From: yarnot@babbage.csus.edu (Jan Yarnot)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books
Subject: Re: Education and the Environment by Gregory A. Smith
Date: 12 Jan 93 06:56:13 GMT
Organization: Moi?

First, a little background: my older three children went to Catholic schools
all the way through grade 12, the younger two were public schooled through
8th grade, in Catholic high schools now.  Part of that was economic with my
son, Mr. Cool, and with the Resident Expert (or Stands-With-a-Book) it was
that the parochial school was not prepared for the obviously gifted 5-yr-old
I had for them.  As an education student, I've read all the latest research
that states that "tracking is bad for kids": but when push came to shove, this
is, just like Clinton, *my* kid, and I will not sacrifice her for some ideal.
My school district (used to) has(ve) a really wonderful GATE program, and there
was no way the parochial school could have managed.  The R.E. went to a Rapid
Learner program (*shudder* "TRACKING!") in junior high that really challenged
her.  Meanwhile, *I* was teaching this last year in a learning center for 
homeless children, and a preschool program for the same.  Our local public 
school is very receptive for these homeless kids, but sometimes there is no
way to get them there for a while.  I think I was working to improve the
system.

But not, as Laurie Mann seems to recommend, at the cost of sacrificing my own
to some ideal.  I would have homeschooled if there weren't a really good
public school alternative, and they are in private high school for a reason
(which may be that we can't retire in comfort: this is not a cheap whim).
It's not a sell-out, but a pragmatic look at what IS, and wish as I might
that it were different, this is it, and I don't want to have my children as
the guinea pigs in some grand scheme to improve it in the next ten years.
Or, Laurie, would you go live in the Worst Slum in Your Area because hey,
slums are a social constuct and if you just go there and believe, things will
improve?

(In 1968, Rich and I were in Shreveport, LA, looking for a place to live, and
not aware that the map the real-estate agent gave us was red-lined.  It only
took a couple of visits to the gray areas, looking for an apartment, to
recognize the coding on the map and to follow it ... so call me prejudiced,
but I didn't want a spot with gunshots in the night and toilets that didn't
work.  Or even roaches the size of a Volkswagen.)

But while *I* might well put my life on the line for a principle, as happened
later, I will *not* NOT **NOT!!** chance a child of mine's.  Nor will I chance
their education because the public schools need me (the ones they went to were
"alternative" schools, in other words, ones where they might learn something.)

In California we keep throwing money at the schools like it will help, but it's
going, in my opinion, to take a lot more than that bandage over the bandage 
over the bandage ad. inf.  I, as an adult, will try to face that challenge,
but I will NOT allow my children to be the cannon fodder in this battle.

ObBook, anything by John Holt or Jonathan Kozol, and here you thought I only 
read mysteries.

--
---Jan Yarnot, net.grandma.-- | When you go out into the world,
			      | watch out for traffic, hold hands,
                              | and stick together.
CSUS depends on my every word.|             --Robert Fulghum    
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books,misc.kids,misc.writing