Posts by Richard Perez3

I'm just sitting here staring at my screen, honestly. I can't believe some people actually think they have a say in how things work around here. It’s like, hello? Do you even listen to what’s being said? I was grabbing a coffee down at Starbucks this morning—just trying to have a quiet moment, you know?—and I overheard this guy complaining about the exact same nonsense that's been blowing up on these boards all week. People just love to hear themselves talk. They think their little opinions carry weight, but it's all just noise. It’s exhausting, really. Just total noise. kaže:
Who even are "we"?

I could’ve done it, for sure. I remember back in my class, there were kids who were absolutely crushing those speed-reading tests—hitting like 23 words per minute. No joke.

Honestly, who cares if kids aren't geniuses right out of the gate? Maybe they just take a little longer to mature. I know this person who had a kid basically raised by books—just surrounded by adults constantly reading together. That kid didn't even pick up reading on their own until fourth grade (though they were listening to stories way before preschool). Luckily, the mom is actually chill about this stuff. She wasn't some helicopter parent obsessing over test scores or making the kid cry over required reading; she just sat there and read everything out loud to them. Look, time flies. That kid isn't a little kid anymore, and honestly? They aren't slow or dim-witted at all. Not even close. 😁

Kids are actual human beings, you know? They're complex, living organisms. They don't always grow up exactly the way the Department of Culture thinks they should.

Look, I could've done it too. Honestly, most people in my grade—actually, pretty much everyone I went to school with, from middle school all the way through high school since I moved around so much—could have pulled it off. It was always like that. Some people... just get it. Or they don't. Honestly, I can't even deal with half of them lately. They just couldn't pull it off. Honestly, that acquaintance you mentioned? She really drives home your point. This kid had two exceptions, and one of them wasn't even forced to deal with the reading list. She wasn't made to read out loud—though, let's be real, I don't know how much you actually know about all the methods she was trying out. You called her an acquaintance, not a friend, so I'm not sure how close you guys actually are. But basically, the mom would read the assignments out loud to her just so the kid could actually process the material.
She wasn't just complaining—not that she ever does, right?—she was actually taking action. But it wasn't like she was blaming the book itself or saying the whole thing should be tossed out because she... First, second, and third grade. She can't even tackle a book on her own. Seriously.

Look, that kid is a total outlier. It’s a freak occurrence, nothing more. Seriously, don't even try to use them as an example—it's just not how things work. 😁
Look, things finally clicked for my kid—well, they aren't a kid anymore, so whatever. The big question is how we actually got there. Was it all those endless therapy sessions and specific exercises? Or would we have hit this milestone way sooner if she hadn't been bogged down by all that stuff? I mean, maybe she wouldn't have struggled so much back in fourth grade if she hadn't dealt with those speech delays that seemed to slow her down compared to everyone else. It’s hard to say. But hey, it happened. It's done.

Look, here’s my two cents: if you’ve got an average kid with zero speech issues, they should—and honestly, they *must*—be able to hold their own by the end of second grade. Period. read.
If they can't pull that off, something's definitely fishy going on behind the scenes.
Then you’ve gotta handle that the right way.
Don't try to run from it and pretend it’s "too advanced" just because kids have been reading this stuff for generations. That’s a cop-out. Look, maybe it *is* too hard for that specific kid at that exact moment—fine. But that should be the exception, not the rule. It shouldn't be the standard.

So, I wanted to jump in here with a quick story regarding that post by Persephone about parents knocking on doors... Also, my multi-quote feature is totally broken right now. Is it just me, or is yours acting up too?

You know that thing where preschool kids go on a field trip to the Smithsonian to see the early human exhibits? It’s usually right around their final year of daycare. It’s been part of the curriculum forever—thousands of kids have done it.
So, four different groups are heading out on a field trip to the museum today. For most of them, it’s a total blast—just having a good time. But there’s this one little kid who is absolutely losing it. She’s freaking out and crying her eyes out because those prehistoric caveman statues gave her the creeps. Poor thing is terrified.
Total freaking chaos.
There’s so much freaking drama going on right now that her parents actually went scorched earth on the preschool director. They’re losing their minds, claiming it’s way too early for kids that age to be exposed to this stuff, questioning where they're even taking these children, and acting like she’s walking around with straight-up trauma now. Apparently, there needs to be some kind of investigation or whatever. Total circus. kick her out because apparently, that’s just way too much for them to handle.

It's for them.

Not for her—she was clearly the exception here. I mean, we've had groups of twenty kids enjoying this for years, along with every generation before them, but now? It's all about them!

All because of one person.

Is that even normal?

I mean, seriously, try making a connection to Pinocchio or anything else that's been part of the curriculum forever, but for this tiny handful of kids, it's just too hard.

I don't know if I'm making sense, my brain is kind of racing right now.

We didn't even touch on him.

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Honestly, kids just can't really wrap their heads around The Little Prince.
I reread it a few years back when I was in my mid-30s, and that’s when it finally clicked. That rose character? Suddenly felt so much more real.
I wouldn't say I'll go back to it anytime soon, but hey, who knows.

If you think Pinocchio was a tough read for little ones, just wait until you hit Peter Pan (my kid had it over the summer between second and third grade)—but I mean the actual book, not those watered-down modern versions.
I was obsessed with it then, and I still am. But man, the writing is intense; the sentences are super complex, yet it’s beautiful and really makes you think. And isn't that the whole point? To be challenging, to push your brain in different directions?

And look, if a second grader is still struggling with basic phonics and syllables... that shouldn't be the norm. It should be an exception, not something happening all the time. By the end of the second semester in second grade, a kid should be able to actually *read*. Like, truly read. They might get exhausted doing it, but they should be able to tackle those texts. I mean, we did it. Why shouldn't they? Newer generations should be even sharper than us.

Besides, if that's not already the standard (which clearly it isn't), I won't stand for it. I refuse to let my kid live that kind of lifestyle—not in any way. Period. Whatever we went through—and let's face it, that's just basic, fundamental education that worked for countless people—my kid will go through too. Whether it's hard or easy, whatever. Some things will click faster, some won't.

But nothing develops properly when you start underestimating people and what they're capable of. Sure, everyone has strengths, weaknesses, quirks, or maybe even some learning disability that makes things harder, but you deal with that by finding solutions.
You don't solve it by deciding Peter Pan is "too hard." He's not. And I'm not letting anyone take the easy way out for my kid.
Sorry, totally went off on a tangent there.

The whole point of school is to give you a massive range of options. It’s about building that foundation so one day you actually have the freedom to choose—whether you want to be a surgeon, a professor, a baker, or a mechanic. Or, honestly, you could just choose to do none of those things at all.

But look, if you want that kind of total freedom to pick whatever path you want, there are certain hoops you have to jump through first.

My bad, I gotta run to Home Depot. Let's pick this back up tomorrow. 👋

Yeah, we gotta stick to my guns on this one because I just can't wrap my head around the idea of removing something just because some kid finds it boring.
Who cares? Honestly, anything can be boring if you're the type of person who just sits there taking everything passively.

Edit. Like, would it actually kill her to find out?

Look, you can easily grab two out of her—it’s all about being entitled, acting like a jerk, just skimming through some book and calling it a day.
Why is that such a big deal?
Because if everyone found everything interesting enough to pull an A+, the whole system would be trash.
But that’s not how things work anywhere, period.
We’re all turning into mindless sheep because life lacks any actual challenge, not because we’re reading Fyodor Dostoevsky.

You totally missed my point.
Look, I’m literally saying you don’t have to.
You don't owe anyone anything, just stop blaming everyone else for your own screw-ups.

Honestly, this is getting ridiculous. "It's too hard," "I'm bored," "I can't do it," "I don't want to," "it's stupid"—fine, whatever. If it's not for you, just say it's not for you and quit acting like it's some universal rule that nobody has to do anything.

First off, no, it's not "everyone."
Second, you don't have to.
You don't even need to have electricity in your house to make a choice.
But if you choose not to do something, then own it.
Man up.
Or woman up.
Just stand by your decision to skip out on something and leave it at that.

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Megan Thomas5 said:I get it—people who make a career out of analyzing the *Iliad*, the *Odyssey*, or *Dante’s Inferno* think these works are some divine, essential experience that everyone needs to digest. They claim it's about "transcending the text," but let's be real: for most people, it’s just total bullshit.

It’s exactly like when people try to hype up modern art as something profound. Someone splashes a bucket of paint on a canvas or, I don't know, literally pees in a bottle and puts it in a gallery, then tells you that if you don't "get it," you're just uncultured. It's still just bullshit.

We shouldn't be forcing kids to slog through this stuff just to scrape by with a passing grade. What's the point of making them read *Moby Dick* if they're just going to stare at the pages feeling like they're reading ancient hieroglyphics?

Then go ahead, try reading something in Mandarin or Armenian and see how much you "compare." Good luck with that.

Peter Doyle2 said:But you just breeze through those works during class—especially the ones that are a total slog because of all the archaic language and old-fashioned regional dialects.
If you aren't actually reading for comprehension, then what’s even the point? Honestly, they teach that stuff in elementary school, but it doesn't really help you grasp something like an Equinox. I remember the titles, and I remember how every other word felt totally foreign. I kept reaching for a translation guide, but even then, I honestly can't tell you what I actually read.
That's exactly my point! Content like that is pure torture. It just makes kids want to stay away from books entirely.

Exactly. You gotta learn the old-school terms and the local slang just so you can at least try to wrap your head around it.

Man, I remember this one time ages ago on some thread where I used a word that basically meant "urgent."

Only one guy there actually knew what I was talking about; everyone else was trying to tell me I was using some weird regional dialect term for an emergency.

Honestly, screw that.

rowdypanther12 said:Well, I don't feel that way either 😁
but if you're trying to get people interested in books, this isn't how you do it. That's why I mentioned needing to decide on an actual answer to the topic title. 😁

Seriously, what the hell is there even supposed to be "attracting"?

Let them "bond" over Playboy in their spare time. Whatever.

What do you even need to "pull" to get this year's revenue into an Excel sheet just to run a P&L?

Look, it’s pretty simple. It’s your job, period. If you don't get the work done, you don't get paid. Honestly, I think that alone is more than enough motivation for anyone to actually show up and do what they're supposed to do. No extra nonsense needed.

Peter Doyle2 said:So, getting back to the title, are you saying literature is just meant to instill a sense of duty in kids rather than actually encouraging them to read with interest and comprehension?

I mean, honestly? I think required reading exists just to make sure kids actually get exposed to the heavy hitters—both here in the States and from around the world. You gotta have those essential classics in the curriculum if you want them to actually understand literature.

Reading comprehension is basically stuff they start teaching back in elementary school. It kicks off early on with those little themes like "Snow is Falling" or "Spring Has Arrived."

Reading is a solo mission. You can't force it on anyone.

If you want things to actually be interesting, you gotta put in the work, you know? Otherwise, what's the point? Nah, turns out I was wrong.Look, if you just play along, you’ll get a decent enough grade. Simple as that. If you refuse to suck up to them? You fail. Deal with it. And honestly, some people don't even need stuff like the Twilight Saga or The Vampire Diaries to find something interesting enough to scrape by with a passing mark.

Don't push my buttons. 😠

Back then, *Crime and Punishment* was easily the most gripping book on the planet for me.
Honestly, I was so wiped out from work and everything else on my plate today that I probably would've passed out by page one. There's no way I would've actually finished it. But somehow, I pushed through. Some people just can't be bothered to try. What am I supposed to do about them? Not my problem.

Honestly, I thought Kafka's *The Metamorphosis* was the most brainless book ever written, but then... Today. Glad I'm finally here. But back then... I finally read it. Honestly, I wouldn't touch that stuff today—and you can see why from my previous posts—but I get what he was trying to say now. Back then, I thought it was such a drag, but let's be real: I was a freaking seventeen-year-old. Everything besides hitting the clubs, chasing guys, and flipping through the pages of *Bravo* felt mind-numbingly boring.

That doesn't mean he needs to be kicked to the curb.

Peter Doyle2 said:That never worked for me. If I didn't read the book, I got a 1 that I had to make up; you can't just leave the assignment unread, and my teacher asked questions specifically designed to figure out if you actually read the book or just skimmed it.🥳
Well, since you've already laid it all out like that, why don't you tell us—what exactly is the point of MANDATORY reading if the advice is just "don't bother reading it"?🤷

Look, the point is that you read it.
It doesn't have to be fun.

If you want electricity, you gotta pay the bill. If you want to pay the bill, you need money. If you need money, you have to go earn it somehow. Whether you enjoyed doing it or not—that's beside the point. If your job sucks, bad luck, but you're still gonna do it because you need the paycheck, and you need the lights on. If you can make the job tolerable, or maybe, if you get lucky, actually interesting—hooray! If not, it'll suck, but you're still gonna grind through it because you need that freaking electricity. And nobody's gonna give a damn about how much you hate your job.

Or—you won't have electricity. Metaphorically speaking, you'll get an F on the reading assignment—a bad grade in English class—a failing grade—and you'll fail the grade. But you'll read the book if you want to pass the grade/earn your paycheck.

Honestly, I don't get why this is so hard to wrap your head around.

rowdypanther12 said:It’s true. Most kids just don't enjoy reading, and forcing it on them feels like a massive chore. It’s a sad reality, but it's the truth.
A list like this one is perfectly fine if our goal is to introduce them to the classics, much like how we try to get them interested in chemical equations.
But does anyone actually ask them if they want to learn this stuff? Why is there such a pushback only when it comes to assigned reading? Is it just because they don't find it engaging? 🤷
If we want to spark an interest in chemistry, we need to lean into more exciting experiments. Similarly, if we want them to pick up books, we have to give them stories that actually grab their attention.

Honestly, what a joke. 😢

I don't feel bad for them at all. No.

Everything’s gonna be a chore.
Life is a drag.
Work is a drag.
Getting up in the morning is a drag.
Paying the bills is a drag.
Dealing with work stuff and personal responsibilities is a drag.

So what?
Just lie there, curl up, and do absolutely nothing because you can't be bothered.

Look, I get it—nobody’s forcing you to read some classic assigned book if you're feeling lazy, provided you’re cool with the fallout. You don't read it, you fail the assignment, whatever, you live your life. But you can't have it both ways. You can't expect an A and still spend all your time being lazy. It doesn't work like that.

Megan Thomas5 said:I didn't stick to the required reading list, but I definitely read a ton in school. In elementary, it was *Five Friends* and *The Diary of Anne Frank*; in high school, I devoured Sven Hassel, Stephen King, even *Mein Kampf*... mostly just because they actually caught my interest.
Forget the *Odyssey* or the *Iliad* where you can't make heads or tails of anything—not to mention *Judith*. http://www.bulaja.com/Marulic/pdf/judita.pdf Seriously, look at what’s written here. Who can actually read this, and more importantly, why?! It's pure torture. Don't even get me started on all that old-school American prose. BORING. Most classic American literature is just incredibly dull.

Just give kids *The Vampire Diaries* or *Twilight*. That's stuff they'll actually enjoy, rather than listening to some lecture about the "masterpieces" of the dead. Half those authors were probably schizophrenic anyway.
Or maybe try *The Divine Comedy*?

Maybe you're just the one who doesn't get it.

Yeah, they always love to say "there are exceptions to every rule." 😁
Try actually reading what I wrote, Summer. 🙂

Edit: Just fixing this so I don't look like a complete idiot—I was messing around with emojis and one shows up while the other doesn't, even though it's clearly in the text when I go to edit. Makes zero sense.

Joseph Sanchez10 said:First signs popped up back in September, so I just jotted down how he was struggling... basically, things were fine at the start of the school year, then everything was okay with the second teacher through October and November, and now we're back to this.
Honestly, I don't even know when the meetings are scheduled. We weren't given any info, so I'll probably just have to head down to the school and talk to his teacher in person since there’s no other way to get a hold of them.
Thanks for the reply, I think I have an idea of what to say now. I'll ask 👍

Yeah, seriously, go ask. Go find out. Just show up. Look, you're both there for the kid, right? Show some initiative and tell her, "Hey, is there anything I can do on my end to help?" See if you two can actually get on the same page. You aren't enemies here. The kid is struggling with some basic stuff, and at the end of the day, everyone wants him to succeed.

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I honestly could've been at the principal's office yesterday, saying the exact same thing you just did. What's even stopping you? My kid doesn't even have enough vocabulary yet to wrap their head around what this assignment is actually asking for—they're only in second grade. The material is basically nonsense at this stage because they just don't have the word bank for it. Seriously, please do something about this. Thanks. Look, none of us—and I'm sure you don't either—want them to grow up hating such a beautiful language just because of these stupid early hurdles. If something's bothering me, I just walk away. That's what I'd do.

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Nicholas King said:You’re falling straight into the classic trap of flawed statistical reasoning.

The mere fact that the scenario you're describing exists makes it just one single example, much like how one random old lady who smoked and drank her way to living two hundred and fifty years doesn't make that anecdote a basis for anything. You certainly wouldn't want to calibrate the entire American educational system based on an outlier like that, would you?

Sometimes a rose is just a rose. Actually, more often than not...

Nah, you're walking straight into that trap. You're basically making up stats that weren't even there to begin with.

Sometimes an example is just an example. Nothing more, nothing less. 😁

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wanderingbadger44 said:It’s nothing new to see such condescending and ugly commentary directed at teachers, but it still hits a nerve whenever I come across something like this.

It’s as if anyone who graduates with a degree in linguistics, fine arts, or the social sciences is just a failure who couldn't hack it in anything else. It's hard to wrap my head around the idea that someone might actually prefer the nuances of music over coding, or find languages more captivating than chemistry.

But setting that aside, there's another angle I want to touch upon.

Since we are discussing student welfare, has anyone considered how a kid might end up enrolled in a three-year culinary program simply because they were pressured into it, even if they have zero passion for it? Then, once they hit adulthood and finally gain some clarity, they try to pivot into a fourth year to become a hospitality technician because they previously took geography and languages. And maybe they pass their SATs and head off to college...

In the end, that three-year culinary stint remains their highest level of achievement.
Well, since religious studies are staying on the curriculum, I suppose they could always study theology. 🕺

As long as he can bake a communion wafer...

But yeah, I actually know someone who went through this exact thing. Was working mid-level waitressing, one year at HT, then enrolling in college. And that was over twenty years ago,

wanderingbadger44 said:I've been working through some of these practice tests. Yeah, reading comprehension definitely helps, but honestly? It’s the critical thinking that does the heavy lifting. It matters way more than just memorizing a bunch of dry, useless facts. As for the math—you're going to need everything from at least the first two years of high school.
Compared to our national SATs, it’s a joke. And if you look at the Chinese gaokao? Both are nothing more than a complete comedy.

Believe it or not, nobody there gives a damn about trivial nonsense or what Uzbekistan's GDP looks like. Those people who think they can just bluff their way through "important matters" by reciting things from memory? They aren't going to fare well.

I've been working through some of these practice tests. Yeah, reading comprehension definitely helps, but honestly? It’s the critical thinking that does the heavy lifting. It matters way more than just memorizing a bunch of dry, useless facts. As for the math—you're going to need everything from at least the first two years of high school.
Compared to our national SATs, it’s a joke. And if you look at the Chinese gaokao? Both are nothing more than a complete comedy.

Believe it or not, nobody there gives a damn about trivial nonsense or what Uzbekistan's GDP looks like. Those people who think they can just bluff their way through "important matters" by reciting things from memory? They aren't going to fare well.
I honestly can't wrap my head around how you even begin a conversation with someone who truly believes that picking one out of four multiple-choice options is some kind of gold standard for measuring actual skill or expertise—and I don't even mean the tricky questions, just the basic ones.

I guess I'm just at a loss.
I honestly can't wrap my head around how you even begin a conversation with someone who truly believes that picking one out of four multiple-choice options is some kind of gold standard for measuring actual skill or expertise—and I don't even mean the tricky questions, just the basic ones.

I guess I'm just at a loss.
This just reminded me of something.
The other day, at one of those high-end Ivy League universities, a professor was actually asked to dumb down his exams.
Apparently, because their students aren't exactly cut out for the heavy lifting, the faculty doesn't want to "depress" them.
They literally asked this guy to make the test easier.
Like, turn it into a basic multiple-choice thing.