Why schools may be getting bad rap (Nov. 3)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
Schools are getting a lot of criticism lately, and some of it might be deserved, but public schools also deserve a lot of praise.
Public schools continue to educate children despite being burdened with onerous babysitting duties by thoughtless parents and goofy politicians.
These babysitting duties are insisted upon by parents who are unable or unwilling to love, socialize and care for their own children.
Teachers have to patrol restrooms, cafeterias and playgrounds like prison guards because many parents don’t teach their children to behave like civilized people.
with gross misbehavior in their classrooms because the parents of some students model misbehavior in their own lives. They get drunk, they take drugs, they lace their fanity. They lie, cheat and steal. Guess what that teaches their kids. And guess who has to deal with it when the kids drag themselves reluctantly to school on threat of being hauled there by a truant officer.
these children and provide them with basic medical care if they show up sick. The schools have to keep them out of trouble if they start hanging around with gangs, getting into fights or committing crimes.
And still, the schools manage to educate the kids who many cases, they do a great job.
The kids who do well are those who want to, who have support at home as well as support at school. That’s the one constant. I’ve seen many Madera students excel. Some are children of the upper middle class; some are the children of people who came here to pick crops and can barely speak English; some have but one parent. But the one constant is that these parents love and support their children, and teach them character.
The schools can only do so much of that.
