ADVERTISEMENT

Question for the teachers of Hort.

Mar 11, 2020
28,178
25,337
113
I just spoke with someone I work with and they shared with me that very few of the grades for the AP classes at Ankeny high school had been input prior to today so many "ap" level kids were showing failing grades. This topic lead to a conversation about this person's brother who teaches in the Omaha public schools. Me being me, I took the time to ask why this person felt Omaha, and likely Des Moines, were going to see a major exodus in teachers. The lady I was speaking to said there are many factors that she is aware of, for many its an aging population issue, foe many they are being asked to provide services far outside of teaching (planning, counseling ect) but then she said something that floored me. She said "some are leaving due to parental involvement". I asked her to.clarify and she stated that with covid parents have actually become MORE aware of what children are being taught and become.more and more vocal. This person is part of thr Maga crazy Ankeny school district, yes I know, but she was speaking on behalf of her brother also who is part of OPS. So I ask you teachers of HORT, are parents today MORE active in the learnings of their children than they were 3-4 years ago?
 
Last edited:
I don't understand the issue with "hadn't been input yet", or is there not a "yet" and they're not getting grades?
What she expressed to me was that everyone was showing an F because they were not getting any credit for the numerator but the denominator was still 100%. (Sounds like it.would have been fairly easily resolved with "incomplete")
 
I haven't found more parental involvement at all. Most parents that I email don't even respond. When I call home, they see it is a school number and send it right to voicemail. Most of the communication I get comes from parents who want to know why their child has to make up assignments from when they were sick or on family vacation. I guess you could call that involvement.
As far as teachers leaving the profession, most I have talked to chalk it up to not being backed up with discipline/behavior issues. We have kids vaping at school and the only consequence is losing the vape. If a kid cusses me out, all I can do is write a referral. They don't leave the classroom unless they become aggressive or violent.
 
Parental involvement is an issue, but it's been a problem far longer than COVID. Just add "I don't want my child taught that minorities are human beings too" to the list.
 
I just spoke with someone I work with and they shared with me that very few of the grades for the AP classes at Ankeny high school had been input prior to today so many "ap" level kids were showing failing grades. This topic lead to a conversation about this person's brother who teaches in the Omaha public schools. Me being me, I took the time to ask why this person felt Omaha, and likely Des Moines, were going to see a major exodus in teachers. The lady I was speaking to said there are many factors that she is aware of, for many its an aging population issue, foe many they are being asked to provide services far outside of teaching (planning, counseling ect) but then she said something that floored me. She said "some are leaving due to parental involvement". I asked her to.clarify and she stated that with covid parents have actually become MORE aware of what children are being taught and become.more and more vocal. This person is part of thr Maga crazy Ankeny school district, yes I know, but she was speaking on behalf of her brother also who is part of OPS. So I ask you teachers of HORT, are parents today MORE active in the learnings of their children than they were 3-4 years ago?
What does "AP" remotely have to to with anything Nebraska??
 
I've not seen an increase/decrease of parental involvement, but I work at a good district where parents care and most support the school. Crazy psycho parents have been around for a long time. I remember the year my son was born (2005) I was home on paternity leave. When I returned I had emails from this psycho mom threatening to fire me for not responding to her emails. But, I have noticed as I have gotten older, the less parents have challenged me.
 
I haven't found more parental involvement at all. Most parents that I email don't even respond. When I call home, they see it is a school number and send it right to voicemail. Most of the communication I get comes from parents who want to know why their child has to make up assignments from when they were sick or on family vacation. I guess you could call that involvement.
As far as teachers leaving the profession, most I have talked to chalk it up to not being backed up with discipline/behavior issues. We have kids vaping at school and the only consequence is losing the vape. If a kid cusses me out, all I can do is write a referral. They don't leave the classroom unless they become aggressive or violent.
Sounds like you really focus on the positives and aren't biased at all.
 
Teaching 30 years. My parents are no more or less involved than they ever were. They do have access now to all their child's grades all the time but our directive is to have a grade in within 5 days of the due date so if I do that, I'm good.

I walk my kids through my platform every class and then dare them to have a parent call me about a grade 'cause...I have the receipts. I show them how I can track everything they do on that platform 24/7 - even if they work from home - and if a parent has a problem with a grade the kid better own up. If their "controlling authority" contacts me about a grade I'll just show them my records and then I'm out of the conversation.

Parents don't contact me about grades. :)
 
Teaching 30 years. My parents are no more or less involved than they ever were. They do have access now to all their child's grades all the time but our directive is to have a grade in within 5 days of the due date so if I do that, I'm good.

I walk my kids through my platform every class and then dare them to have a parent call me about a grade 'cause...I have the receipts. I show them how I can track everything they do on that platform 24/7 - even if they work from home - and if a parent has a problem with a grade the kid better own up. If their "controlling authority" contacts me about a grade I'll just show them my records and then I'm out of the conversation.

Parents don't contact me about grades. :)
Any concerns about the cheating going on?
I was at a hotel in palm desert in april. Girl taking her online final at the starbucks. Three girlfriends with her reading the questions and researching the questions.
Last week coming home from dc. Girl taking online test i think about pediatric dentistry.. Any tough question shes asking her dad who i think was a pediatric dr.
Hearing it’s worse in public high schools.
 
Any concerns about the cheating going on?
I was at a hotel in palm desert in april. Girl taking her online final at the starbucks. Three girlfriends with her reading the questions and researching the questions.
Last week coming home from dc. Girl taking online test i think about pediatric dentistry.. Any tough question shes asking her dad who i think was a pediatric dr.
Hearing it’s worse in public high schools.
They can't really cheat in my class. They're using a CAD system to design CO2 dragsters or balsa gliders or wind turbine blades among other things. They're "competing" for the best results but that doesn't stop them from collaborating even if it means the person they help gets better results. They would rather share what they figured out and I encourage it...it's how science works. I get them started, show them how the programs work, give little nudges, then facilitate while they teach themselves and each other. It's really more fun than humans should be allowed to have.

When I tell them I can see everything they're doing all the time...that's the truth. :)
 
Last edited:
So parental involvement has actually been a negative?
Depends on the type of parental involvement. Parents that help (but don't do) their kids with their homework, parents that make sure their child is getting their work done, a good nights rest, is well fed and well prepared to be at school, that's the kind of parental involvement we need.

Parents who bulldoze teachers, administrators, and school boards to get what they want, particularly if it is out of a political agenda and not even related to something with their kids are destructive to the educational process.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hwkfn1
Any concerns about the cheating going on?
I was at a hotel in palm desert in april. Girl taking her online final at the starbucks. Three girlfriends with her reading the questions and researching the questions.
Last week coming home from dc. Girl taking online test i think about pediatric dentistry.. Any tough question shes asking her dad who i think was a pediatric dr.
Hearing it’s worse in public high schools.
I'm sure I have students cheat on homework assignments and classroom work, although most assignments aren't really things they can cheat on. Anyway, the ones that cheat and don't do any preparation end up getting completely destroyed on my tests. If they are cheating on tests, they suck at it.
 
Depends on the type of parental involvement. Parents that help (but don't do) their kids with their homework, parents that make sure their child is getting their work done, a good nights rest, is well fed and well prepared to be at school, that's the kind of parental involvement we need.

Parents who bulldoze teachers, administrators, and school boards to get what they want, particularly if it is out of a political agenda and not even related to something with their kids are destructive to the indoctrination process.



I changed one word, Now read it.

You know better than I do but you gotta admit that's pretty eerie.


This seems like a crazy concept to me.
 
ADVERTISEMENT