Posts by jadetinker85

Given recent events and the fact that more students might face bullying in schools, I came across a solid proposal being discussed for legislation in Mexico.

The suggestion is to mandate that any child exhibiting problematic behavior be referred for observation at a medical facility. This could solve a lot of issues. A retired doctor points out that working with kids who are overtly aggressive, hostile, or socially withdrawn requires a coordinated team effort to assess their health and provide continuous monitoring.

https://www.chicago.info/aktualno/psi...e-ubio/514285/

It’s not okay to have a student spitting in other kids' food, screaming like an animal during class, stealing from parents to buy a motorcycle, or sending explicit photos to the class group chat without a single doctor stepping in to evaluate them.

Carol Johnson21 said:That sounds about right to me. Honestly, I'm just relieved I don't have middle schoolers under my wing anymore.
I have a friend who started a petition against CNN regarding one of those schools out in the Midwest. I won't even go into the kind of pushback she faced.
As if we need Fuchs lecturing us on hiding scalpels during class.
The house is on fire, and we're all just standing here watching it burn.

So, how did that petition turn out?

Sarah Hall53 said:Look, I’m saying it again—it isn't actually the school system itself that's doing the damage to kids' health, it's more about what parents end up doing to their children because of the pressure from school. You really think it's the teachers telling a kid that a 4.8 GPA is somehow "bad," or is it actually the parents who refuse to let them breathe unless they can post those straight-A report cards all over Facebook to show off?

No, I think we should bring back entrance exams for high schools to take some of that grade obsession off the kids' shoulders.
And honestly, the reforms should have leaned more on clinical psychologists instead of just piling on more subjects and acting like one person can fix everything overnight. 🙂

The American Psychological Association actually made some great points during their online consultations, all backed by solid research.

Jason Morgan said:It’s my firm belief that children aren't actually buckling under academic pressure; rather, they're being crushed by the distorted societal values being shoved down their throats via social media. It's quite a struggle for them. In our current American culture, a solid education doesn't seem to hold the same weight it once did—though I suppose there are still those rare, exceptional parents who prioritize it. However, this push for all-day schooling isn't going to solve either issue. It won't improve the quality of learning, nor will it do any favors for a child's mental well-being.

I'm no expert, but this clinical psychologist argues that the American school system is actually dangerous for kids' well-being, sometimes even life-threatening. Check the 37:50 mark.

rowdypanther12 said:Look, even the biggest advocate for CN on this topic is actually talking about small children. 🤷

Even for little kids, there's still hours of English, math, and these new subjects... It's just overloading kids who are already maxed out. Kids are kids; they need playtime, not back-to-back lessons from morning until night. And it isn't just the kids. Adults need downtime too. Retirees do, as well.

mellowskipper said:We’re looking at an epidemic of mentally ill children—it is a serious pathology. We're seeing a surge in suicides, including severe attempts where kids barely survive, often leaving them with permanent disabilities.
Child and adolescent psychologists and psychiatrists are completely overwhelmed; I mean, they are bursting at the seams. You might wait months just for an initial consultation. There aren't enough hospital beds for inpatient care, either. Even if you go to a private clinic, getting a quick appointment is becoming nearly impossible.
There is a pilot program launching now to bring child psychologists into the FBI, which—if I'm being honest—is something I welcome.
Given this context, and considering how the CIA operates, homeschooling should be allowed, sure, but only in extreme cases. It needs solid arguments, recommendations from a professional team, and actual medical documentation. It shouldn't just be something a parent decides on a whim because they feel like it.

The mental health of our children should have been the centerpiece of this reform. Instead, everything revolves around EU funding.

Homeschooling? What does that actually yield? A bunch of socially awkward kids. Before jumping into an experiment like this, we really should have focused on making school a place where kids actually want to be, rather than a high-stress pressure cooker—something plenty of American psychologists are already sounding the alarm about. Apparently, one in three students is struggling with some form of anxiety these days. I just hope they include student satisfaction levels in the metrics for this pilot program. And teachers, too. Their well-being matters just as much.

Kate Jackson4 said:USA Today just released the school list. Only two schools from New York City made the cut. A relief for us back home... if anyone actually cares. New York City only submitted Jabukovac Elementary School and Ivan Cankar Elementary School.

Seriously? So the staff over at Apple Valley find out through the news. 🙏

Susan James said:Honestly, I kind of feel like she’s actually reading our posts. She asked if Fuchs would ever send his grandkids to a private prep school, and he basically said his daughters-in-law are already checking out local schools, though they aren't exactly rushing to sign anyone up just yet...🍿

The real question is whether assigning extra work in a full classroom actually helps kids master what they need for a basic quiz or oral exam. If they still fail, who’s really to blame?

hiddenseal14 said:It's an island campus. They deal with unique working conditions.

The problem is that you people are looking at this entirely through a metropolitan lens! For kids living in rural areas, a school isn't just a building—it's their sole gateway to education, their primary hub for culture, and their only real chance at social interaction. For them, this is absolutely vital. One of the fundamental goals of the Department of Education is to bridge the massive gap between urban academic standards and those found in our rural heartlands, and programs like this are essential to achieving that.

That’s what I was thinking.

hiddenseal14 said:We’re already getting hints from parents living outside our district, basically promising they'll enroll their kids here if we just select them. So now...

As for the question—what happens if the principal pushes back, but the school board (which includes representatives from the local government and parents) votes in favor? Well, the school board holds the authority over the administration, so that settles the matter once and for all.

What school are we talking about here? Some place out on a remote island, I assume? It’s probably one of those spots where there isn't a single organized extracurricular to be found—no sports teams, no music lessons, no dance classes. Nothing.

I don't see why we feel the need to prove anything or justify our choices to anyone. If they’re so obsessed with PISA scores, I can just bake specific test prep directly into the curriculum—after all, even the Finchers go through specialized training for those exams. There’s no reason to cut classes; let the kids enjoy their summer while they still have the chance.

rowdypanther12 said:Oh, here we go...
I'm sure they'll realize everything wrong with the draft eventually and fix it then. 😁

Honestly, rolling out this current experiment to every school after four years makes zero sense. It would be smarter to just cook up a brand-new pilot program to tap into more USA federal grants. That way, you just cycle through new "experiments" every few years to keep the funding flowing. Looking at it strictly from a financial standpoint.

rowdypanther12 said:He mentioned on ABC that it doesn't strictly have to be 50 schools—it could be 20 or 70, as long as the project moves forward. After the first four years, the plan is to expand everywhere once we've made the necessary improvements during that initial period. 😂

Improvement? They haven't even done a thorough system analysis, which really should have come before any kind of reform.

Andrew Doyle said:It is high time the Secretary of Education actually did something meaningful to win parents back—maybe even give them a decent raise to make it worth their while? 🕺

He could. 😁 But it looks like teachers only get a bump if they take on extra shifts beyond their contract.
Why should anyone be expected to work overtime anyway? It's just poor planning to stack duties like that outside of what the Labor Law allows.

Susan James said:Is this it?

Yeah, it looks like they're only focusing on kindergarten.
Maybe they finally got smart and decided to target just the little ones 🤔
or maybe it’s just more political theater designed to sell a narrative to people who haven't actually read the Board of Education's proposal yet.
I was actually chatting with my hairstylist about it, and she thought the whole thing sounded great 🙄, until I mentioned that it isn't limited to just the early grades. I pulled out my phone to show her the actual document, but for some reason, the website wouldn't let me scroll properly to show her the comments from teachers signing their full names.

The biggest issue here is they just decided to hike pay unilaterally. No negotiations with the unions, nothing. They aren't even talking to the people actually putting in the overtime. 🙏 🙏

People here in Oscar tell me they’re planning to pull their kids out of Augustus Shaw Elementary School, basically thumbing their noses at the PTA decision. Now they’re stuck playing catch-up with the local private school competition, all while leaving their own classrooms empty during the core subjects.

They've definitely been reading Monster. 😁

https://www.google.com/amp/s/danas.h...e3%3famp=1

Here’s last night’s broadcast.

Susan James said:

I was just thinking about how much things have changed lately. It feels like every time I turn on the news, there’s a new debate about what should be happening in our classrooms. I remember back when I was in middle school, things felt so much more straightforward, but now everything seems to be under a microscope. It makes me wonder if we're moving toward a system that's too rigid, or perhaps one that's becoming a bit too unpredictable. I try to stay optimistic about where education is headed in America, but it's definitely a complicated time for parents and teachers alike. Does anyone else feel like we're constantly chasing a moving target when it comes to school standards? kaže:
I wouldn't call this a flop at all. We had 40 schools requesting permission from the school board, and 17 have already signed up. Honestly, I think that’s a pretty solid turnout, especially considering everyone was waiting until the very last minute for the public consultation period to wrap up. Plus, they just extended the deadline, so there's still plenty of time.

We’ve already got our parental consent forms, UV, and RV ready to go. We haven't actually signed up yet, though—we'll probably end up doing it on the very last day. The only thing is, the principal isn't exactly thrilled about the whole idea; he'd much rather just let things stay as they are. But honestly, what can you do? It's his call, not ours. 😁

This is actually really interesting...🤔 😕

@miseducata, what difference does a parental consent form make here? It isn't even a requirement for this competition.
You definitely need the principal's support on this one. 🤣
I think what Sarah Hall53 mentioned above is probably the most likely scenario. It’s possible for the school to report this without getting actual consent from the school board—all it would take is for a few founders or parents to raise their hands during a meeting to push it through.

Here are the contest rules and requirements.

School founders' consent regarding participation in the Experimental Program
School Board Consent for Participation in the Experimental Program
The principal's statement regarding school operations, in accordance with section 4.1.
I’m working on drafting a motivation letter to apply for the Experimental Program, and I wanted to share my thoughts on how to structure it. It needs to be about 1.5 to 4 pages long, where the school officially expresses its interest in joining the program and shows it's truly ready to embrace change. The letter should really dive into what makes our school special—our unique strengths and all the great educational programs and activities we’ve successfully run in the past. It also needs to be honest about the current organizational hurdles we’re facing and, most importantly, outline our long-term strategy for growth. I think if we can balance being proud of our history while showing we aren't afraid to shake things up, we'll have a much stronger case!

If she’s saying her principal won't sign off because he'd rather just sit idle, then he’s basically doing nothing. 🤣
Anyone else feel like their principal is a ghost? In our school, it feels like we're constantly buried in paperwork and certificates instead of actual leadership. 🤷