What is with parents these days?

[tracilicious]

That's a good point about Harry Potter, scaeagles.

I reread the article and it seems it was mostly puppets, they weren't actually watching the Opera. How is that supposed to expose them to Opera? The whole situation seems dumb to me.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

That's a good point about Harry Potter, scaeagles.

I reread the article and it seems it was mostly puppets, they weren't actually watching the Opera. How is that supposed to expose them to Opera? The whole situation seems dumb to me.

I think-- I'm not sure, but I think-- that the puppets were performing the opera.

[wendybeth]

I was fortunate to have a few teachers like the one in the article, and I'm non the worse for it. (I think). Then again, I was a bit different even as a kid. I remember falling in love with Poe in second grade, and being a little confused by his "Silence- A Sonnet". I showed it to a penguin (I went to parochial school) and her reaction was a bit extreme. She scolded me for reading such dark material, and if memory serves she tried to interest me in one of those stupid Mittens books, or some such thing. It had the opposite effect, of course, and I think that may have been the beginning of my Gothyishness. When I did go to public school, it was during the Seventies, when there was a lot of educational freedom and experimentation going on, so I was really lucky to have some really great, innovative instructors. I pity kids nowadays.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

That's a good point about Harry Potter, scaeagles.

I reread the article and it seems it was mostly puppets, they weren't actually watching the Opera. How is that supposed to expose them to Opera? The whole situation seems dumb to me.

This was a series of videos which were produced to introduce children to opera and featured Dame Joan Sutherland (she of HUGE voice and huge stature physically). If I'm not mistaken, the series was called Who's Afraid of Opera? Puppets and Dame Joan singing an aria or two from one of the operas and Dame Joan in full operatic drag.
Donna

[Kevy Baby]

When do we get to ban stupidity?

[lindyhop]

I went to school in Downey. The Downey city library was famous back then because it had banned Tarzan books. It seems Tarzan and Jane weren't married...

In junior high my friends were reading James Bond books so I read some, too. My mom called the school to complain, apparently thinking I'd been encouraged to read them by teachers. As a result I had my book confiscated by a teacher in front of the rest of the class. Lesson learned: Never let my mother know what I was doing.

When my son was in middle school (I think) he told me he was supposed to watch "Schindler's List" for school. I hadn't seen it yet myself so I rented it and we watched it together over the weekend. Before he went back to school he remembered the note I had to sign to assure the school I was okay with him watching the movie. Was I suppose to keep him from watching it? That just didn't compute. Of course I was also the one who bought him Mortal Kombat and the NIN CD with the parental advisory sticker one Christmas.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Let me state right now (In my currently blissful ignorant childless state) that in the future, I will never, ever complain about what my child is exposed to by teachers - Except their genitals, of course

For me, it's not about exposure. Show them whatever you like. My only problem would be if the teacher were attempting to tell the child that thier opinions were correct. This includes "This is the true God", "This is the true political belief", etc. Oh, and of course - "Your parents are wrong."

Anything else, I can deal with just fine, because my child needs to learn how to seperate the wheat from the chaff. What a wonderful learning opportunity it is when a child comes home with something to talk about!

And that's my rant, thank you very much

[Alex]

What about a science teacher who teaches homeopathy? (I had one of those)

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

For me, it's not about exposure. Show them whatever you like. My only problem would be if the teacher were attempting to tell the child that thier opinions were correct. This includes "This is the true God", "This is the true political belief", etc. Oh, and of course - "Your parents are wrong."

Anything else, I can deal with just fine, because my child needs to learn how to seperate the wheat from the chaff. What a wonderful learning opportunity it is when a child comes home with something to talk about!

I completely agree, to a point. I think exposing kids to things is fantastic and something that should be expected, but it needs to be a least somewhat age appropriate. If a teacher showed my first grader Schindler's List, I'd be pissed. My sixth grader, great stuff to talk about.

More than anything this thread has reinforced my resolve that my kids will never go to public school. They just suck. Too many kids, not enough money, too much politics, underpaid and undermotivated teachers. Very large changes would need to happen for me to consider them adequate or a good use of my childs time. Thankfully I live in a state where Charter schools abound and I will have my pick of Montessori schools to choose from. Should that not work out I am educated enough to know that I can homeschool and still have a socially active, well rounded, educated child (I didn't used to think that was possible, but I now know better).

One positive thing from that article, at least the parents were complaining. So many parents aren't involved at all in their kids school. But it's a flawed system as a whole and no one component can be blamed for the whole's shortcomings.

Congratulations to all LoT posters because this thread has reached two pages without it turning political. Woohoo!

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

Congratulations to all LoT posters because this thread has reached two pages without it turning political. Woohoo!

Well, the dumbing down of education is because of all those damn liberals!