Posts by David Foster80

Jason Hall35 said:Look, if the grade-level council actually takes some responsibility, maybe they'll figure out something better for next year. Our local school district covered the cost for workbooks and atlases—I think they grabbed art portfolios too. But why they skipped the math workbooks? Who knows. I bet the teacher just wants everyone on the exact same page, so she won't allow half the class using a workbook while the others are stuck scribbling in notebooks. It’s such a waste of time.
The digitization went smooth, though. Honestly, nobody even talks about tablets anymore.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but my dream would be textbooks that actually have integrated work sections built right in. Everything should follow one solid, set curriculum, lesson by lesson, with a massive stash of ready-to-go supplemental materials for the teachers. Just give them a complete package so they can actually teach without jumping through endless hoops whenever they want to spice up a lesson. And obviously, each subject's book would need to be split into thinner volumes so kids aren't lugging ten-pound bricks around in their backpacks.
As it stands, everything depends on how much talent or drive a teacher has, and let's be real—the gap between them is massive. At my kid's school, it's become glaringly obvious how much my child's class stands out, and every teacher says it's because they have a veteran who's been crushing it for generations. We hit the jackpot, while other kids are clearly getting the short end of the stick.
People used to go on and on about the "digital divide" being this huge injustice that we had to fix by giving tech to kids who couldn't afford it. But do we have a "teacher divide" now? Or a "parent divide" fueled by parents who either don't care or don't even know how to help their kid with homework? Simba, Simba... life isn't fair...

The thing is, there actually isn't a separate math workbook for grades 5 through 8.
It’s essentially a textbook and a workbook mashed together into one single volume—it's been that way with all the major publishers for years now.
Some schools use it as a workbook without any issues, though clearly, that's not the case everywhere. I wouldn't go pointing fingers at the teachers right away, either. They've been fed a lot of half-baked, incorrect info and almost zero clear direction from the top. So, everyone is basically just winging it and doing their best to figure it out on the fly.

ironcyclist58 said:Chime.

Thanks, 👍

Can anyone help me out here?
I need to move some money from my US bank account over to an account in Germany.
What’s going to be the cheapest and most secure way to handle this?

northerncobra27 said:I am in complete agreement with the idea that parents often lack the specific expertise required to judge if their child is truly prepared for the classroom environment.

Regarding that bolded part, it seems to me that what has actually shifted are parental expectations. The standard curriculum is designed for the average student. However, it used to be perfectly normal for many kids to come home with B's or C's, whereas nowadays, it feels like every parent expects nothing less than perfection. There used to be only a handful of honor roll students in a class, which makes sense within our grading system, since honor roll kids aren't exactly "average"—they are either sharper or more hardworking than the norm. But because people today struggle to accept the reality that their precious child might just be an average kid, they create these myths about how "difficult" the curriculum is or how much extra tutoring is needed after school hours. An average child can master the elementary school curriculum without any major struggles. And someone who goes above that average? Well, that's an honor student.

This hits the nail on the head. 🙏

Parents have become a nightmare.
Every single kid has to be a straight-A student and perfect at everything.
They have to be enrolled in a million extracurriculars, and of course, they have to be the best in every single one of them.
They don't even look at their own children anymore or consider what they actually want or need. It’s all about optics. They just want to be able to brag to the other parents while waiting in the carpool lane that their precious little one has a perfect GPA and is the star of every club.
And this constant whining about delaying school because "the kid isn't ready"? That's just another symptom of modern American parenting. At this rate, I'm just waiting for them to start trying to medicate their kids for no reason. Oh, wait... ☕

Donna Collins56 said:My little girl is turning six at the end of February, which means she’s officially due to start kindergarten, but I’ve been seriously considering asking for a deferral.
She’s a bit on the smaller side physically, but honestly, her mental maturity is way ahead of her age. She already knows almost all her letters and can even read and write a bit; plus, without me even prompting her, she’s always stepping up to help out with little chores around the house. My son is currently in second grade, and watching him go through it, I can't help but feel like kids these days are just absolutely overwhelmed—they’re being bombarded with so much unnecessary information and heavy coursework from the very second they step foot into a classroom.😵
That’s really the heart of it for me; I just want to give her one more year to just be a kid, free from all that pressure. When I mentioned this to her preschool teachers, they were actually incredibly supportive of my decision.
I’d love to hear what you all think. Does anyone have experience with this, especially if your child started school a year later than their peers?

What does any of that have to do with anything? They're going to hit all those milestones eventually anyway. What’s the big deal if it happens now or next year?

If a kid is emotionally and intellectually ready, what's the actual logic behind pushing things back?

Thanks.
What kind of absolute garbage can you find on a thread where, in just a few posts, people start arguing about ankle injuries, dying, politics, and God knows what else? 🤷

Of course it matters. It matters a lot. 😉

Can someone out there actually answer a question for me? Thanks.

Why were the mysteries taken down? Has this ever actually happened before?

neonfox12 said:You make a fair point. I was typing in a rush and ended up choosing a pretty flawed analogy for the logic of "there's a possibility someone might act, even if we don't know for sure." That’s why I leaned on such heavy-handed terms. I really missed the mark with the terrorist comparison; please accept my apologies.

But here is the reality: these issues happened five years ago. After that much time, even people who end up in prison get a second chance at redemption. Is this forum really that rigid? 🤔

That one is on me. 🕺

I knew it wasn't me 🙂

Can someone please remove bear Medin? 🎉

Sophia Thomas7 said:Did you actually read that I didn't write that part first? I was just responding to a post that drew that awful parallel in the first place. Or did you just skip over what I quoted—the first paragraph of my post and all that?

I didn't read it, sorry bear 🕺

Sophia Thomas7 said:There’s a logical flaw in your comparison. For the sake of argument, let’s assume partial bans are justified. If they are, there’s a reason—namely, someone caused trouble on the PDF. The mods have a responsibility to review whether a ban should be lifted, but they aren't obligated to just wipe the slate clean.

A real comparison would be someone who actually committed acts of terrorism claiming they’ve repented just so they could be allowed back into America. In this case, we aren't guessing whether someone caused issues on the PDF—we already know they did.

Jesus, do you not take this forum a little too seriously? 🤦
Comparing some guy arguing with someone on an internet forum to a terrorist is just 😵 🤦

Steven Reed said:You’ll never be anything more than a lifeless drone🙂
That’s just Zlatko—(yeah, yeah, I know, I spend way too much time on these forums and remember every tiny detail)

edit: now get out of here before we accidentally start a whole new thread for ZMM

🙂

We aren't starting a thread, we're showing support. Go bear go 🎉

We're all bears here 🎉

A hero, not a liar 🎉 (I can't help myself, that's just my favorite motto 😁)

Ethan Garcia8 said:Nope. 🙂

Well, in that case, fair enough. 🤣
That guy was a total genius 🤣. What was his name again? 🤔

Just remove bear part by part 🎉

Steven Reed said:????
Do you honestly believe that I, or any other user, needs to maintain an idyllic relationship with every single person on this forum?
The core issue was communication (among other things)—something I’m operating under the assumption has improved. I know mine has over the last five years, and I’m certain yours has too. To be blunt, I’m sure a huge number of users have evolved how they communicate compared to how they did five years ago.

"Don't give me excuses" is exactly the kind of phrase used to cut short the explanation of why certain partial bans or permanent bans happen—mostly because I was there, reading.
There’s really no need to dwell on it, especially since my question isn't just about this one instance, but about various bans that have dragged on for years.

Sure, I agree there are "irreparable" cases (which I assume are the minority), but I don't think ZMM falls into that category. Personally, I feel that after five years, a person should be given a chance to see where things go. Especially since the "mistake" of a partial ban can be fixed with a single mouse click.
I say this having known firsthand those labeled as "forum wreckers," "PDF life-dwellers," "lifeless drama queens," and "toxic personalities"—people who had their permanent bans lifted, even though they hadn't even been issued a warning card, let alone a ban (shoutout to my buddy ziDić 🙂).

So, now you're accusing me of being subjective (even though I wasn't involved in the story at all, aside from reading it). Are you being objective here?

-Steven Reed 😍

🤣🤣

But seriously, five years of partial bans and you guys still won't just remove bear because, what, he might do it again? Jesus, we aren't talking about some terrorist plot here. We're talking about a forum. A f o r u m. Just remove bear.
It's much easier to just let him back in.

Wait, is ZMM that guy who used to post pictures of anorexics and claim they were the definition of beauty? 🤔

Michelle Evans said:You need to include links to the posts. Otherwise, nobody’s going to have any clue which ones you're actually talking about.

If you see something that needs reporting today, just flag it and hang tight for a bit. None of the mods are glued to their screens 24/7, so it takes a little time for us to actually react to things. If nobody has stepped in after 24 hours, then feel free to come back here and complain.

I’ve flagged a few posts, but honestly, it feels like I’m shouting into a void. Not a single person has even blinked.

JPK said:The Kurdish women have actual reasons to fight. That’s the difference. Most other people out there are just stuck choosing between a lunatic dictator who poisons his own people with chemical weapons, ISIS, or some other brand of extremists. It isn't exactly a menu of great options.
Look, I know this has been hammered home a dozen times already, but... Honestly, there’s just too much malice and stupidity rattling around in your head for anyone to actually get a grip on you.. ☕

JPK said:Don't go patting yourself on the back. ☕
You and a whole bunch of other people on this thread aren't actually sharing "information." You’re just peddling rumors and lies to fuel the hysteria and chaos, and honestly, you seem to be enjoying it.

Well, at least things are getting a little more interesting. Seeing how the 1940s unfolded in Germany gives you a pretty clear look at what happens when that thin veneer of civilization finally cracks. It turns out the average person is really just one step away from acting like a total animal, driven by nothing but their most primal, reptilian instincts.

It’s about time you pulled yourself together and finally put some actual sense into a post. 👍

JPK said:What "modern teams" are we even talking about? Honestly, it’s all just marketing fluff.
Could it be these?

It’s funny how it always works out the same way. You’ve got this specific crowd that spends all day loudly proclaiming how much they hate political correctness, acting like they're too tough for any kind of sensitivity. But the second you call them out on being hypocritical or tell them to get lost because they're being plain old stupid, they fold faster than a cheap lawn chair. Suddenly, they start whining even more than the most pathetic, bleeding-heart liberal you've ever met, crying about how they've been wronged and acting like the world is ending just because someone didn't bow down to their ego.
Oh, sure. You’ve got me pegged. I'm totally against political correctness. Real original. 😂

And here we go again with Africa:

Chloe Green61 said:I’m not claiming to be some bastion of tolerance, because I’m really not.
If anything, I’m pretty intolerant, and I especially can't stand this topic or uninformed fearmongers who just feed into people's anxieties instead of actually doing their homework.
You clearly struggle with basic reading comprehension, because I wouldn't dream of shutting down anyone brave enough to debate me; I’d just happily tell them where they can shove their opinions. 🙂

The swearing isn't exactly classy.

Can someone please walk me through why posts from JPK on that controversial thread aren't getting flagged here on Zelkova?
The insults are flying everywhere—some are blatant and others are just thinly veiled—yet nobody is lifting a finger, even though this "strict" moderation team handed me a warning just for mentioning the name of the one who shall not be named.

Kate Wilson said:I didn't expect to find myself posting here, but honestly, it’s only fair to give people at least a 24-hour heads-up after a report is filed before a new topic gets opened. We aren't glued to our screens all day, you know?

Alright, thanks for getting back to me.

Kate Wilson said:Just because someone else decided to throw the first punch doesn't give anyone else a free pass to act like a total jerk. It’s not a competition to see who can be the most toxic.

I know, but I just can't help myself. 😁

brightpuma said:I can already see someone turning beet red once their old posts get dragged out and picked apart.. 🥳

Then again, maybe they won't even blush. That really depends on how much pride they take in being such a mess... 🕺

Look, if you want someone to actually feel embarrassed by what they said or did, you need a few things first: character, a sense of shame, and basic humanity.

Sarah Doyle54 said:It’s a bit awkward pointing out double standards when you’re writing stuff like this.

You kind of forgot to mention that these were just responses to your own insults, didn't you?
Yeah, I'm sure you totally forgot ☕

If you're getting banned for being toxic, then fine, hand me a ban too.
Or, if you want to go full melodrama—just give me the ban already!

🤮

Why don't you go ahead and dig up those posts from that unknown user that actually got them banned, and then maybe come back to me.