What is Digg?120 Comments
- dlbfromLA, on 11/16/2007, -1/+24Y'all or so very right!!! If I would have done anything that remotely resembled what that Sub was talking about, I would have been whipped at school and had another when I got home. The fact that teachers have their hands tied and can do nothing about what happens at school is what liberals have done to the school system. My wife teaches in a rural elementary school and tells me what goes on there every day, I just can't believe what she says comes out of the mouths of elementary students and the things they do and get away with. There is NO way I could perform the job she does, I would be in jail today,because I would have probably over corrected some of those so called students. They should be called juvenile delinquents. I'm surprised that anybody would want to be a teacher. I'm glad there are such dedicated people, but I just can't see how. They receive no respect and very little pay for what they do. There is nothing that can be done until we change the way school polices are handled today, and return them to some point where teachers and principals can have some type of control in their own schools.
- jerryjr21, on 11/16/2007, -1/+23James I couldn't have said it any better. People really need to wake up and see what is really going on in this country. Really sad!!!
- gmarie624, on 11/16/2007, -1/+22Oh but James, you must be mistaken. Why just last night, during the Democratic debate on CNN, the candidates had NOTHING but praise for our public schools. Yep, everything is just fine and dandy. What a bunch of cowards!
- dcunning30, on 11/16/2007, -1/+21I left Los Angeles over a decade ago. And I NEVER looked back. I live in mid-west snow country. There's no ocean, the winters are cold and there's no mountains. Hollywood sit-coms perodically poke fun at my state as some hick farm country. It was the best decision I could have ever made. California is overrated.
- detokaal, on 11/16/2007, -1/+21Evey politician in LA county and member of the house in California should be required to subtitute teach in these schools for 1 week per year.
- jrysanek, on 11/16/2007, -1/+21Ditto James! Thats why my wife and I homeschool our four children!
- mrschmooo, on 11/16/2007, -1/+19Incredible. And totally believable. Totally.
I'd never have thought it was that bad, but it's no surprise that even Bill Cosby is speaking out against the inner-city dumbing down & lack of educating going on in schools.
Migdia, God bless you, I think you should find another school district, if you can. - mcrunch2, on 11/16/2007, -1/+18Yep, there have to be bad consequences for bad actions. Its simple child discipline. Makes too much sense for government schools though. Perhaps someday commonsense will be restored. Go vouchers or tax refunds!
- LifeguardMom, on 11/16/2007, -1/+16 Again, another reason why I have home schooled for 18 years. For over 25 years, kids have not been taught the important, necessary subjects in school in order to make it in this world. This is what happens when you take phonics, math, writing and grammar out of schools and replace it with self-esteem garbage and political correctness. These kids who have done all this damage and destruction have tons of self esteem and no respect for anyone. A whole generation has been ripped off by this incredibly stupid teaching in our public schools. God help us.
- deeside, on 11/16/2007, -1/+15same here ... Homeschoolers unite ... !!
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -1/+14return report makes me grateful that I grew up in a system that did keep us kids in control and that did teach us the basic "three R's," among other useful things, including that we even offered a prayer, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and even read to us from the Bible! All that made us able to contribute something positive to society, but where will these "students" learn anything in the environment that this lady has described? They will go into the world outside "school" totally unprepared for anything but murder and mayhem. And where do our future "leaders" come from? As Yahweh's word says in the book of Proverbs, delayed consequences for evil behavior encourages the miscreant to do more evil, until his payment is worse than any punishment that the "authorities" would have administered. Then he joins Cain in the complaint, “My punishment is more than I can bear!” We will have a return—beginning at Yahrushalayim (Jerusalem)—to Yahweh's values, but how long until then? Praise Yahweh that it is at least coming, we hope in our lifetime, through Yahshua His Firstborn!
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -1/+14Yes, sir! We did have discipline and benefitted from it. A teacher with whom I was acquainted 50 years ago once spanked a child for misbehavior, in return for which he said, "My dad's the superintendent and I'm gonna tell him when I get home!" Just like you said, he got another licking from his dad for his trouble.
- mrschmooo, on 11/16/2007, -1/+13Mandatory duty!! But why stop at 1 wk/yr. Make it a full year so they REALLY could earn their bloated tax-payer funded salaries!
Yessir!! - mrschmooo, on 11/16/2007, -1/+13Oh, I just went to a link off the LAUSD web site ... and found Migdia's problem.
At: certificated.lausd.k12.ca.us/Salalloc/teacher_classes.htm under "Teacher Training Opportunities 2006-2007", they list a class called "Create Peace and Respect in Your Classroom".
It only costs $40. I'm sure if Migdia (and all the other 3,448 LAUSD teachers) took it, that this will take care of the problem. Ya think??
And they even get "1 Teacher's Salary Point" for taking the class. Such a deal. - drachemorder, on 11/16/2007, -1/+12"I just can't believe what she says comes out of the mouths of elementary students and the things they do and get away with."
Unfortunately, I can believe it. My next-door-neighbor's kids are that way. They're the most vulgar little brats I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. And I'm not just saying that. I'm usually tolerant of kids, but even the other kids in the neighborhood dislike these. - soofan, on 11/16/2007, -1/+12The problem of dicipline is two fold...none at home and you can't at school anymore. It's a case of the animals are now in charge of the "zoo"...
- TeachX3, on 11/16/2007, -0/+10I agree... and if it was not for us hick farm states, the rest of the nation would not eat as they do ;)
- ThinkPeople, on 11/16/2007, -0/+10Hey sigtau66, the reaon everyone blames leftists for kids being out of control is mainly the lawsuits brought by leftist organizations, such as the aclu, that have put us in this position. Why aren;t these kids being removed from the system if they are destroying the edicational opportunities for others? Oh yeah, the aclu sued. Why are these kids note being immediately snet to secondary schools with the rest of the criminal element? Oh yeah, the aclu sued. Why have parents come to rely upon the schools to feed and take care of kids whne their parents have not done so? Oh yeah, the tachers unions and aclu sued.
Leftists in general, and the aclu specifically, have been leading the charge from the left to destroy any kind of control over and avility to dismiss thugs, gang memebers and trouble makers from our public schools. And I do not think FIRE or the CATO Institute have instigated any of these actions. They have been propogated by leftist organizations, leftist lawyers and the leftist trial lawyers association. Oh, and don't forget that the one's representing the teachers are the leftist unions.
Why on earth would anyone think of implying that leftists had anything to do with this situation? - dcunning30, on 11/16/2007, -1/+11I still have family in L.A. Every time I visit, I'm ready to go home after 3-4 days. That place is a mess, and there's nothing on the horizon that is poised to fix any of the problems. It'll only get worst.
- beezdotcom, on 11/16/2007, -0/+9Wow...imagine what you could do if you made useful contributions instead of ad hominem attacks on people who are NOT part of this problem.
- TeachX3, on 11/16/2007, -1/+10AMEN! I am so thankful for Phyllis Schlafly... it was the Eagle Forum that helped me back over 10 years ago when my husband and I started homeschooling... there is help and we can overcome the effects of this society, it just takes dedication and work. My *job* is my children, period. There is not another thing on the face of this earth that carries so much responsibility and so much reward... I pray for the future of our children!
- Victorioso, on 11/16/2007, -1/+10Californication literally rumbles, in more ways than one. [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/ ]
They have the highest average of STD's and so far, the only place in the country where it is against the law to use the words Mom and Dad in public schools. Think California is bad now ? Just wait till these children grow up. People seem to forget that the children they see now, will also be their doctors, restaurant managers, programmers ( apply *that* one ! ) and -bankers- in 15 to 20 years. What will those future bankers do with your hard earned money ? I know it wont be good. (Enron) The liberal attitude of Californians is a cancer that has history repeating itself yet again : No restraint + no discipline = downfall. How's that for new math ? - gsmiro, on 11/16/2007, -1/+10I taught in Pomona USD, a so called inner city school district in Los Angeles County. Now I am teaching in a school district near Atlanta, it is also a district you can consider to be inner city. I have yet to see anything close to her experience. But I can testify that out in Georgia, it is better than in California. Students still give you a certain kind of respect as adults. There is still a kind of manner among the students. Back in Los Angeles, it was bad.
We teachers all know what is wrong. But there's not much we can do. Why? Because we are suppose to be their teachers, not their parents. So many shortcomings are the results of failure on the part of parents and families. And how can we be expected to fix the result of broken families and inept parenting? We are just teachers! As much as I want to fix them, I can't, I don't have the authority. And even if I can take on the job, being a good parent to 150 kids is probably too much for many of the teachers out there. I love my kids, they are kids, but I can only be a teacher/an adult to them when they are in my class. I can't fix many of the root problems that are driving them to the place they are. It is frustrating trying to fight the culture, multimedia entertainment industry, and political correct inept bureaucrats all at the same time just trying to teach kids some math. We are asking the teachers to do something they are not suppose to do to start with. My conclusion is that the education system is not going to be fixed, until our families are fixed and our culture is fixed. I am not sure how long will I stay in public schools, but I will try to do my best to reach some kids everyday. That's all I can do. - TeachX3, on 11/16/2007, -1/+9Same here, AMEN!!
- drachemorder, on 11/16/2007, -1/+9Don't have any kids yet, but when I do I guarantee you they will be homeschooled.
- inactive, on 11/17/2007, -0/+8Jackodrama said; ..."then why not take these children out of these neighborhoods to places that are more conducive to a good education. Ultimately I think this would be less expensive than trying to change the neighborhoods themselves. The district did not create gang issues and it is not the district's job to improve neighborhoods from the ground up,"...
So, what you are suggesting is to bus the problem kids from their neighborhoods into other, better neighborhoods to give them a better opportunity at education?
Let me make it clear. A lot of us have worked our asses off to be able to afford to live in higher end neighborhoods, so that we can avoid the gangsta and ghetto mentality that is brought in by busing those kids into our schools. Call me racist. Call me closed-minded. But, why ruin the good schools by bringing In a potentially criminal element? It is not my job to pay taxes to subsidize a better education for inner city kids, when all i want is the best for my kids. What you speak of simply reeks of social experimentation. As I said before, the solution is to allow for vouchers, so that schools begin to compete as a business does. The better the education offered, the better the students attracted. It doesn't matter where a school is located. Issue vouchers, remove the death grip upon the schools from the NEA and federal gubberment, and allow schools to compete so that kids may flourish.
Don't expect me to sit by, while you offer to bus inner city kids to my suburbia school, so that my child's educational experience may be compromised to better some other school districts problem kids. Demand that the democrats allow for vouchers, and demand that schools be made competitive. That would be a win-win for all. - Tookson, on 11/16/2007, -0/+8Homeschooling will be banned in the USA within 10 years if we do not have a massive revival of Christianity in the country. It's already been banned in Germany, a Western nation, and Christian families are actually having the children TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM just because they insist on homeschooling their kids to protect them from the government cesspools they call "schools".
- CanChris, on 11/16/2007, -2/+10How many conservative school districts can you name that would tolerate this kind of criminal behaviour in their schools?
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -2/+10This is evidence of why the government needs to stay out of our schools. Ron Paul, a big supporter of homeschooling, is the only candidate who recognizes this and is pledging to abolish the Department of Education.
- mak747, on 11/16/2007, -2/+10No decent teacher should EVER work for ANY government school. Period. If nobody worked for these pathetic holes in the ground, they'd shut down as well they all should. She makes no reference to the teachers' union, and complains persistently about her "low pay" and lack of health insurance.
Get a ***** job! Get out of that hopeless ***** hole called L.A. I've never been there and hope I never have to.
There are no surprises regarding the conditions of those "schools". Just look at California as a whole. Or should I say "hole"? Proof positive that government is the problem, not the solution. - inactive, on 11/16/2007, -1/+8Same-o, same-o fr/one of the fams in our neighborhood at W-P AFB. Filthy mouths, lack of respect, vandalism, & empty noisiness. And, wouldn'cha know it? The one lib fam in the whole nabe! There's a big surprise.
- drachemorder, on 11/16/2007, -1/+8Yeah. Thing is, I don't think this family is really liberal --- they're just idiots. The mom is a complete airhead. The dad (stepdad actually) hasn't been married to her long, but I get the feeling he bit off more than he could chew. And the kids have no concept of the word "respect".
- csbulldog, on 11/16/2007, -0/+7You nailed it! No matter the amount of money you throw at the problem, it will never fix it. It is the parents or shall I say lack of parents/parenting. Most of these do not have fathers let alone positive male role models. The single mom "feels" guilty, is too busy working, and wants to be their kids friend. If women would were at least as choosy in their men as birds were, they might make better choices. Most female birds won't mate until the male has provided a nest first.
- ising, on 11/16/2007, -1/+8FINALLY! Someone with guts to tell it like it is! Bravo! God Bless you, Migdia Chinea!
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -1/+8The above should begin, instead of "return," "Such a report..." and so forth. Thank you.
- CanChris, on 11/16/2007, -1/+8This kind of stuff was going on forty years ago when I attended a Pomona junior high. Disrespect, intimidation and violence. None of it addressed. I haven't lived in California for years but I see where it's just gotten worse. Education is a privilege, not a right. Boys will be boys? More like thugs will be thugs.
- bob3052, on 11/16/2007, -1/+8What you see in the schools both good and bad is a reflection of our society. Are there people in schools (classified and certificated) that do not belong? Yes, but you find similar situations in other fields. Has any one here tried calling custodial adults only to discover that the number: a) does not exist, b) belongs to someone else, c) is a fax number, d) belongs to a cell phone with no minutes, e) is never answered, or f) is answered by an individual who will not support the teacher.
- TKOslam, on 11/17/2007, -0/+6I deeply sympathize with the author of this piece. My aunt was an economics teacher in Los Angeles for over 20 years,and the classroom horror stories have been despicable at best. She finally had enough with the school district when a kid was stabbed to death in her class by a rival gang member, much like how a prisoner would get shanked in the joint. The boy then threatened her with the knife, prompting her to hit the panic button that was located under her desk; he was subsequently arrested and she moved her job to the much safer and more affluent Orange County. The Democratic candidates spoke last night about giving incentives to bring teachers into inner city schools, but how can such incentives be provided when inner city schools represent such kinds of barbarousness. Politicians blame the living conditions and the poor quality of education, but how can one implement better standards in neighborhoods that are hostile to such change? Its a disturbing double standard. Even if the teachers were offered even greater incentives (my aunt was making bank as a teacher in LA compared to OC, because nobody wanted her job) via money to work in such areas, it still doesn't dissuade them from fear for their own personal safety. I personally blame the parents who 'raise' these gangland children, in the case of the above article,many of the parents of the cited gangs are gang members themselves. The parents do not have a vested interest in their children whatsoever, because if they did care about their children's future, none of this would be allowed. Where I live in Orange County, if a student riot broke out on any campus the rioters would be crushed by the police, and anyone affiliated would be arrested and expelled. Both rich and poor families alike in my area, understand that their are consequences to violence in schools, so I can hardly see why LA should be the exception. I think people have a good understanding between what is right and wrong; poverty is a cop out for bad behavior. Bill Cosby is right in claiming that inner city schools will not get better until their is significant social change in the communities.
- Tookson, on 11/16/2007, -1/+7Spare the rod spoil the child. By "child" I mean "liberal politician".
- Tookson, on 11/16/2007, -0/+6If kids nowadays are not looking up to their teachers as authority figures it is an institutional problem. The wimpy comment "But we are just teachers" was never spoken just a couple decades ago when they had spanking in schools. Children want authority figures in their lilves. If a child has none at home, it becomes EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE to be a loving authority figure at school. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A CHILD'S LIFE BY BEING AN ACTUAL ADULT AND NOT A MOUSE. The real problem is that institutionally the teachers hands are tied, so teachers need to instill DISCIPLINE in their classrooms with the RESISTANCE of not just bad kids but idiot governments as well.
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -0/+6And this is only one experience that has made it to our ears. How many more are buried in minds and barely kept bursting from lips, due to fear from the teachers' unions, the government, the neighbors, and the gangs? This is what happens when the population no longer has a critical mass of Christians. You will either see ruthless government or anarchy, but not freedom.
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -1/+7My kids will be homeschooled too!
- inactive, on 11/17/2007, -0/+6Ahhh! The warehousing of future democrat party registered voters, that are being produced by the gubberment indoctrination centers. When will the people learn that when you abdicate the responsibility of the people to the gubberment, in this case the teaching of our children to the gubberment, that the gubberment will only accomplish one thing. The gubberment will screw the pooch and botch the job?
What can we do to solve the problem of under-performing gubberment schools?
Here's a short list.
1) Abolish the NEA union. It is too powerful and serves only to soak up money to fatten up the school bureaucrats. The NEA also serves to dictate what kind of politically correct curricula will be taught, or shall I say forced into students minds, that serves only to perpetuate the politically correct agenda endorsed by the NEA.
2) Ban tenure. Tenure is bad. Like unions, the tenured are difficult to fire for a job badly done, and tenure enables those who have attained tenure to become complacent in their jobs. Only those who fear losing their jobs for under-performance stay sharp and motivated to perform well. Reward teachers for a job well done, not for how long they can hang around sponging a paycheck once they attain tenure. Compensate teachers as other occupations are compensated, on a rewards type basis. And give the teachers medical benefits too.
3) All students should be compelled to wear uniforms. Uniforms will place all students on the same level and playing field.
4) Remove federal control of schools and allow schools to be run at the county and community level. If parents display lack of interest in how or what a school teaches, then make it a community problem, not a gubberment problem. We all know how the gubberment fixes things. This is where the next suggestion comes in.
5) Vouchers, vouchers, VOUCHERS! Vouchers cause competition between schools. When schools compete for your voucher dollars, quality goes up and kids learn.
6) Stop with the lie that all kids have a right to attend college. That's bull. Just as there are brilliant students, some of the kids out there are at the lower end of the intelligence scale. Face it folks, little Johnny Pimple-puss and little Suzy Rotten-crotch are destined to do the lower end jobs in society, while the brighter students should be pushed to do the higher end jobs in society. A percentage of all public school campuses should be designated as trade schools to be set aside to be used for those kids who will be most likely to drop out or under-perform when compared to their higher-performing counterparts. If your kid originally is a high-performing kid, but becomes an underachiever though newly acquired behavioral problems, he gets removed from the 'good' school and placed in the -trade[ school, just as if a kid who was tagged as an under-performer can test up to elevate himself into a high-performing school. No more of the integrating of the dumber students in with the brighter students where the brighter students are forced to slow down their pace to allow the dummies to keep up. The object here is to educate these kids, to keep America competitive above all other nations. We certainly don't need a social experiment in this area. I can go on about this forever.
7) Corporal punishment. If a kid misbehaves, paddle his butt in front of the rest of the class and make an example of him. A good spanking never hurt anyone.
8) Segregate classes or even schools. Male students to be taught by background checked and periodically re-checked male teachers in male only classes. The same would go for the female students.
9) Teach math, science, AMERICAN history, civics, math, philosophy, a foreign language, not necessarily Spanish, economics and citizenship in school. No more of the multicultural crap that embraces leftist political correctness and mediocrity. It’s shown that the indoctrination of kids into multiculturism is not healthy and produces cry-baby leftists.
There are other ideas. But these are a start.
Let the liberals and the do-gooder, feel-good, whiny leftists reading this, start hitting their negative digg buttons. We all know their kind of thinking over the last 40 years is what has totally destroyed our schools and threatens our society. - inactive, on 11/16/2007, -2/+8I know from personal experience that a substitute teacher's life is not easy. Some school districts may want to consider hiring armed guards for classrooms.
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -3/+9California has what California is. This includes their school system. Just look what they voted in for a governater.
- inactive, on 11/16/2007, -0/+6Let's get rid of BOTH NEAs!
- PopcornDave, on 11/16/2007, -0/+5Don't blame all of California for Arnold. Some of us voted for the fiscally conservative republican.
- BadSpongeBob, on 11/16/2007, -0/+5I used to sub for LAUSD. I left for the same reasons. The district is inept and the children are worthless leeches on society.
- bigk9, on 11/16/2007, -0/+5It's time for school vouchers.
- CanChris, on 11/16/2007, -0/+5The first amendment actually states that my right to freely exercise my religion shall not be prohibited.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The founders didn't want an official religion, so Congress can pass no law favoring one over the other.
Allowing prayer in school is not passing a law. Teaching creationism as an alternative theory is not passing a law.
In fact, not allowing citizens to do these things violates the First Amendment. -
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