Just Words Wednesday

There were actually so many topics I wanted to cover today. I could not pick one. I decided not to get on my most controversial soapbox - sex education and I decided not to go with the least controversial subject but probably most self-indulgent -- a diatribe against people who spend time taking the wind out of other people's sails. Nicole, you know what I mean. Instead I read this interesting http://www.newsweek.com/id/157898/page1 article today about why so many parents are concerned about the educational and behavioral patterns of their sons.

I chose a charter school for my son this year because I was concerned about his lack of desire to learn. Isaac is an inquisitive child. The last two years his interest in school has fallen to almost nonexistant. I watched as Isaac's teachers taught to to the test, tried to keep kids in a box and focus on nonessential things. Isaac missed more than 15 days of school last year due to mysterious stomach aches. He has plenty of friends and so I knew friends were not the cause of what was apparently some stress induced illnesses. I watched and seethed as Isaac was told he could not read a certain book in school because it was above his "tested" reading level. Isaac was the third highest level reader in his class. I was stupefied by the day Isaac was sent to the principal two times simply because he put his hands under desk. One time he forgot to keep them on top. Seriously, who expects boys to sit that still. Luckily kids were sent 24 times that same day due to similar terrible offenses. I practically joined him in tears as we stayed up till midnight correcting math homework that had him bored to tears. If he didn't have every question right he would miss recess and PE. He often missed PE. They told me he kept getting distracted. Yes Isaac gets distracted easily, especially if he is bored. I believe lots of boys get distracted because they are bored. They are expected to sit still and fill out worksheets all day so that they can pass tests that ensure their teachers keep their good standing.
Now don't get me wrong Isaac had some wonderful teachers his first few years of school. He had one teacher I would have given my left arm to have over and over again. But by the end of last year I was so frustrated. The charter school sounded like an amazing option for Isaac.

Isaac is absolutely thriving. He comes home excited about what he is learning. He is given the opportunity to set goals and work on them at his own pace. This week he came home and told me he played a fun division game. Fun at math for Isaac. I was in shock. He wrote a petition to get an extra PE class every week. Over 95 kids signed it. I was proud of his initiative. Tomorrow he will ask if he can go dissect a frog in the science lab and they will probably let him. They have already granted similar requests (under supervision of course) Everyday he has something positive to say. Why? because finally, Isaac is not expected to sit still with his hands on his desk, filling out a worksheet answer by answer at the same pace as the rest of his class. Nobody tells him he can't sharpen his pencil or which books he can or cannot read. He gets to move and learn and explore his world like any boy should.

Rebecca is also attending the school. She is so different than Isaac. She hates change, adores a very structured atmosphere and so the jury is still out on her experience. She does love her Spanish class.

Now this is not supposed to be an advertisement for a charter school, but I do believe as the above article points out that as a nation, as parents, as educators we must reevaluate the learning norm we have set up for our growing boys.

Just Words Wednesday or Just Numbers

I have a crashing headache yet again, so I am going to make this short, kind of.

My six-year-old Becca recently let me in on a little secret. She ranks her friends. I am more than a little disturbed by this. The only friend that doesn't move around in the ranks is her best friend since she was three. This friend gets to be number one. I don't think she tells her friends their rankings it's just her own little friend filing system that she keeps to her self.
Last week one of her friends slipped to number 7 because she told Becca she was not funny at all. Apparently this is an insult to Becca. If you insult her you get rearranged. If you are nice or she just happens to see you more often that week you get booted up the list. It's a constant fluctuating phenomenan.

I know this is a horrible thing to confess about your daughter. It almost sounds like something off the "Mean Girls" movie. I just can't fathom where this friend ranking thing came from. Is this normal for six-year-old girls? What should I do? Should I have a friendly talk with her or just let her outgrow it? Of course it may just be that she is a number oriented girl. She could add before she could read. I am completely confused about what to do here. At least there is only one of me so I get to be her number 1 Mom.

Just Words Wednesday - Choice

I'm sorry but I am going to rant a little bit (maybe a lot). I try to steer away from complaining on my blog. But I am going to indulge myself and vent for a moment. You have all been warned.

Disclaimer:
I love Cedar. I would not want to live anywhere else.
That said, there is always room for improvement.
First, I am truly dissapointed in the actions of some middle school teachers and one principal in the Iron County school district. Cedar will start a charter school in a few days. In Utah, charter schools are public schools and they are free. Apparently some teachers are so threatened by this new charter school that they decided to visit middle school students enrolled at the charter school at their homes. Some of these teachers arrived on the doorsteps of said students, asked to speak with the students. Not the parents, of course. As a stranger they asked to speak to a minor and then proceeded to launch into a persuasive speech on how they should reconsider attending the charter school. How do I know this isn't a rumor? One of the charter school's board members had this happen to their own child. I'm sorry but it is just inappropriate to confront a minor as a stranger without the parent present.

To compound matters one of the elementary principals refuses to release parent signed school records release forms to the charter shool. That is more than inappropriate it is illegal.

And seriously, this is not a war. There are charter schools all over this state and country. They offer educational choices. Last time I checked our country is all about giving us a choice. I believe and know that we have fantastic teachers in all our elementary schools. I also believe that allowing parents and children a choice in their education should be and is a fundamental right. I am embarrassed for these self-appointed education vigil antes. They give their peers a bad name.

Secondly on a much more shallow level. I really wish Cedar had more shopping choices. I hate that I have two - maybe three choices of places to buy my son school shoes (he's very picky about his shoes and he already wears a hard to find size 7).
One of those choices has only one table full of shoes. The other choice has a wall full of $70 shoes. EEEK! The truth is I used to opt for the cheap Wal-Mart and Payless Shoes but they wore out before he grew out of them, and my son grows fast! So, every time I shoe shop for him or myself I whine and complain and wish that for just a moment Cedar was a little less small town.
So, tomorrow I am off to St. George, in search of shoes.

Just Words Wednesday

On Wednesdays I want to open up a discussion. Basically, I want to rant and rave a little on some of our current events or other items where we all have opinions. I want to hear your opinions, open up the floodgates a little and start a converstion.
This week I am caught up in thoughts on free speech. Yesterday, radio personality Mike Savage made some seriously hateful comments about autistic children. Basically he said autism was a racket and autistic children are all fakers and spoiled brats. I'm not sure what he thought he was going to accomplish with such ridiculous comments. Many people think he should have the microphone pulled out from in front of his big mouth. So here is where I think things can get politically dicey.

I totally support free speech. I think the guy is an arrogant moron, but I also believe he has the right to voice his opinion in his personal venue. If his boss wants to take away his job because he doesn't appreciate the backlash of anti-Savage pressure he is receiving, that is his bosses right. I don't think that is going to happen this little incident has generated way too much attention, albeit negative. So should the guy be censured by the world, absolutely. But I still believe he gets his freedom of speech.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have been researching the Utah kids registry, a program that allows parents, teachers, caregivers to block adult-oriented advertising that is sent to their e-mail or cell phones. Utah law (one of only two states to have this statute) requires all businesses that send advertisements on alcohol, tobacco, gambling, drugs or pornography to scrub their lists of email or cell phones contacts that have registered for the kids registry. It's a pretty great tool that gives families a choice about what kind of messages are allowed to enter their homes and lives. Of course so called free-speech orginizations are fighting the law. They believe it is their fifth ammendment right to send advertisements to whomever they wish or phish for.

I could not disagree more. They can write their advertisements but I should be able to choose what types of advertisements come into my home. I should have the right to protect the minors in my sphere of influence. I believe an e-mail address and a cell phone is a private place, not a venue for someone's self-serving free speech.

Well I have said my peace. Where do you stand on free speech? I will post a link and more information on the registry on my Friday Finds post.