Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g210t5u02626; Thu, 28 Feb 2002 19:55:05 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 19:55:05 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.0.20020228165302.00a07bc0@mail.aracnet.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Sylvan Rainwater <sylvan@cccchs.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:825] RE: Concern about federal support for X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 1946 Lines: 38 At 05:48 PM 02/28/2002 -0500, Ted Rohling wrote: >We are vitally involved in our the school life of our 8 year old >daugher...the last one in school. <SNIP> >It is a small Catholic school that was formed outside of the local church >hierarchy. We raise funds to pay the bills. Our "cafeteria" is funded by >students, not federal funds for school lunch programs. Teacher aides are >not paid, they are volunteer parents. Our principle is a retired public >school principle who loves the kids and loves his new "job". Our coach >taught at a local high school for 30 years and is thrilled with the >excitement of the smaller children. We have no teacher union. We have no >large administration. We have people who care about the education of their >kids. ><SNIP> Well, cool. Unfortunately, many parents don't have that luxury, as they are working full-time just to make ends meet. Most teachers actually do need to get paid for what we are doing, as we have families to feed, too. Doesn't mean we don't care about the education of our children, just that we find that other needs have to come first. I guess I worry that schools don't see themselves as also needing to consider parents' needs. But how can you educate a child when the parent isn't involved and supportive? And how can parents be involved and supportive when they don't know what a school system even is and how it works? When they can't figure out anything about this homework because they never learned that stuff in school? When their own experiences in school were either so limited or so cruel, or both, that all they want to do is to stay away? The model you describe may work well for middle-class families. I don't see how it could work for poor families. ------------------------------ Sylvan Rainwater . sylvan@cccchs.org Adult Education Teacher and Family Literacy Program Manager Clackamas County Children's Commission . Oregon City, OR USA
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