Posts by amberskipper3

shadowcrane91 said:Look, in any country, the majority calls the shots. Whoever the majority picks, that's how it works...
The majority voted for the Republican Party, so the Republican Party is running things....
The majority identified as Catholic, so we’re a Catholic nation.....

Besides, people have choices.... nobody is forcing anyone to be Catholic or show up to Sunday school.....

Go ahead, try to name one single country where religion and politics aren't completely intertwined.....

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy J3 using Reddit

Really?
What century are you living in?

Richard Fowler13 said:That teacher is truly top-tier, honestly one of the best out there, and he does an incredible job getting the kids ready for middle school.

It’s pretty common for parents to go back to him for their older kids too if they had a good experience the first time—and frankly, that’s all the endorsement you need!

He has this very distinct way of dealing with parents; he basically doesn't give them much room to second-guess his methods, which is exactly why people react the way they do.

As for that woman who went and posted their private messages along with his personal info for everyone to see without his consent—not to mention the local news picking it up—everyone involved violated privacy laws, and that is precisely why a lawsuit is on the table.

Sent from mTalk

And why shouldn't she have shared it?
She didn't reach out to him privately; she contacted him in his capacity as a public school employee.
Besides, the guy is unrefined and frankly doesn't know how to carry himself. I wouldn't want someone like that teaching my kid.
I guess we just have different standards.
The absolute highlight of this whole mess? The guy is heading toward retirement.

Susan James said:Maybe try joining forces with some bigger nearby cities
or just organize something yourselves.

There are plenty of cities on the list: New York, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis
someone else feel free to add more to the list
🎉

@dlapek, I’d honestly rather just delete your post (which is why I won't quote you 😬), because he clearly isn't going to figure this out on his own—it took him five whole days just to make an announcement—but his "superiors" or the school board officials might be able to help.

But hey, he's a "genius"... the reform is already running late, and he can't even string five coherent sentences together in five days.
And don't even get me started on the issue of people's paid expenses.

Look, I wasn't even suggesting he'd actually figure it out. It was just a thought that popped into my head, and frankly, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if something like that actually went down.

Henry Hernandez7 said:So how does this actually work? Like, if I open up the app right now, punch in my PIN, and walk up to the register, what happens next 🤷

http://www.paypal.com/us/accepting-cards

It wouldn't hurt to give them a ring at 1-800-CALL-PAYPAL

Henry Hernandez7 said:Can someone walk me through what this actually is? I swung by my Chase branch yesterday to get mobile banking set up, and we managed to get it all working—shoutout to the teller who helped me out. Since I’ve got the app now, I decided to shut down my old online banking since I don't really need both. While we were at it, she offered me PayPal and gave me some quick rundown on it. I just kept nodding along like I actually understood what was happening, but honestly, between the massive crowd and the general chaos in the branch, I didn't grasp a single word. I just figured "sure, why not" and we installed it. She mentioned I’d get some kind of SMS with setup info within 24 hours to get the app running, but nothing has hit my phone yet. In the meantime, I just jumped into the app using my PIN and it worked perfectly fine. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I messed up. I thought she said there weren't any fees, but given how little I actually processed during that whole interaction, I might have totally misread the situation 🤔.

So, what am I supposed to do with this thing now? 🤷

It's basically just contactless payments via a sticker.

mistywolf15 said:Hey

So here’s the situation: someone is expecting an international wire transfer into their US dollar account. According to the payment confirmation sent by the sender, the recipient's address is completely wrong—I'm talking a totally different street, even if the city is correct. It’s not just a typo; it's a different location entirely. Everything else looks solid, though: IBAN, SWIFT code, full name, all that stuff.

Is this going to cause issues with the funds clearing? And if things go sideways, who should we be hitting up—the bank or the sender?

It won't.
The IBAN and SWIFT are what actually matter.

Alexander Thompson said:Did you end up paying?

Nah, nothing's been paid.
We haven't seen a single thing—no credit card, no invoices, no paperwork, nothing. We even tried calling their customer service line once, but then we just got radio silence until they suddenly sent a collection notice demanding we pay the debt and return the card...

So, here’s my take on this whole mess:
I set up a contract online for my mother-in-law, but the card, all the paperwork, and the billing statements just vanished into thin air. They never showed up.
Now, these people have the nerve to demand that I return the card and pay up the overdue installments. When I tried explaining that I don't even have the damn card and never received any bills, they basically gave me this blank, mindless stare and insisted—with zero empathy—that I still had to send the card back.
Looking at this letter, I’m honestly floored. It turns out they sent it via certified mail, so I’m really hoping I can dig up some proof at the post office showing that I never actually signed for that package.
Since when does "business ethics" involve treating a customer like a total liar?

Charles Murphy6 said:How does she actually feel about it? From what I can see, the pressure is clearly getting to her. She carries a specific wallet for this, keeps a meticulous list of who contributed, and honestly, it breaks my heart to see how much it hurts her when certain kids make snide comments implying she might spend the money herself.

Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I’d just sit my kid down and ask if this whole responsibility is becoming too much for them. If they want out, simple—just ask the teacher to let them off the hook from handling the cash. But if they really want to stick with it, we need to overhaul the whole process and organize it better, kind of like those suggestions we already threw your way.

Charles Murphy6 said:I used to work in school health services 👏—covering all four grade levels—so believe me when I say I’ve seen enough dirty ears and unkempt nails to last a lifetime🤣🤣
My little girl doesn't have the slightest clue that I even see an issue here. I just keep my mouth shut.
As for why she carries cash around every single day? Honestly, I haven't a clue... though I do know some little delinquent broke in once and I'm terrified my girl might end up spending it all 🙄 so I suppose she feels the need to account for every cent she has on a daily basis... at least that's my best guess..
And besides that—what if someone swipes it while she's out at recess since some of the kids stay in the classroom while others head outside? They have a few real "characters" in her class who definitely know she's carrying cash..
If I catch her, I'll just give her a subtle, pointed lecture while she's taking off her backpack at home.. 🙂
And let's be real, she's a model student through and through—she definitely takes after her mother:)))))

You didn't actually tell us how the teacher is handling this responsibility.
You're basically just guessing because you don't actually know why she needs to bring cash to school every day.
Maybe try suggesting a different way to handle the collections.
As for "snatching it from her back"—if you intervene like that without her knowing, it's going to backfire. Your daughter could easily take it as a sign that she failed at the task she was given, or worse, that you don't trust her.
That would be a total disaster.

Charles Murphy6 said:So, what am I supposed to do now?🤷
Should I just tell my teacher to stop breathing down my neck and leave me alone?

Look, those classroom responsibilities are supposed to be about teaching kids how to actually own their duties, you know?
Personally, I’d suggest your daughter stops lugging cash back and forth to school every single day. It's a headache. Just set up a specific schedule—like, "money gets collected on Fridays"—so there's a system in place for when funds are gathered or paid out for class stuff.
Your girl probably sees being the treasurer as a real vote of confidence from her peers, so try not to dump all your own anxieties onto her.
Just talk to the teacher. Suggest picking specific days of the week for collections, and until then, just keep the cash safely at home where it belongs.

Grace Cox12 said:I’m not in education myself (though I do have two kids currently in school), but speaking as someone whose profession isn't service-oriented—at least not in that modern, patronizing sense where people act like "we aren't here for them, they're here for us," which is honestly such a diminishing way to look at any profession—it feels to me like we're seeing a total breakdown of social cohesion. I’m not trying to play devil's advocate for teachers, nor am I looking to throw them under the bus, but it really looks to me like there's this massive deficit of trust and respect on both sides. Parents don't seem to trust the educators, and yet, paradoxically, they hold these incredibly high expectations for the very groups they don't actually respect.
What a contradiction! As a parent—first going through the daycare years and now dealing with elementary school—I have never, and I mean never, had an issue communicating with the people my children were placed in the care of, whether it was just babysitting or actual schooling...
The little hiccups kids face—like falling off a slide, getting bumped by some kid named Billy or Joey, or even getting a C in gym class—those aren't things I feel like I should be micromanaging with a preschool teacher or a middle school instructor.
That’s just part of growing up and getting an education...
Maybe that’s because I was raised in a different era, or maybe I’ve just been lucky...
Mozda I’m being too hard on people, simply because I hold them in such high regard—I truly believe that, alongside parents, they are among the most vital people in a child's early life ;-)
Or maybe I don't protect my kids enough if, say, I tell them after they get a D in PE,🙏 "Listen, honey, not everyone is an athlete; what matters is that you tried."
Mozda they're just lost in the woods?

I am 100% with you on this, and it honestly breaks my heart that so many young parents feel the exact opposite:
they openly disrespect teachers, instructors, and childcare providers, treating them like they're some lower class of people who don't actually do anything useful.
And then, in the same breath, they expect those very same people to educate, raise, guide, and protect their children...
The hypocrisy is unreal.

Jason Ortiz5 said:It’s honestly just because her teacher spent the whole year drilling it into my head that she wasn't exactly crushing it. There was zero mention of how hard she was actually trying. It was always stuff like, "The candle isn't at the right angle," or "Her form is slightly off," or "This part isn't quite right," or "She got a C on this and a B on that..." And honestly, I have no clue what the actual grading criteria are for PE (I'm basically all thumbs myself and nobody ever gave me a trophy—getting a C felt like winning the lottery 😁). So, after a full year of hearing "she's struggling," I definitely wasn't expecting an A. :cofused:

Let's clear a few things up here:
PE isn't one of those core academic subjects where you're fighting for a GPA boost; at this age, the whole point is just getting kids into the habit of staying active.
If a kid hasn't fully nailed their coordination, speed, or agility yet, it’s not a big deal. The teacher is grading based on the fact that the kid is showing up, trying hard, and actually putting energy into the activity.
There's no mystery to it.
Also, I really don't get why someone wouldn't mention something like, "Hey, she seems to be improving in PE..." during a parent-teacher conference.
It breaks my heart that some parents genuinely believe teachers just hate kids.
I mean, why would they go through all that training just to dislike children? For the massive salary and the crazy career ladder?

wanderingbadger44 said:I honestly believe we're witnessing a slow but steady shift in the cultural tide. It’s going to take reaching a certain tipping point where enough parents start demanding actual substance and real academic rigor from our schools for their kids. Right now, though, those types of families and students are still very much in the minority.

It feels like we’re watching a slow-motion train wreck when you look at how low American students' literacy and math scores have fallen lately. It’s honestly pretty alarming, and while we’re sliding downhill, you can already see certain parents starting to push for a shift in the system. There’s this growing idea that we need to move toward private education, but not just any private schools—we need ones that offer the exact opposite of what the current public system provides. Instead of coasting, these schools would focus on building deep, rigorous knowledge and instilling actual work ethic and a sense of responsibility, much like the high standards you see in successful educational models overseas.

It’s much like how some families choose to bypass the local public school system entirely, opting instead for elite private academies because they have the financial means to do so. We see plenty of students enrolling in our private institutions who might not have met the rigorous academic benchmarks required by the major state universities, or perhaps they simply find the intense pressure of a high-stakes public high school to be a bit too overwhelming for their learning style.

Right now, parents are essentially footing the bill for the privilege of just getting through high school. We’re going to have to hit an even lower point before we see a shift where parents actually start paying for specialized programs that prioritize real-world skills and actual expertise, but I truly believe that transition is coming.

It feels like we’re just moments away from finally hitting rock bottom.

And hey, maybe we’ll also see a critical mass of educators who just refuse to work under these current conditions.
They’ll simply stay home because they’re fed up with parents sending kids to school expecting them to come back smart, educated, and capable when the system isn't providing it.
They’re tired of a government that can't organize a system where being a teacher isn't just a job anyone can stumble into because nobody actually *wants* to be there.
They’re sick of being trashed by everyone from every direction, especially since you never hear about people who actually love this job and do it well.
They’ve had enough of education being treated like the lowest priority, when it’s blatantly obvious that this is the one field where the entire future is built.

I’m sitting here reading this and honestly, I’m just baffled by how quick everyone is to pull the trigger when it comes to firing someone.
It’s wild how those same parents can turn around and have completely different standards when they're looking at their own kids in high school, for example.
There’s just no such thing as consistency around here.

James Perez54 said:"If this happens, if that happens, it usually goes like this..." while at the local unemployment office, you see plenty of people who actually love their profession and children in general, and they don't have any issues communicating.

Working with kids is demanding and highly specialized; frankly, the hiring standards for teachers and professors ought to be set at a much higher level than what we currently see in the US.

Maybe in Washington, D.C., but honestly, maybe just that.
The bar is getting dangerously low when it comes to filling positions for math, chemistry, physics, or computer science professors...
Highly educated experts in those fields aren't looking to bust their backs for peanuts.
And they definitely aren't moving to small towns. Right now, there are tons of vacant teaching spots scattered all across Appalachia and the Ozarks...

I think we’ve gone a little off track here...
Look, every single profession has its own set of unwritten rules and standards. Working in education is incredibly demanding and exhausting, even if most people have no clue what they're actually dealing with day-to-day.
In any serious career, you take responsibility for your mistakes, and there are definitely lines you just don't cross.
I’m completely certain the principal sat down with the teacher to hash this out. She knows she dropped the ball big time, and I’m sure she’ll be way more careful about how she handles students moving forward.
People don't just hand out terminations like candy, especially in fields where you can't just "jump ship" and find a new gig on a whim tomorrow.

James Perez54 said:Probably, if we're talking about elementary school.

I wouldn't agree regarding high school. Luckily.

I'm also one of those people who suspects this isn't the first time a teacher has snapped like this. But maybe it *is* the first time a parent has actually held them accountable.😁
,
A final warning before firing is the appropriate response for insulting a student so crudely; one more slip-up and she'd be out of the school system entirely for calling her own student an idiot.☕

You don't just kick people out of their jobs like that—it's not like they hand out yellow cards and warnings like it's some soccer match.
If a teacher is struggling with communication, you deal with it by sitting down with a counselor, a psychologist, or the principal. You track their progress and work, and things usually get better if everyone actually gives a damn.
But honestly, all too often, especially in smaller towns, principals lack any real pedagogical training, making it incredibly hard to even flag these issues in the first place.
Plus, if a kid grew up in a supportive home where their self-esteem was actually nurtured, these kinds of outbursts won't do much damage. But a child who's already struggling? They absolutely need to be shielded from these verbal attacks.

Rachel Jones8, you totally made the right call.
I just really hope the kid doesn't realize you only headed back to school to play the role of the big-shot professor.

Samuel Lee9 said:Reading really helps you build critical thinking skills and gives you a better handle on how the world works and those recurring patterns in our general culture, plus it expands your vocabulary and lets you see how different literary eras actually function through specific examples.

I’m back to saying that a huge part of this comes down to the teacher. My high school English teacher used to cherry-pick everything from the reading list except for what was specifically on the SAT prep guides, and then she’d even trim that down by deciding which books were most likely to show up on the exams—those were the ones we had to read—and which ones were less likely, so we just did deep dives on them during class. That left the actual essential works that defined certain eras, which, like I said, helped us learn the characteristics and shifts in literary history.

Personally, I didn't enjoy assigned reading either. I absolutely love reading, like, non-stop, and I’ll pick up just about anything handed to me—unless someone tells me "you have to." I didn't want to read those exact books on the syllabus because I felt like I didn't have the freedom to choose, but if you're asking if I grew to hate reading itself because of it—no way. Nobody I know ended up hating reading in general just because they were forced to read certain books. 🤷

Any decent English teacher can take a mandatory reading list and expand it by finding "substitute" works with similar themes or styles that might be more relatable or enjoyable. It basically gets rid of that annoying "you MUST!!!" vibe.
When you offer a variety of titles, there's a much better chance people will actually pick something up, or at least give it a shot.
The alternative is just checking boxes: "Here's a list, go write an essay." That's the easiest route, but it's the least engaging path for both the teacher and the student.