
I’d spend my time reading books and knocking out our required reading assignments (for both of us), while he’d help me fill out my workbooks.
In the end, we both walked away with straight A's in both subjects.
But what did we actually learn from all that?
I learned how to cut corners and navigate around the system—though, to be fair, I actually enjoyed the reading part.
Honestly, we were pretty lucky to have each other. We could swap favors, and by helping each other out, we were actually practicing things we were genuinely interested in.
Nowadays, if a kid struggles with a subject, parents usually just step in, hire a tutor, or pay someone to write their book reports for them.
I really don't like that.
It still feels like we're just encouraging kids to cheat and find loopholes.

I often see school reports stating that a child lacks "study habits" (usually alongside a long list of behavioral issues).
And it's true—they haven't developed the habit of memorizing facts, coming home to finish homework, reading assigned books, or doing any extra reading.
Among these kids, you'll find some who are totally lost in front of a computer or TV, or just wandering the streets. But you'll also find kids who love tearing computers apart and putting them back together, or who are obsessed with car mechanics. (I can talk your ear off about mechanics, but those kids usually have a mentor—someone they shadow at a local garage, for instance).

Sure, you could argue that kids get to choose a vocational path around age 14 or 15.
They do.
And quite often, they make that choice.
They can be really successful during their apprenticeships, yet they still choose not to go to college (which makes me wonder: do we really need as many professors and academic subjects in vocational high schools as we currently do?)
But then there are the ones who fall in with the wrong crowd before they hit 15. They lose interest in everything, never develop any work ethic—not for school, and not for a trade—and they end up cycling through various institutions that constantly tell them how much of a failure they are.

That's why I think we shouldn't wait until they're 15 to start guiding them; we should start much earlier.
Or, at the very least, we should scale back the hours spent on history, geography, literature, and biology. (I remember most of that was just review for us in high school, so it seems logical that the heavy lifting should happen during the later years).
As for physics, chemistry, and technical subjects... those should be strictly hands-on workshops in middle school.
(Maybe with a little bit of theory thrown in, but definitely different from how things are handled today).

David Palmer5 said:I don't quite get it—isn't it literally the job, and the responsibility, of a school psychologist to evaluate a child who just can't keep up with the standard curriculum?
How could an individualized program even be implemented without a psychologist's assessment?

I haven't quite figured out what you mean by that one! Could you give me a bit more context? kaže:
It’s exactly in moments like this that our foreign partners start acting like they’re the ones calling all the shots. They step in and decide whether we need to tweak things or change our entire approach, essentially treating us like subordinates rather than collaborators.
That’s honestly the most frustrating part of the whole thing. It’s getting a little frustrating because my school counselor keeps stepping on my toes. They’re actually trying to dictate my entire study schedule, how I should prep for exams, and which learning methods I ought to use. It feels like they're overstepping their bounds and micromanaging my academic life. Instead of Both my wife and I are seeing the exact same thing on our statements.🙄 And besides, it’s not like I’m the one sitting there staring at the clock or struggling to wrap my head around the material like you mentioned.☕

I honestly always assumed that a big part of a psychologist's job was to run those assessments on kids—basically to figure out if they’re actually equipped to handle a standard school curriculum or if they need something different. 🤷
If we’re talking about implementing an individualized education program for kids with disabilities, why on earth would anyone call that kind of assessment "interfering with professional expertise"? It feels like a bit of a stretch to suggest that tailoring support to a student's specific needs is somehow overstepping.
Who actually determines a child's intellectual standing? Is it the teacher or the psychologist? 😕?

Here we go again. 😕
Is this specialized program actually being offered to anyone specific, or is it strictly designed for kids with disabilities?

These specialized training programs have become a total joke. It honestly feels like they started falling apart right around the time traditional trades began dying off across the country. Now, we’re left with actual experts who know their craft inside and out, but unfortunately, they just can't find any meaningful work to do. 😢
Honestly, I feel like this is more of an economic issue than anything to do with the school system itself. At least, that’s how it looks from where I’m sitting.
If you take the time to properly train top-tier craftsmen, they won't just show up and punch a clock—they’ll go above and beyond. They become the kind of people who don't just follow instructions, but actually take ownership of the work. You give them the tools and the knowledge, and suddenly, they aren't just completing tasks; they're solving problems before they even happen. It’s like the difference between hiring someone to mow your lawn and hiring a pro who knows exactly how to prune the hedges to make the whole yard look better. When you invest in their skills, you aren't just paying for labor anymore; you're paying for expertise and pride in the craft.

The decision to change a student's academic track is made by a school physician, based on documentation from a medical facility where a psychologist was part of the evaluation team.
The suggestion for an evaluation usually comes from a teacher or subject instructor after consulting with the school's specialist staff (though some schools don't even have a psychologist on site). That was my response to Susan James, who suggested I should just "clean up my own backyard." A school psychologist doesn't make the final call on changing a program; they simply support their teaching colleagues during parent meetings or consultations with outside specialists.

I’m not quite sure which declining trades you're referring to, but personally, I think there will always be a demand for plumbers, carpenters, electricians, masons, butchers, and chefs... those jobs aren't going anywhere.
The thing is, many kids just don't have an interest in traditional academics or the general culture we try to push through eight years of schooling. In my experience, kids often show clear interests—especially if they come from families with hands-on trades or have relatives in practical fields—yet we force them to just "sit in a chair" in hopes that it leads to a better life later on.
(And I know plenty of people in bureaucratic roles who have nothing to do and no idea how to do it), while at the same time, kids fail to develop work habits and lose interest in things they actually care about.

I don't know, it seems crazy to force a kid to memorize history and geography if they'd rather be taking apart car engines or building furniture.
Or to read classic literature when they're passionate about culinary arts.
I don't have any prejudices; I just believe kids need more encouragement in things they love, rather than being pushed into things they have zero interest in.

edit: signed with a spicy pepper

I don't have any text to rewrite yet! Please provide the posts you'd like me to work on, and I'll get started right away, keeping everything in that cheerful, steady, and uniquely American voice we discussed. kaže:
I’m a little worried you might be heading down the wrong path on this one.

Of course, if a teacher notices a student is struggling to keep up with the curriculum, they’re going to step in. That’s just part of the job—it's our responsibility to make sure no one gets left behind.

Meeting with a school counselor, psychologist, or a doctor isn't some way for us to pass the buck or share the responsibility. It’s an essential part of the process we're required to follow.
It’s exactly in these kinds of moments that our international partners really take the lead. Since they're technically overseeing the project, they're the ones deciding if we need to pivot or tweak anything, and they determine exactly how those adjustments should look.
That’s honestly what gets under my skin the most. It feels like the school counselor or the specialist starts stepping into my territory, trying to dictate exactly how I should structure my lesson plans, testing schedules, or teaching methods. It can be pretty frustrating when someone else tries to micromanage the actual instruction part of my job. I’m not quite sure what you meant to say there! It looks like you might have hit send a little too early. Feel free to jump back in whenever you're ready—I'm all ears! Both my partner and I have been looking over the paperwork, and everything seems to be lining up exactly as expected on our end.🙄 And besides, like you said, I’m not the one sitting there staring at the clock or struggling to wrap my head around the material.☕

To be honest, I’ve never once asked for a handout in my life, nor would I ever go looking for one just to have someone cater to my specific needs.😕
I remember having classes where at least five students always needed something adjusted for them—whether it was the lesson plan, the pace, or just the way instructions were given. It was one of those things you just had to account for every single day.

I’m certainly not under any illusions about how things work.
Trust me, I know exactly what I'm talking about.
I honestly feel like the school curriculum these days is getting a bit out of hand for some kids. It feels overly complicated and packed with so much extra fluff that it ends up being more distracting than helpful. Sometimes it feels like we're just teaching them to memorize things they don't actually need, which can really dull their natural curiosity.
As a psychologist, I could potentially design a customized learning plan for him. My hope is that if we tailor things, Mara might actually only need to memorize eight key dates instead of all twenty-eight. But here’s the catch: he still has to show up for two 45-minute history sessions every week, and he still has to bring all his supplies and gear. It's a bit of a balancing act!
She really needs to show up to school with documentation stating that she qualifies for an IEP or a modified curriculum. It’s much easier to get the right support when everything is officially on the books from day one.
He has to be at school for six hours every single day, even though he’d much rather spend just three hours there and use the rest of his time helping out in his grandpa's woodworking shop or getting his hands dirty planting vegetables with his parents in the garden.

I could actually offer him a specialized curriculum if one is available at any of the local schools nearby. It’s incredibly rare to get approved for that kind of thing, though—usually, if a kid shows decent intellectual ability, the district won't even consider it. If we did manage to pull it off, he could take five specific subjects through the end of middle school and enroll in some vocational training courses. To be honest, though, those specific certifications wouldn't really lead to much in terms of actual career opportunities later on.
Honestly, these specialized programs feel like such a joke. It’s just a total mess, especially when you consider they’re all funneling students straight into that local community college right after.

It feels like we’re forcing kids into these massive public school systems under the guise of "well-rounded education," but if you ask me, it often looks more like we're just protecting teaching jobs for people who haven't adapted to the modern world. I see it happen all the time—kids end up walking away with a really distorted sense of self-worth. Instead of being encouraged, they deal with bullying, behavioral issues, and a complete lack of practical work ethic. We're essentially crushing their natural talents and killing their curiosity. Then, by the time they hit fifteen, they hit a wall and realize they aren't built for traditional academics, yet they haven't been given any real-world skills to fall back on either. It's a tough cycle to break once they feel stuck.
I truly believe that every child is born with this natural, restless urge to learn and explore everything around them. Honestly, it feels like starting first grade can sometimes just snuff out that spark right when it's starting to glow.

Instead of just tweaking the curriculum for every single subject, I honestly think it would be more effective to simply cut certain classes entirely for specific students. If a particular course doesn't align with a child's path, why bother adjusting it? It feels much cleaner to just remove it from their schedule altogether.
It really just comes down to what they’re actually good at and what they're passionate about, you know? It's all about matching things up with their specific skills and interests, among other stuff.

I honestly feel a bit bummed that Home Economics was phased out of the curriculum. I always found those classes so practical—it’s where you actually pick up life skills that stick with you. Now, it feels like everything has shifted toward just reading about things in a textbook rather than actually doing them. At least, that's what I see happening with the kids I work with; there’s plenty of theory, but they aren't getting any hands-on experience.
Back in the day, we used to handle everything from wiring electrical circuits—and yes, we actually did our own soldering—to using planes and shapers in the shop. To be honest, I always found those tasks a bit tedious. If I could go back, I probably would have preferred spending that time curled up with a copy of *Oliver Twist* instead! But there were always those energetic kids running around, making a mess of everything. It’s funny looking back, though, because many of those same troublemakers grew up to become incredibly skilled professionals in their trades.
Whenever I try to get today's kids excited about doing even the bare minimum in school, I run into the same wall. In their free time, they're obsessed with hands-on stuff—taking gadgets apart, tinkering, building things. But then I constantly hear the same complaint: they’re forced to grind through endless theory first, and they rarely ever get to actually touch the equipment. Plus, it feels like the students who get the best grades on practical assignments are just the ones who aced the written tests—and let's be honest, those are often the kids whose dads just go home and finish the project for them.

I can't help but wonder: why not increase the technical workshop hours for 7th and 8th graders and scale back subjects like History or Geography instead?
Take English Language Arts, for example. Why not have two mandatory periods, and then offer two elective periods for students who actually want to dive deeper? Or, for those who haven't quite mastered the basics during the core sessions, we could offer specialized literacy workshops.
There's honestly so much room for improvement here.
But look, I know it isn't easy. Changing the curriculum means some teachers would lose hours in their schedules—some might even lose their jobs—while others would see an increase.
So, most people just figure it's "better the way it is."

Here’s a suggestion for changing the school curriculum, coming straight from a teacher on the front lines.
The way they consult with a psychologist or a whole support team is really just a way to shift the responsibility elsewhere.
But let’s be real—a psychologist isn't sitting through a math lecture, struggling to figure out why a student just isn't grasping the equations. 🥳

You’d be surprised how many complaints there are about these "solutions." Even when the adjustments haven't been cleared by a medical facility and a psychologist was part of the decision-making team, the teachers themselves are often the ones raising issues (even if they try to hide behind the school's entire support staff).

rowdypanther12 said:But urbantinker8, we’re talking about students who are clearly passing with straight As and Bs! That’s the whole point. If they’ve managed to graduate from college, you have to assume they weren't scraping by with Ds in middle school or failing everything in high school. You know? It’s just frustrating because kids are getting these top-tier grades despite having almost no basic literacy skills.

And one more thing—since when did nobody fail anymore? I feel like I’ve asked this so many times before. When did this unwritten rule start? Back when I was in school in the early '90s, and even when my sister was in school in the late '90s, people definitely failed classes back then.

Students do fail.
I work with several different schools and deal with kids from all sorts of backgrounds, and let me tell you, there are definitely failures in middle school.
The thing is, it just seems "easier" now. Teachers would rather go through the hassle of setting up an individualized education program (IEP) to help a kid pass than actually fail them.
Once a student is on an IEP, it’s like they aren't even allowed to fail.
As for what those programs actually look like... I'll just leave that alone.
Teachers even get a small stipend for managing them. So, the workload for the kids goes down, while they still walk away with Cs, or even As, despite not really grasping the material. Personally, I think instead of these watered-down programs, it would be better to just cut half the curriculum and have them actually master the essentials.

urbantinker8 said:If that were ever proposed, I imagine parents would kick up an even bigger fuss, probably accusing the entire school system of discriminating against their children.
I mean, just picture a fourth-grade teacher suggesting to a parent today that their kid should probably head toward a career in plumbing.😲
Kids are still forming who they are, you know? Their interests shift, their work habits change...
It would be an absolute scandal.☕

Only a small subset of kids can pick up conjugations or declensions deductively from real-life examples, like watching TV or listening to music. And I’m not talking about English here, since, well, English practically lacks those kinds of declensions and conjugations anyway.😛
Most kids really need the rule explained first, along with a chart showing examples across all persons and cases, and only once they've internalized that can they start applying those same rules to similar verbs or nouns of the same gender.

As for the multiplication table...🤣
I mean, good for you, but I truly think it’s easier for the average eighth grader to just memorize the table itself rather than starting with prime factorization.
Let's not get too carried away.😉

And can you imagine the uproar the unions would cause if certain subjects were cut, or if hours were reduced, or if some kids were allowed to skip specific classes?
Or, you know, if certain jobs were eliminated...
If some teachers actually had to look for work somewhere else...🤔

Sure, kids are still forming, and we all keep growing and developing throughout our entire lives, but so many kids just struggle through elementary school with bad grades, constant absences, a poor self-image, or social hurdles. They spend time in an environment where they could instead be picking up practical skills—especially if their parents run a local business or work in agriculture.

The obsession with providing a "general education" often results in kids just sitting in chairs too much, which kills their drive to learn and explore. Ultimately, it stifles a child's genuine interests.
And all of this happens just to protect existing jobs.
We need to have the guts to admit that some kids want to be carpenters or florists. We shouldn't care about what A. Senou or Matos think; if they aren't interested in historical wars and just want to saw wood or tend to plants, let them.

Most of what is mandatory in elementary school right now is totally unnecessary, and the way we force kids to learn is actually counterproductive.