"Prag - when our youngest comes home and tells us she has SIX PLUS pages of study notes on izlam from World History class and less than one page in Christianity"
Depends on what the focus is. Western History tends to focus on Europe, hence Christianity. World History tends to focus on... the rest of the world.
" and the idiot teacher has the audacity to state that "ala" is the same god as the God of Christianity - we have a beef -"
It is. And it's spelled Allah. Your beliefs are different; both mean God. But you have a point--the teacher is politicizing. In high school, that might be okay.
" and when they tell me their science books state within the first two pages that "evolution" is the rule of the day - we take issue. "
It is. The teaching of science puts the theory of evolution forward as our best understanding of biological growth. Is intelligent design science?
But again, you are talking about _your_ experience of public schools. You didn't say "you should see what passed for qualified in the public schools in my area"; you said "Have you, th, seen what qualifies as "qualified" in many public schools?" And btw, it's hard to take seriously criticism from someone who write the way you do. I don't mean that as a bash; clear communication, as I say to my kids, should be the goal.
"When "grammar" is no longer as important as "content" - there is a problem."
Whose fault is that? If it's really what's happening?
"Do YOU check up on what your children are studying or do you take for granted they're learning "facts" or "feelings"?
Only one of my kids is in school, and he's in kindergarten. I went to a parent-teacher conference last week, got an update, got a copy of the curriculum, reviewed it, felt good about it, felt positive about the teacher. Life is good.
Again, check your rhetoric. You cannot logically extend your kids' experience (your interpretation of same) to "public schools" in general.
"We have five between us who're raised up and four are decent human beings - the fifth was diagnosed with adhd at a teacher's behest at four and on drugs his entire childhood and is now a pothead loser - tell me which the public school system failed."
WHAT? You're blaming the schools for your child being a pothead loser? YOU have the power to assert control over your kids' school. You can deny drugs; you can deny treatment and insist on what you want. Sounds like the case manager might have screwed up in telling you your rights.
I thought you homeschooled your kids?
" The other four are good, law abiding and sensible people due to parental intervention with public schools."
Why did you not intervene with the "pothead loser"? (Poor kid/adult--having parents who say shit like this about him/her.)
"Never take for granted the public school system is going to do right by your children - the children who should mean more to you than your own life."
Agreed on both points. I work in a public school; I know very well the pitfalls. And I know how to work the system. The biggest fear any bad teacher or bad administrator should have is a teacher who gives a shit about his own kids. That said, I know that most teachers (most teachers I know) want to do right by kids, want to hold them to high standards, want to communicate with parents.
Your sample is hardly representative, and your anger, while perhaps well founded, is extended way too far. And I hope you really don't feel about that child of yours the way you sound.
