Parents Have no Right to Speak, and Newspapers should Stop Printing their Concerns.
I've been at this advocacy stuff for a while now. Not as long as many, but long enough to figure out that the silent majority usually just observe, while a few vocal individuals carry on. I've really enjoyed meeting a great group of individuals over the years, who have told me their stories, who have shared their frustrations, and concerns - both inside the classroom, as frontline teachers, as grandparents who despair seeing the latest generation unable to count, and parents - so many parents - who are tired, broke, and frustrated that their kids aren't getting what they deserve: a basic, decent, education.
The backlash against our initiative started as soon as it went public. As a parent, I was lambasted as soon as I raised a concern with the School Principal about my child's lack of basic arithmetic. We have a great sense of humour - you have to, in order to carry on as we do. It's part of it all.
But was does bother me, greatly, are those who ask me, "What do I do? How do I help my child?" It's heartbreaking. And our education leaders seem unwilling to take any responsibility to help these kids, and their parents.
A recent letter to the editor I submitted, was published, in response to a delay in rolling out the high school curriculum here in British Columbia http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/b-c-s-new-curriculum-needs-to-be-fixed-1.23079643
Not surprisingly, a response came, as they usually do, whenever these letters are published http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/education-crusader-makes-spurious-arguments-1.23089025. It didn't take much to deduce that, in fact, Mr. Kinrade has a right to be angry. As an IT consultant and person who provides education support for the Victoria School District (SD 61), I have no right suggesting how and where he makes his living: profiting from selling edufads to young children and teachers.
Interesting to note, then, that even though taxpayers, like me, fund the system, I should learn to just keep my mouth shut and let the experts take care of everything. Phew! I feel better already...
The backlash against our initiative started as soon as it went public. As a parent, I was lambasted as soon as I raised a concern with the School Principal about my child's lack of basic arithmetic. We have a great sense of humour - you have to, in order to carry on as we do. It's part of it all.
But was does bother me, greatly, are those who ask me, "What do I do? How do I help my child?" It's heartbreaking. And our education leaders seem unwilling to take any responsibility to help these kids, and their parents.
A recent letter to the editor I submitted, was published, in response to a delay in rolling out the high school curriculum here in British Columbia http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/b-c-s-new-curriculum-needs-to-be-fixed-1.23079643
Not surprisingly, a response came, as they usually do, whenever these letters are published http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/education-crusader-makes-spurious-arguments-1.23089025. It didn't take much to deduce that, in fact, Mr. Kinrade has a right to be angry. As an IT consultant and person who provides education support for the Victoria School District (SD 61), I have no right suggesting how and where he makes his living: profiting from selling edufads to young children and teachers.
Interesting to note, then, that even though taxpayers, like me, fund the system, I should learn to just keep my mouth shut and let the experts take care of everything. Phew! I feel better already...
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