I want to tell you a (not so ) little story: My Son Donald, is 12 years old. He started his school career in the State of New York ( pre-school actually). Then when our family moved to Florida, he attended kindergarten. A family emergency caused a relocation to the State of Georgia where we have stayed since. Donald is now in the 6th grade.
Donald's schooling prior to our move to the state of Ga. ( Georgia ) was excellent. He was learning Spanish as a second language even in pre-school. He could count to 10 ( ten ) in three different languages. German, Spanish, and Japanese. He even thought that he liked Mathematics!!! Imagine that!!
As Donald's "Primary" (Government) school education progressed within the State of Georgia, he became less and less interested, and more and more frustrated. His grades began to tumble. Getting him out of the bed in the morning was an increasingly difficult task, and often broke out into a heated fiasco. As his light dimmed, and his enthusiasm dwindled.....my heart sank. He became anxious, and combative over the thought of having to go back to school after the weekend. Often he was in to tears, as e put him on the bus anyway. Then, we often cried ourselves after he was gone. He was constantly being picked on, and bullied. He was called words he had never even heard before like, "Yankee", and "Cracker." The abuse lasted from the time he got on the school bus till the time the school bus dropped him back off at the house.
I always told Donald to defend himself. "Never allow yourself to be pushed around or it will only get worse." I told him. He didn't.......and it did. When I asked him why he allowed it to progress to this point, I was told that he had complained to he teachers. That he had tried to talk to the kids who were "being mean to him", and that both actions had made things worse not better. My son was then labeled a "racist" by the school and it's principal. Meeting after meeting with teachers yielded no result. After speaking with the Principal ( I just call him JJ ), to no avail, I was left with no other alternative than the Superintendent of schools. While her intentions were well meaning.......there were still no results. Donald remained miserable, and at times even so disconcerted that he flat out refused to go to school.
Donald began to fight back.......Physically. The school was mad they suspended him, detained him, still he fought. Donald would come home with scratches, a black eye and a fat lip. JJ didn't care. Donald and I were told, "Black people, just by the nature of their skin color, "cannot be racist", and therefore it was all his fault. That's when Mom and I pulled him out of the Jenkins County (Government) school system.
Donald has since attended the "Charter School of Liberal Arts and Technology". It took him some time to catch up to their standards, but once he did, he has excelled dramatically. His grades have gotten ten times better. He actually gets up in the morning without giving us any grief, and he has actually said that he likes school. WOW!!!!! what a difference. From Origami, to math and social studies. They are even teaching the Constitution!!!! Imagine that!!!! I was so happy for him I couldn't stand it.
That's when we find out that the Charter Schools throughout the State of Georgia, are being systematically closed down because they are taking tax funds from the ( failing ) Government school system. whether the children are doing well is irrelevant. What it boils down to is MONEY, and the Government schools want it. And they want it all to themselves. Incompetence and all, the Federal BOE says they get it. So, Donald ( my son and maybe your daughter) has to suffer. To this I say BULL SH**!!! I will not take this laying down. If it doesn't work......I will not pay my school tax, and I will home school. But the Fed BOE needs to be de funded, and our children's education needs to be fixed. As for the rest of us parents........we need to get our children the best education as possible. As far as I am concerned.......Home schooling is probably best. But the charter school system is better. Because the people involved really care, and, they are professional educators. Not Government ones.
Donald's schooling prior to our move to the state of Ga. ( Georgia ) was excellent. He was learning Spanish as a second language even in pre-school. He could count to 10 ( ten ) in three different languages. German, Spanish, and Japanese. He even thought that he liked Mathematics!!! Imagine that!!
As Donald's "Primary" (Government) school education progressed within the State of Georgia, he became less and less interested, and more and more frustrated. His grades began to tumble. Getting him out of the bed in the morning was an increasingly difficult task, and often broke out into a heated fiasco. As his light dimmed, and his enthusiasm dwindled.....my heart sank. He became anxious, and combative over the thought of having to go back to school after the weekend. Often he was in to tears, as e put him on the bus anyway. Then, we often cried ourselves after he was gone. He was constantly being picked on, and bullied. He was called words he had never even heard before like, "Yankee", and "Cracker." The abuse lasted from the time he got on the school bus till the time the school bus dropped him back off at the house.
I always told Donald to defend himself. "Never allow yourself to be pushed around or it will only get worse." I told him. He didn't.......and it did. When I asked him why he allowed it to progress to this point, I was told that he had complained to he teachers. That he had tried to talk to the kids who were "being mean to him", and that both actions had made things worse not better. My son was then labeled a "racist" by the school and it's principal. Meeting after meeting with teachers yielded no result. After speaking with the Principal ( I just call him JJ ), to no avail, I was left with no other alternative than the Superintendent of schools. While her intentions were well meaning.......there were still no results. Donald remained miserable, and at times even so disconcerted that he flat out refused to go to school.
Donald began to fight back.......Physically. The school was mad they suspended him, detained him, still he fought. Donald would come home with scratches, a black eye and a fat lip. JJ didn't care. Donald and I were told, "Black people, just by the nature of their skin color, "cannot be racist", and therefore it was all his fault. That's when Mom and I pulled him out of the Jenkins County (Government) school system.
Donald has since attended the "Charter School of Liberal Arts and Technology". It took him some time to catch up to their standards, but once he did, he has excelled dramatically. His grades have gotten ten times better. He actually gets up in the morning without giving us any grief, and he has actually said that he likes school. WOW!!!!! what a difference. From Origami, to math and social studies. They are even teaching the Constitution!!!! Imagine that!!!! I was so happy for him I couldn't stand it.
That's when we find out that the Charter Schools throughout the State of Georgia, are being systematically closed down because they are taking tax funds from the ( failing ) Government school system. whether the children are doing well is irrelevant. What it boils down to is MONEY, and the Government schools want it. And they want it all to themselves. Incompetence and all, the Federal BOE says they get it. So, Donald ( my son and maybe your daughter) has to suffer. To this I say BULL SH**!!! I will not take this laying down. If it doesn't work......I will not pay my school tax, and I will home school. But the Fed BOE needs to be de funded, and our children's education needs to be fixed. As for the rest of us parents........we need to get our children the best education as possible. As far as I am concerned.......Home schooling is probably best. But the charter school system is better. Because the people involved really care, and, they are professional educators. Not Government ones.
