Posts by redridge13

Look, losing grades in French isn't just some 7th-grade hiccup, it’s a bigger deal than that.
They really should have moved the kid over to a school where English is actually the primary language from the jump.

And let's be real—it clearly isn't just about the French classes.

Am I reading this situation right?
So, Mikulicka decided to enroll her kid in some fancy school out in Small Town, USA, even though they don't even live in that district—all because she wanted that prestige factor, knowing full well the kid's primary language is French.
And now, predictably, there’s a massive meltdown happening because the kid is getting mediocre grades in French and suddenly doesn't have enough credits to get into any decent prep school.

I mean, 72 out of 80? Is it really just one subject causing this much of a disaster?

Dennis Alvarez2 said:If you want to succeed at state-level competitions, you really do need to have access to textbooks from various publishers, because it is quite difficult to achieve a strong result at that level without consulting multiple resources, which is why we buy additional books. We aren't buying them for every single subject, obviously, but rather for the ones involved in competitions or the subjects that are particularly tough or rely on subpar textbooks. I believe the natural boundary will be the transition to high school, as my goal is to ensure my child is completely prepared for that next step, fostering a genuine love for learning and establishing solid study habits. In 7th grade, my child doesn't spend more than an hour or two a day on homework, though I am not entirely sure if that is considered much or just average; there are also many days in a row where they literally do nothing after school, during those quiet periods before a storm of tests and presentations arrives. They also have practice three or four times a week, and they are out with friends every Friday and Saturday from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. The battles with the phone and the laptop are constant. So, I don't truly believe I am overreaching, although I do dedicate a realistically above-average amount of time to thinking about and planning my child's education. I want them to feel empowered and confident, especially since everyone says high school is brutal and kids often fall apart in those elite math-focused academies; I am simply trying to preempt those struggles as best I can. I personally enjoy reading and learning, and I am a firm believer in the power of education. Perhaps my way of thinking is unconventional when it comes to parenting, but I am simply sharing my views and experiences just as others here do. 🙂 I am certainly not surprised by how others feel, as everyone knows what is best for their own child, and I respect that completely.

My fear is that after all this heavy lifting you're doing, they won't magically become independent learners or decisive adults just because they stepped into a high school hallway. 🤷
Only time will tell, but honestly? I think by hovering this much, you might actually be doing them a massive disservice.

My kid is the same age, and as parents, we barely lift a finger regarding school stuff (aside from the logistics—driving them around, ordering supplies, etc.). We don't hunt down extra materials, we don't collect workbooks, we don't print out practice tests, and we don't obsessively track the curriculum... (I have a surface-level idea of what subjects they're covering, but that's about it).
School is the kid's job. Deciding which extracurriculars to do, picking which competitions to enter, and deciding how much effort to put into studying—that should be on them.

If you want to build actual study habits, you have to start working on it in the lower grades.
From 5th grade onward, in my opinion, you need to let them manage their own study schedules. They need to learn how to gauge how much intensity and time a project requires, how to prioritize, and most importantly, they need to learn how to fail, fix it, and move on.
That's how you build true confidence and security. I really think that through parental drilling and crushing expectations, you usually end up getting the exact opposite.

Miley Cyrus, no offense intended, but all this stuff you’re saying about hovering over your kid, buying textbooks from every publisher under the sun... don't you think you're taking it a bit too far?

My kid is basically at the end of middle school, and honestly, they handle their own business—schoolwork, homework, juggling extracurriculars, managing their own schedule, the whole nine yards.
We don't micromanage; we just step in if they actually ask for a hand.

For a kid who isn't struggling with any developmental issues, this level of intense supervision plus extra tutoring during middle school feels like total overkill to me.
How much longer are you planning to babysit their education? (I noticed you mentioned you guys have been going hard since 5th grade). Middle school, high school, college... where does it end?

Larry Walker24 said:Looks like we aren't getting any replacement for religious studies this year—at least for those who aren't interested in it—if we're actually talking about teaching critical thinking.

Wait, wasn't that supposed to be just a pilot program in maybe 50 schools starting next year?

Michelle Nelson4 said:In our district last year, when everything was scheduled in blocks, they actually set the religion classes to just one hour specifically to avoid leaving such huge gaps in the schedule. If it is a block period, they usually schedule it first thing in the morning or at the very end of the day. Honestly, you should speak up—either ask them to break up the block, move it to the start or end of the day, or tell them you'll be sending an official note every single week stating that your child is leaving campus under your own responsibility. (It would be great if all the parents whose kids don't attend take this stance.) Once you submit that as a parent, they can't legally stop you.

Man, this is huge info, thanks so much!

I'm just sitting here waiting on the final permanent schedule and the parent handbook to drop next week.

Since we’re already deep in the weeds talking about religious studies during class hours...

So, my kid doesn't take religion classes, and on the day all their religious friends have a block period for it, they told the non-religious kids that they aren't allowed to leave and just come back later for their regular lessons. Instead, they’re stuck sitting in the library?!

The school is right in the middle of the neighborhood—literally a ten-minute walk for everyone. These kids are in high school, and instead of being stuck in this ridiculous religious loophole, they could easily just head home, grab some lunch...

I'm honestly just waiting for the first parent-teacher meeting to blow a fuse... ☕

Matthew Garcia2 said:Look, direct transfers into a public school aren't really a thing without an audition or some kind of proficiency exam. It mostly boils down to whether they even have an opening, like if someone dropped out of their specific instrument program.

I did my own digging into private schools once too, and we ended up sticking with the public route instead. No regrets whatsoever.

Yeah, yeah, look, I get it—there’s no magic button to just instantly transfer credits or whatever. But by passing those state exams, we're basically making sure my kid keeps the door wide open to go back into a traditional music program if they want to. It's all about keeping those options on the table.

Honestly, we went with a private music school this year because the logistics were just a total nightmare—between the location being a pain and everything else we had going on, it seemed like the easy way out. Now? I’m sitting here kicking myself. I totally regret it.

Michael Lee75 said:The Juilliard School has approval from the Department of Labor, though honestly, I haven't the slightest clue if their curriculum matches the public schools exactly since I don't know what those state programs even look like.😁

But yeah, once a kid finishes a year and gets their certificate, they can move over to a public school without much trouble.

The only catch is it isn't on the West Side—it's located way up by Mount Rushmore.

Thanks!
Unfortunately, Mount Rushmore is totally out of our way. 😢

I've been looking at a school in our neighborhood, but I can't figure out if they actually have Department of Labor approval. From what I can tell, not all the staff are even certified professors. I'm assuming there are certain standards you have to hit if the Department of Labor gives you the green light, right?
Also, does anyone know if you can even transfer to a public school if you've been taking lessons from someone who isn't a certified pro?

Hey there,

Does anyone have a solid list of private music schools in NYC that actually follow a formal curriculum? I’m looking for places where the training is legit enough that you could actually transition into a public conservatory or state school after finishing a year or two.
I really want to avoid those hobbyist spots where some college kid is just teaching kids how to play chords for extra cash—I need actual professionals who know their stuff here.

I'm mostly looking at schools on the West Side.

Thanks!

Larry Walker24 said:If more students actually stuck with religion class instead of ditching it:

a) they wouldn't be graded on it

or

b) it wouldn't be used just to boost GPAs

At the high school where I teach, kids are dropping religion class in droves after freshman year. The max grade you can get is a C, and since you actually have to study for religion—unlike ethics class, which, let me tell you, is 100 times easier

That religion teacher is seriously sabotaging themselves🙂 (and their own job security)

frozenrider15 said:I don't follow. Is the school actually demanding signatures from both parents for the religious studies consent? If they are, then sit down with your husband. Explain why it matters to you and point out the practical side—how it creates a scheduling issue if she doesn't participate. (Though, honestly, the school should probably provide supervision for kids who aren't in that specific class but are already on campus for after-school programs, but you'd have to check their specific policy.)

Look, if you're divorced, I get that opinions clash. But if you can't even sit down and talk through the options, I just don't understand.
As for the Christmas pageant or day bread celebrations—at least at my local school—they don't demand signed permission for every single thing. No kid is forced to participate in religious activities just because they are enrolled in the class. They can just hang out in the library. And the Christmas show is usually an evening thing anyway; it's not like attendance is mandatory.

Well, back at my kid's school, during Thanksgiving, they didn't ask for permission or even give parents a heads-up; they just marched every single student out to the foyer to pray and sing hymns and all that junk.
My kid isn't even religious, and when I asked her what she was doing while everyone else was praying, she just said, "I was just standing there."
Yeah, sure, nobody was pointing a gun at her head to make her join in, but let's be real—she didn't have any other choice.
The whole "performance" wasn't even held during a religion class; they did it right in the middle of the school day, forcing EVERY student to sit there and watch those religious types put on their little display.

So, what, we're talking about original sin?
Isn't that just something we all inherited from Adam the second we were born?

rowdypanther12 said:No, I don't think you quite understood my point 🙂
If it's okay for religious instruction to be in schools and take up middle-of-the-day class time just "because the majority identifies as Catholic," then is it also okay for state laws to prohibit things that are forbidden to Catholics?

Look, people are working on it, so quit being so impatient. It’s a lifetime's worth of work, not a weekend project. 🙄

Most of the loudmouthed Catholics in America have already slipped right into breaking the 7th Commandment (it’s a total mess with all these religious folks).
And honestly, some of them—including a huge chunk within the Church itself—have already crossed the line into the 6th. ☕

The hypocrisy is off the charts.
It's pathetic.

If they’d given Liljana Vokić two whole classrooms back in high school, we might actually be getting somewhere 🙄

Anyway, wasn't there a story in the news or on TV not too long ago about some statue of the Virgin Mary (you know, the one that doesn't glow in the dark 😬) just sitting in the hallway of some high school 🤔

Edit: Found it, here Turns out it was an elementary school, which honestly makes it even more messed up than I originally thought...

In this damn secular country 🤮 🤮

So, how can anyone claim this is a secular country when having priests bless schools and preschools is treated like just another Tuesday?

I mean, honestly, I can’t remember a single groundbreaking ceremony—whether it’s a new school, a daycare center, or even a hospital wing—since the early 90s that didn't involve some clergy crew showing up to sprinkle holy water everywhere.
Maybe if you live in a super liberal pocket like Seattle or San Francisco, you wouldn't see it as much, but elsewhere? Not happening.🙂

Bless the [CT] 🙄 🙄

To your misfortune, this is my country too—the one where I’m getting absolutely hammered by taxes
and all I want is for our government institutions (especially the schools) to actually follow the laws on the books regarding the separation of church and state.

to quote "

Hey, there's honestly nothing I can say 👍

but I guess that’s just how it goes when they start drilling fear and mindless conformity into you from the moment you're born... ☕

Perfect
then you wouldn't have any trouble just dropping them off at the local church for Sunday school instead.

I can't believe I'm even seeing this. redridge13, you really have to be kidding me right now. You’re actually sitting there, typing out this absolute nonsense like it’s some kind of profound revelation? Give me a break. It’s honestly exhausting watching people fall for this kind of stuff over and over again. I remember back when I was working that dead-end retail gig in Chicago—just a total grind, mind you—and I saw guys just like you trying to sell the same tired excuses to anyone who would listen. It’s the same song, different verse. Honestly, it's just pathetic.

shadowcrane91 said:Satanists (or whatever you want to call them) aren't the majority...
They didn't hit that 86% mark, so there's no reason to bend the rules for them.

Upoce, I don't even get what you're saying...
In every country, things tend to favor the believers who make up the majority...
Like in the Middle East with Muslims,
Or in places like Greece with the Orthodox...

It’s only here in America, where 86% are Catholic, that anyone even tries to argue this point...
So, are the rights of that other 14% being violated or something?

I'm dying to know—if some other religion was dominant in the country, would they actually bother looking out for that minority?

Give me a break! When it comes to religion, nobody's supposed to say a word...

Exactly.
Man, I am absolutely losing my mind over this latest mess with those absolute lunatics! Honestly, what is even happening anymore? It’s like every time you think things couldn't get any more chaotic, some group of total crazies decides to throw a wrench in the whole works just for the hell of it. I’m sitting here staring at the news, just shaking my head because it feels like we're living in a bad sitcom that won't end. Seriously, someone needs to step in and rein these people in before they burn the whole house down. It's pure madness! 🙂 🙄

Religious ed classes in our public schools are an absolute train wreck. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start, except for one thing: I am doing everything in my power to make sure my kid doesn't end up sitting through those sessions getting their brain washed. ☕

But seriously...
I'm just saying, it's all happening right here in our own backyard. I honestly don't know how people deal with the whole daycare situation. It’s a complete circus. Every time I look at the costs or try to figure out which center isn't going to be a total disaster zone, I just want to pull my hair out. It feels like you're basically paying a premium just to hand your kid over to someone else and pray they actually get a nap in. It's exhausting. So, I just heard that starting this year, they’re bringing religious education back into the public schools here in the city. Honestly? It feels like we’re circling the drain. Just when you think we've finally moved toward a more secular, logical way of running things, suddenly there's this push to bring faith-based classes back into the mix. I remember back in my day, everything felt a bit more streamlined, but now it feels like we're taking ten steps backward. It’s like watching a rerun of a bad sitcom where the plot just keeps looping back to the same outdated tropes. You'd think with everything else going on in the world, we could focus on actual science or history instead of debating theology in a classroom setting. It’s just exhausting, man. One thing after another.
Of course, it’s the one damn thing you can actually do for free without some corporate shark trying to nickel and dime you for every second.
Total garbage. Absolute bottom of the barrel.