First and foremost, I will agree with you that parents need to bear most of the responsibility for their children's education and what they do with the tools they are given.
But - they must be given those tools FIRST.
There was a line in Obama's speech last night that addressed parents and their roles.
It is not the government's job to turn off the tv in the home so a child completes their homework - it is a parent's...
Same reasoning applied here.
BUT, we need better teachers!!!
We should not have to settle for something as important as a teacher who cares enough to go the extra mile.
The other poster was spot on - there are too many teachers already in their cars blazing out of Harrison.
Why? Are they blind to the kid in last period who is struggling?
Oh, that's right they don't get paid - why should they care?
Many relatives went to HHS and have nothing to show for it.
It is a lax environment that appears to be more preoccupied with the after school activities you listed - sports and cheerleading.
Oh wait, let's not forget band.
And if a child doesn't fall into one of these groups??
What then?
What if your child has a thirst for political life and leadership?
Are there after school clubs centered on issues like Darfur and World Amnesty?
Does HHS implement a peer to peer sponsorship for incoming freshman?
Is there an after school club for every language taught?
Math clubs, science clubs, writing clubs...
things to peak their interests besides kicking a ball or making a human pyramid?
My guess is no.
I did not say that sending your child to a private school is the BEST or ONLY solution to the problem.
The Harrison public school system needs BETTER teachers.
Private schools are also full of kids who don't care.
But the majority of teachers operate on a higher level and give the children the essential tools to compete in the real world.
But if your idea of the real world, is Harrison - I feel sorry for you.
I feel sorry for any child who will encounter reality in their adult life.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SETTLE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS!
I wanted a school supply list for starters.
No one in the school system thought much of it to provide something so small...
What will they offer my child for the rest of their public school education?
Not much.
Before you attempt to judge my parenting...
I am very aware of what my child learns in school.
I was FLOORED that they did not cover multiplying double digits until 5th grade!
Absolutely ridiculous.
I am the typical class parent who does everything short of holding the 'title' because of working full time.
I review the homework. It's rewritten if necessary.
I hold my child to a higher standard because I know they are better than what the teacher gives them.
My child is on honor roll ALL the time.
What good is it to be on honor roll all the time, when I know our kids are not being pushed to their full potential????
My child is smart and funny and liked by all teachers.
I've done pretty well up to this point and will keep going.
No one will care more for my child's future than myself.
It is very sad that the administration cannot get it's head out it's a@@ and do something constructive with it's 'teachers'.
We get the Kearny Journal every week.
And every week it is filled with articles highlighting Kearny children and town events.
Where is Harrison? Where are our town activities? Our accomplishments?
Wait, I forgot.
Every once in a while we ARE mentioned.
Harrison is memorialized into black and white when our fair mayor stomps out of a town council meeting...
Let's not forget when the boys are going for the soccer playoffs...
When the town is trying to seize property from working people...
oh yeah... when the elks or moose or donkey clubs give out another well deserved plaque to the good ole mayor with yet another fake rehearsed hand shake...
Are these our priorities?
Where are the educational accomplishments?
What else does our town stand for?
Kearny has a page dedicated to town events...
We have 3 blurbs - one being that the library is open to the public
Our town is a joke because of the people appointed to all facets of administration.
I will go one further and compare Harrison mentality to living in the Gardens.
There are two types of parents... administration... officials... etc...
Remember apply this to our officials, our teachers, even our kids.
The first type:
The ones who can't wait to get in because they want to take it easy and have no intention of getting out.
Why ruin the 'free' ride.
They know they can now limit themselves and they will get by on minimal work.
If I make less, I pay less.
If I do less they won't expect much from me later.
They carry that chip on their shoulders that the world owes them.
They are the ignorant ones who want respect but don't realize they portray themselves as trailer trash.
Yes, I said it. And you know who they are when you see them on the street.
Why work when it is handed to them?
They will never be anything more than their surroundings.
THEN, there is the type.
The ones that go there day after day knowing they will have a better tomorrow.
They are proud people who will make their mark in life.
They work hard for everything they have.
They can hold their heads up high because they have earned it.
They expect more from life and are not afraid to reach for it.
Knowing that they will pull themselves up and make something better of their lives for their families.
Knowing that while they live in special housing - it does not define who they are and where they are going in life.
These are the people I want teaching my children, running my town and guiding the future of this town.
If you read all of this - I hope I didn't bore you.
Nor did I intend to lecture anyone - they are my opinions and nothing more.
But from the majority of the posts in the Harrison section - I am not the only one dissatisfied with our town.