[thechat] Jan 18 peace march

[Erika Meyer]

from Adrian:
>>  <sarcasm>yes!!! Everyone loves free parenting advice!M</sarcasm>
>
>you can dismiss the comment with that statement, but do you agree
>that as a parent it's your responsibility to help educate your child?

of course.  Somehow it seems like a non sequitur though.  I have a
responsibility to educate my child, yes.  As does a school (aka
educational institution).  And it's not like we're talking about a
scientifically controversial issue.  I've never heard of a doctor or
dentist saying: 'this child needs to eat more refined sugars.'
Childhood obesity and related diseases are growing, according to news
reports... so it would seem to follow that responsible schools (which
are in-theory institutions interested in the well-being of children)
would lean toward discouraging the trend toward consumption of low
value foods.  Or at least would avoid encouraging the trend.

I don't think the schools should hire child molesters, either (to get
a bit extreme...) -- with the idea that I should be teaching my child
to avoid being molested.  I'll teach her that, yes.  But I still
expect the school to take measures to keep her environment as safe as
possible.

>i would agree, *if* i thought it was possible... sadly, there's no
>way to eliminate teacher bias on subjects like politics, morality,
>and many other facets of life...

this is true.  That's also a reason why political actions can be
instructive for children.  She's asking me, "why are they saying hey
hey ho ho George Bush has got to go..." and I can at least give her
the perspective of the chanters, why they are saying these things.
With the underlying idea that there are many different opinions out
there, that we don't have to buy everything that's being sold, either
from the marchers or the teachers or the TV...

>about brands of clothes -- those are marketed by the kids themselves,
>and their parents buy into it (literally)... there is no protection
>from branding, and hiding is futile...education is better...

In general, I agree with you.

>since when do kids worship teachers? most kids i knew, including me,
>didn't even get along with their teachers...

a lot of this has to do with a child's age and his/her teacher's abilities.

  A lot of my individual issues and disagreements with other parents
have to do with the fact that her school is an elementary mixed with
a middle school.  It seems to me in this case that they cater too
much to the older children at the expense of the younger.

>again, schools have already faltered on that path... my entire
>education can be characterized by under-educated left-wing teachers
>with little grasp of reality outside the classroom...

while I had right-wing whacko teachers... hmm...  I remember my 6th
grade teacher railing against snail darters and the metrics system
(1979-80).  And my 7th grade math teacher (80-81) going on about the
greatness of his highness Ronald Reagan...

>listen to my teacher talk about conservation when she drives a 76
>buick electra to work?

hehe.  I know a few like that.

>  school is *not* a safe and healthy place, it's simply the
>first exposure children have to long-term challenge of life...

hmm.... okay there's something to that POV...

>group who wants to remove things like dodgeball because throwing a
>foam ball at another child is too traumatic... regardless of what
>happens every morning in the school hallways...

um... we used leather balls for dodgeball.

Remember "smear the queer"?  It was the most popular recess game in
my elementary school.  My bro loved it.  My mom sure freaked out over
that one.

>so, who's porn are we talking about? what you perceive as porn, or
>what others perceive as porn? because you might be unwittingly
>blocking out safe sex education with such a blanket statement...

Unlike junk food sales, sex education usually involves parental
permission slips.   And offers medically sound information.

I wish you were in the PTA.  You're more fun than the minivan moms.

Erika
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