[summer]

Great article. I would like to post the entire article in bold, but it might be hard on the eyes.

And, BTW -- all these FL journalists who don't know jack about education and write negative articles about Gov. Bush's reforms, here a suggestion for you:

Do what this reporter did, and go teach for a year in a public school. Find out how totally OUT OF TOUCH you are in your columns.

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

here = here's a suggestion...

[McGavin999]

What a great idea summer. There used to be investigative reporters who would do all kinds of undercover work. This would be a great place for them to start actually being journalists again.

[cake_crumb]

Quality education - and eventually journalism, please - BUMP!

[cake_crumb]

PING ) ) )

Tell Florida "journalists" to take Summer's challenge:

"All these FL journalists who don't know jack about education and write negative articles about Gov. Bush's reforms, here a suggestion for you"

[WillaJohns]

Great post. Note, this reporter taught for only a year. Wonder if she would have made it her career if she had had some support.

[mountaineer]

Would these be the Philadelphia schools that Ed Rendell is claiming - in his gubernatorial primary campaign TV ads - to have rescued and made most excellent?

[Diddle E. Squat]

An excellent article, thanks for posting. Too bad the mainstream media will ignore it, this story is worthy of an hour-long TV prime-time news special. Wonder if at least Fox News Channel would be interested.

[mrfixit514]

Until we can discipline students and remove those that are disrupting, the schools will continue to be in chaos. I know this from 9 years of teaching high school social studies. There are no consequences for students and teachers are frustrated and tired. Many have simply resorted to baby sitting and drawing a check.

[Jonathon Spectre]

To the top with you!

[JoeSixPack1]

Nice Post Summer. Christina Asquith sounds like a caring person and a good educator. Her previous occupation as a reporter, in my eyes, is as underhanded an occupation as a carnival worker cheating kids at the ring toss booth.

The disservice done to this country by a complacent press corps has come full circle with Ms Asquith. But nowhere in her essay does she address the necessity of a reporter to tell a true and complete story. Her previous occupation gave her more power to address the real problems that she only discovered after she enrolled in her new occupation as a hands-on educator.

This is a bit harsh, but I feel she helped create her school environment. She stated in her essay that the teachers reacted differently to her once she was one of them. And it didn't ring any bells?

People fear the press not because of the exporsure they can give, but for the slant they give to a story.
This is my slant on this one.

[anniegetyourgun]

Sadly, it is the very system that the liberal organizations support that is destroying their kids. Here in Seattle nearly half of the public school teachers send their kids to private school. They know the truth and won't experiment with their own kids. However, they (and their union) are content to have other people's kids in a failed system.

As for the journalism angle - most of our journalists today are lazy and liberal. The journalism schools are a joke and everyone on campus knows it's the way to get an easy degree. (The only other equally laughable degree program is education.)

Thanks for posting this, summer. It's fascinating and explains so much.

[WriteOn]

Homeschooling works. Public schools are the devils playground.

[Libertina]

They called me "miss," and were shy, obedient, and eager to please. They wanted stickers for their notebooks and to read the Harry Potter books.
That does not sound correct, but if they were "eager to please" -good for the students. However, this liberal reporter, now just seeing the REALITY of our worst schools, probably voted in the very liberal extremists who created it in the first place. And, she is likely to CONTINUE. On the flip side, perhaps because she's a Reporter (Whoop-de-do) the other 95% liberal reporters might listen to her and start really investigating.

[A. Pole]

Do what this reporter did, and go teach for a year in a public school. Find out [...]

Bump

[Aquinasfan]

Most of my sources as a reporter had been administrators, union members, and school board members -- instead of students, parents, and teachers. And yet, much of what the school board dealt with was unrelated to what really happened on the ground.

DUUUUUUUUUUUH!!!

Oh well, better late than never.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Stunning!

Thank you clasquith for your report.
Thank you summer for finding and posing this eye-opening report.

[TADSLOS]

First, welcome to the fray clasquith. I printed your article and had my wife read it. She's a 5th and 6th grade math teacher, working with kids whose skills are weak and/or have emotional problems in the classroom. She has her hands full. Although her teaching environment is not nearly as severe as depicted in your article, there are some parts that are strikingly similar, especially the lack of support piece. I think she could probably write her own article, but it may not be quite as dramatic as yours.

My wife is retired military and used to the organized, mission oriented ways focusing on positive outcomes that military assignments bring. She has her masters degree in special education and loves to teach. Personally, I don't see how she puts up dealing with the public school system's inane and downright quirky ways. It really must be her labor of love to give those kids something to strive for.

Anyway, thanks for your courage in writing the article and keep up the good fight. Summer, thanks for posting this ;~)

Sua Sponte

TADSLOS

[dixie sass]

Summer, this is a great article. It's time for the public to open their eyes and see what teachers have to put up. It's time for PARENTS to get involved, actually past time, they should have been involved from the first day the child came home from the hospital and instilled discipline and respect in the children. I am a staunch defender of teachers. There are bad ones, absolutely, and they are the ones that you hear about. We forget that there are good teachers out there who do care, but can't accomplish anything because of the system and lack of interest by parents.

I had a roommate in Savannah whose life was threatened. We called the police and reported it. The police and phone company were somehow able to trace the call and the teen was SLIGHTLY censured - Beth was fired because she dared to stand up for herself and her life.

Another friend in Savannah, left out of disgust with the feds, state and local requirements that left her no time to spend with students and help those who needed it.

She was a big influence after she left on our children. She worked with us and the children to better educate and help them with problems in the system.

Again thanks for the article