I hate our education system.

[libdem4life]

43. This is a non-progressive post. You do what you do with your situation. My son was mildly learning

disabled and Gifted and Talented. There was No Program for him...none...zero...zilch. As a professional elementary teacher, I home schooled him for Kindergarten and we both had a ball. Since he was an "only", I bucked up and put him in 1st grade...and volunteered. He already knew how to read and to do math, and the classroom was boring and he had problems...even when I was there. Just restless, talking, goofing off, driving the teacher nuts...et al. 'She and I talked...as they were not teaching phonics at the time...and he knew phonics, and she suggested that he would not do well, as we both knew.

There was one other choice...start a Charter School for him and some of our friends were interested, for similar reasons. It was a daunting process, as there were none in California. The Director of the Preschool Coop...both Left Democrat...and I had to work within the community groups, the school district, and were required to get 100% of the teachers at one school before we could apply. We went to Sacramento and had to deal with an upstart Republican legislator who was the lead. We gagged, and went because if was necessary. It took us months, but finally public interest and one school gave us what we needed, and went with us 100%. The Charter was the first parent-initiated charter in the state.

Do I feel guilty as I see how the Republicans are now using it? Yes and no. I only had one child, brilliant and challenged, and he was failing and I and other parents tried hard to get the Gifted and Talented Program reinstated...no funds or teacher. It's easy if it's not your child.

It's still going strong...that was 20 years ago...and in our area, it's not what apparently seems the national conspiracy to gut public education, but can see the problem from a political standpoint.

When I taught in the 70s, it was different. The 90s were abysmal, at least in California. No phonics, calculators in 1st grade, no book reports (or reading requirements) as they didn't have the time to read them, no spelling lists, computer/spell check in 2nd grade on up. Enough to send any old time teacher into depression. He did poorly in Middle School and High School public schools for the same, basic reasons.

So, there are many stories...not all of them PC.