This topic breaks my heart like almost nothing else. None of my three kids ever had the resistance to school that you describe, but I definitely saw - am still seeing - a slow extinguishing of the love of learning in my two younger ones. My oldest got to go to a great, innovative lab school, but it was private and very expensive. Here in Canada there is as far as I know no school such as you describe that is public. I honestly feel every day of my life that I’ve failed my kids because every day they go to this institution that seems designed to grind them down, kill their spirit, teach them to conform and shut down all their enthusiasm and curiosity.
In the states we have an option for online public school which was a life saver for my kids once they got to middle school and the physical environment got to be too overwhelming. It’s called K12.
If parents want to change public schools, they need to be committed to helping teachers and students in public schools, not for their own selfish and foolish interests with homeschooling and unschooling. Public schools are worth saving because they are a public good for all people, and saving them means banning corporations and religious groups from influencing public school policies. Performing and Marching Arts should abolish Drum Corps International and Bands of America. Arts and Humanities need to be put back in schools. ABA Therapy and Bad SEL need to be tossed. Reform literacy and media studies to include comics, graphic novels, manga, and visual arts. Ditch standardized tests and Self-Help books and learn real history, civics, philosophy, logic, and science engagingly. Toxic competition needs to be abolished and replaced with student creativity, expression, community, education, and accomidation.
ABA Therapy, Self-Help, Temple Grandin, Centrisum, Creationisum, Greed, Toxic Competition, and letting parents overcontrol policy are how we got into this mess. I would never allow any parent of a special needs child to homeschool or unschool a child because those children need homerooms and teachers who are also special needs who respect student autonomy. I know because I was a homeschooled child, and looking back, I would not want that for any other child, regardless of who they are.
Parents and Teachers need class solidarity, not warfare.
How much experience do you have with public schools? Parents can't do much to change them in the ways you're talking about. We can volunteer and we can vote to fund them, we can speak up at school board meetings etc. I also find it incredibly naive of you to say you would never allow a special needs child to be home schooled. Most parents of special needs children know their children's needs better than anyone else. Then there's the whole "defining special needs" part.
I was an Autistic Homeschooler, and I wish more parents would respect special education teachers who do their work to help their students. I love public schools, yet parents are the ones hurting children and teachers, not the other way around. I also wanted to be in Music Education until it got monopolized and turned into a toxic positive cult by Music for All and United Sound, which are owned by Bands of America. Teachers every day are the ones who fight against corporate power and religious groups in schools, and parents who claim to think about the children like Helen Lovejoy do so in the worst ways.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience with homeschooling. You didn’t answer the question though. How much experience do you have with public schools? Either directly or if you have kids, are they in public schools? Because if you don’t have personal experience, you need to take a seat. I went through public school and my three kids did as well. Two are autistic. I know what I’m talking about. Btw they thrived when they switched to schooling from home in 8th and 10th grades. My youngest is heading into his senior year, still online by choice.
The issues you mentioned are valid. Parents are truly shitty to teachers these days, mostly since the pandemic. Parents need to grow up and treat teachers like professionals. But your broad claims that parents can make big sweeping changes in the school systems are not accurate.
I already told you I wanted to be a Special Ed Music Educator and stopped doing so when I learned about Drum Corps International and Bands of America's monopoly over music ed and performing arts. This does not mean you get rid of or abolish public schools; you abolish corporate power and religious groups, including parents who promote religious indoctrination and ABA Therapy. At the end of the day, all people are responsible for making change, including teachers and parents who have to work in class solidarity with each other to get monopolies and religious groups out of public schools.
So, I'm not giving you any more 5 cents, Lucy Van Pelt, because I know the damage ABA Therapy does to so many kids and parents of kids who are neurodivergent.
You’re the one bringing up ABA. I never said anything about it and in my area it’s considered old-school therapy that is no longer recommended nor have I ever had anything to do with it. You very obviously have a huge chip on your shoulder that you can’t even have a reasonable conversation about this topic without getting pissed off and name calling. I hope you are able to channel that energy in ways that actually get people to listen to you because right now you’re just pushing people away.
This topic breaks my heart like almost nothing else. None of my three kids ever had the resistance to school that you describe, but I definitely saw - am still seeing - a slow extinguishing of the love of learning in my two younger ones. My oldest got to go to a great, innovative lab school, but it was private and very expensive. Here in Canada there is as far as I know no school such as you describe that is public. I honestly feel every day of my life that I’ve failed my kids because every day they go to this institution that seems designed to grind them down, kill their spirit, teach them to conform and shut down all their enthusiasm and curiosity.
In the states we have an option for online public school which was a life saver for my kids once they got to middle school and the physical environment got to be too overwhelming. It’s called K12.
Why does the survey link go to your substack page instead of a survey?
Sorry for the trouble. I just clicked the link and it goes to the survey, which is hosted on my Substack. Here is the link:
https://katypurviance.substack.com/survey/5798643?token=
If parents want to change public schools, they need to be committed to helping teachers and students in public schools, not for their own selfish and foolish interests with homeschooling and unschooling. Public schools are worth saving because they are a public good for all people, and saving them means banning corporations and religious groups from influencing public school policies. Performing and Marching Arts should abolish Drum Corps International and Bands of America. Arts and Humanities need to be put back in schools. ABA Therapy and Bad SEL need to be tossed. Reform literacy and media studies to include comics, graphic novels, manga, and visual arts. Ditch standardized tests and Self-Help books and learn real history, civics, philosophy, logic, and science engagingly. Toxic competition needs to be abolished and replaced with student creativity, expression, community, education, and accomidation.
ABA Therapy, Self-Help, Temple Grandin, Centrisum, Creationisum, Greed, Toxic Competition, and letting parents overcontrol policy are how we got into this mess. I would never allow any parent of a special needs child to homeschool or unschool a child because those children need homerooms and teachers who are also special needs who respect student autonomy. I know because I was a homeschooled child, and looking back, I would not want that for any other child, regardless of who they are.
Parents and Teachers need class solidarity, not warfare.
How much experience do you have with public schools? Parents can't do much to change them in the ways you're talking about. We can volunteer and we can vote to fund them, we can speak up at school board meetings etc. I also find it incredibly naive of you to say you would never allow a special needs child to be home schooled. Most parents of special needs children know their children's needs better than anyone else. Then there's the whole "defining special needs" part.
I was an Autistic Homeschooler, and I wish more parents would respect special education teachers who do their work to help their students. I love public schools, yet parents are the ones hurting children and teachers, not the other way around. I also wanted to be in Music Education until it got monopolized and turned into a toxic positive cult by Music for All and United Sound, which are owned by Bands of America. Teachers every day are the ones who fight against corporate power and religious groups in schools, and parents who claim to think about the children like Helen Lovejoy do so in the worst ways.
https://substack.com/@christinabishop1/p-192507364
I’m sorry you had a bad experience with homeschooling. You didn’t answer the question though. How much experience do you have with public schools? Either directly or if you have kids, are they in public schools? Because if you don’t have personal experience, you need to take a seat. I went through public school and my three kids did as well. Two are autistic. I know what I’m talking about. Btw they thrived when they switched to schooling from home in 8th and 10th grades. My youngest is heading into his senior year, still online by choice.
The issues you mentioned are valid. Parents are truly shitty to teachers these days, mostly since the pandemic. Parents need to grow up and treat teachers like professionals. But your broad claims that parents can make big sweeping changes in the school systems are not accurate.
I already told you I wanted to be a Special Ed Music Educator and stopped doing so when I learned about Drum Corps International and Bands of America's monopoly over music ed and performing arts. This does not mean you get rid of or abolish public schools; you abolish corporate power and religious groups, including parents who promote religious indoctrination and ABA Therapy. At the end of the day, all people are responsible for making change, including teachers and parents who have to work in class solidarity with each other to get monopolies and religious groups out of public schools.
So, I'm not giving you any more 5 cents, Lucy Van Pelt, because I know the damage ABA Therapy does to so many kids and parents of kids who are neurodivergent.
You’re the one bringing up ABA. I never said anything about it and in my area it’s considered old-school therapy that is no longer recommended nor have I ever had anything to do with it. You very obviously have a huge chip on your shoulder that you can’t even have a reasonable conversation about this topic without getting pissed off and name calling. I hope you are able to channel that energy in ways that actually get people to listen to you because right now you’re just pushing people away.
It's parents like yourself who allow ABA to thrive in public schools.