When the initial shock and terror begin to fade and an incredibly busy schedule takes command of life–what am I going to do to make a difference? What will any of us do to make a difference? Will we try to eek out the time to become more active in our schools or will we all sit in stunned silence the next time something liket his happens?

1. “I WISH I had 32 sets of eyes or a camera on every desk to determine what children say to one another.”—Marsquat

Here’s a thought: How about 15 kids in the classroom instead of 32?

2. “In terms of relevant training (discipline, best practices, special needs, counseling) public school teachers and administrators are BY FAR more highly trained than private school staff.”—Marsquat

I agree, but not every public school teacher in our system gets the training; enrichment teachers (at least at the middle school our child attended) do not. What good is the training if only some teachers are getting it, when needy children receive instruction from all of them over the course of the school day?

3. “Do public schools have more “problem students” to handle- possibly, but not necessarily.”—Marsquat

Yes, public schools do have more “problem students” to handle, because the private school solution to the so-called “problem student” is expulsion. That way the child can be someone else’s problem.

4. “After a year of our very bright and obedient daughter coming home in tears of frustration from the other children’s frequent outbursts….” and “I really don’t know what to do to help fix it except for raise children who are GOOD.”—Alice Gold

A fix for the problems raised in Almostgotit’s post, and the brilliant article she referenced, and in these comments, must include the not-so-bright, disobedient, and “bad” among us. Rounding them all up and sending them somewhere is no kind of solution. And by the way: sometimes, in spite of our best efforts as parents, we do not end up with the “bright and obedient” child we had hoped for. Count your blessings.

I wonder what we shall do with all the bad children?

I don’t have all the answers, but I will tell you that the schools need a way to send troubled kids where they will get help, and away from distracting learning and teaching. This is going on CONSTANTLY at many schools in our County.

It was a HUGE joke to me at our old school. The number one point of the school’s mission statement was to provide a SAFE place where learning can take place.

Yet, as far as I am concerned, EVERY student at that school was being bullied by the other troubled kids. There was at LEAST one in every classroom. They had such severe behavior problems and there was no way for the teachers to properly address them.

These kids are robbing their peers of their education every day. All that our children are being taught in inner city schools is A Lord of The Flies philosophy. The person with the worst behavior and the meanest or most negligient parents gets the most attention and usually gets his way.

Moving on to my thought #2. The superintendent saying that our kids were safe is like saying that we have the best education America has to offer. Don’t you think that there is a correlation between the behavior of students and the amount of learning that actually takes place?

I almost died in our meeting at our old No Child Left Behind school. The County administration came in and told all the parents all of the reasons that they should keep their kids at the school. “We will have this kind of money. We will have this new program. We will be getting better teaching staff.” I had seen the frustrations of the already great staff. It was as if their hands were tied…what were new teachers really going to be able to do?

After a year of our very bright and obedient daughter coming home in tears of frustration from the other children’s frequent outbursts, I knew that these promises would mean absolutely nothing. It was as if they thought the hype over all these new funds would convince the parents of poverty to stay because our school was going to become the golden school overnight.

I posed the question. “I have learned through experience that it is the behavior problems that are not allowing learning to take place, what is your plan to remedy this?” I was almost laughed at by every administer there. They acted as if I was the crazy one. They assumed no reponsibility for bad behavior and they acted as if it never took place.

I have been told that our schools’ administrations don’t like to properly discipline through suspension or expulsion because it makes their competant reputation questioned.

This is EXACTLY what is wrong with our society as a whole. Everyone just seems to turn a blind eye. I really don’t know what to do to help fix it except for raise children who are GOOD. Right now, our kids lucked into a great school where it seems we have rewound about 20 years and the people are all still pretty decent and good. The parents care about learning and they don’t need the school to teach character to their kids. Thank God that I have found that for my kids. And, I have every realization that depending on the parents of our society this utopia may or may not last.

It’s when the parents who don’t care outnumber the parents who do that we will all be in even bigger trouble.

Totally agree with Ryan….let’s start a revolution to take our schools back. It starts by every individual taking personal responsibility….both parent and student…and then giving the schools the right to NOT educate the ones who do not want to comply!

I just believe saying, “your children are safe” is not a promise anyone can make.

Speaking of bullies: I’m proud of you for advocating for your children.

@Ryan: I would be emotional and screaming, too. I am so sorry that your family and school have been caught up in this terrible thing — so, so sorry. I am also glad to hear that as a parent you (with other parents) have been voicing your concerns. Thank you very much for taking the time to leave your words here.