| It's 5:30 a.m. on a summer day. I should
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| | the wrong color crayon or something.
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| be sleeping like the rest of the world,
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| | Suddenly, our then first-grader is
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| ensconced in a woolly blanket of
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| | supposedly likely to kill himself, he
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| certitude that there is no work today,
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| | could be a danger to others, yada yada.
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| only vacation. But I can't really sleep.
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| | So we take him to his first shrink, who
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| It's the first day of school, you
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| | pronounces him normal but unusually
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| see.There is an old theory of learning
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| | imaginative and, surprise, verbally
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| that says education isn't about teaching
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| | gifted, and says that the boy was just
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| students new things but only about
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| | acting out something he heard. We were
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| reminding them what they already
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| | not really surprised, but we were still
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| inherently know.It's a high-minded theory
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| | relieved that everything was normal.Let
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| that assumes everyone is what my old
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| | me tell you, though, after something like
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| college president would have termed
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| | that gets around, nothing's normal ever
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| "educable," that knowledge, like truth,
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| | again. Suddenly, we were the pariahs who
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| is not relative, but exists on its own
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| | were raising the next Columbine kid. We
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| plane running parallel to ours and may be
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| | couldn't buy a play date at that point.
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| accessed by revelation.One need only be
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| | And our son was aware of it. He started
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| shown the hidden path to the oracle's
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| | hanging his head when he walked, playing
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| chamber, so to speak, and all will be
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| | by himself at recess, and we'd catch him
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| unveiled.Sometimes, though, it's not the
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| | calling himself "stupid" when things went
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| student but the teacher that needs to be
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| | awry. At that point, we had an
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| shown the way.Perhaps we are so inured to
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| | opportunity to apply to another school.
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| others' needs, so accustomed to our own
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| | We went through all the hoops and got
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| convenience, that we modern folk
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| | positive feedback from the interviewing
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| oftentimes don't pay heed to the
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| | teachers and so forth, but one of the
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| tragedies occurring before our very eyes.
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| | deciding factors turned out to be a
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| Particularly for parents trying to
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| | letter written to the new school by our
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| educate our children, there seems to be a
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| | son's kindergarten teacher. We weren't
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| wall in front of our eyes that shields us
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| | allowed to see the letter, but the tone
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| so often from the truth.We place our
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| | of the interviewers changed drastically
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| children in schools in the hopes that
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| | after they read it.Fortunately, we had
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| they will learn what is needed for them
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| | another opportunity to get into a
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| to survive in this world: facts, figures,
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| | different school, this one Catholic,
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| social aptitude, an inquiring mind, an
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| | which is our denomination. Once again, we
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| entrepreneurial spirit.And we will show
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| | had high hopes for better results. Once
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| up and be supportive at school
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| | again, those hopes were dashed. Our son
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| assemblies, classroom field trips,
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| | wound up in a classroom with a first-year
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| endless fund-raisers, sporting events,
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| | teacher who right off the bat pegged him
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| etc., ad nauseum.We provide classroom
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| | as a troublemaker for whatever reason.
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| supplies, chaperoning, transportation,
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| | This teacher, we later learned, had a
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| library staffing, even office support,
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| | habit of yelling at the kids, and she
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| all in hopes that we are furthering our
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| | took out much of her aggression on our
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| children's education by setting a good
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| | son. He began hating school and not
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| example and freeing up the teachers to do
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| | wanting to do the incredible amount of
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| "what they do best."Too often, though,
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| | homework they piled on every night. The
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| what parents get out of this bargain
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| | next teacher was much nicer, but by then
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| isn't what was promised. Instead of
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| | the damage was done. Even though our boy
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| bright, energetic, go-getter scholars,
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| | was capable of doing his homework
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| what we are handed back is children who
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| | perfectly (when he wanted to), he
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| are lethargic, beaten down and drained of
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| | regularly flunked tests because they were
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| any creativity they once had. We get kids
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| | time-limited and he would panic because
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| who are indoctrinated into political
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| | he could hear his past teacher screaming
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| correctness -- which is to say the art of
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| | at the kids next door.Just to add insult
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| arrogant whininess -- but who can barely
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| | to injury, we finally realized that the
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| multiply. We get kids who have been
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| | curriculum at the school was the same
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| taught in "science" class to recycle to
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| | state-created curriculum at public
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| "save" the planet, but who can't explain
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| | schools. They used the same texts and
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| to you how an airplane stays in the air
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| | applied the same ridiculous schedule of 8
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| or how an internal combustion engine
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| | to 10 subjects per day, which hardly
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| works. We get kids who have been forced
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| | allows any time to absorb the
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| to memorize Dr. Martin Luther King's "I
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| | information, much less understand it. The
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| Have a Dream" speech and participate
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| | parents whose kids were doing well in
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| annually in Cinco de Mayo but who can't
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| | class, we later learned, were going to
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| explain one contribution of white people
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| | Kumon classes after school. When our son
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| to the world other than bringing disease
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| | needed extra help with multiplication, we
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| to North America.In some schools, it's
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| | were told he must be tutored. Well, the
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| not unusual for as many as half the
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| | tutors at the school didn't have time for
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| students to drop out before their senior
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| | us. We approached the youth director
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| high school year. Of those who hang in
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| | because her teens need service credits to
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| there, many seniors can't even pass an
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| | graduate high school. No one volunteered
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| eighth-grade-level exit exam to get their
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| | to tutor our son. We were finally told he
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| diplomas.And just to add to parental
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| | MUST have a professional tutor. We were
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| enjoyment, along the way, the children
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| | given a name, supposedly of a
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| have almost certainly been exposed to gay
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| | parishioner, but no contact information.
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| sex, oral sex, premarital sex,
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| | This person was not on record with the
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| contraception, abortion, illegal drug
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| | parish or the school office. The
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| use, alcohol abuse, nihilism and atheism.
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| | principal, who had recommended him, never
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| All under the auspices of the school, and
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| | came forth with a number. We contacted
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| all before sixth grade -- kindergarten,
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| | the church's nuns. This particular order
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| if some legislators get their way. Recess
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| | is charged with teaching children. That's
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| and that after-school time before parents
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| | their gig. Within five minutes, the got
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| come home provide ample opportunity for
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| | back to us and said one of the sisters
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| kids to put into practice what they've
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| | would tutor our son, but they wanted to
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| learned in "skool."Parents may seek
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| | talk to his teacher before setting up a
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| relief in private schools, but often what
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| | schedule. They talked to his teacher
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| they encounter is no better, just more
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| | apparently, then suddenly they weren't
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| expensive. If you are rich enough, it is
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| | available to help out.So in the final
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| still possible to buy your children a
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| | analysis, our own church school, using
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| real education. If you're merely
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| | lay teachers to teach state curriculum
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| well-off, more likely what will happen is
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| | out of state textbooks, happily accepts
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| you will pay through the nose, and your
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| | thousands of dollars in tuition but is
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| children will receive an education that
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| | unable to properly teach the children
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| is relatively free from the sex- and
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| | math, forcing parents to supplement with
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| drug-teaching curricula of the public
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| | either a program like Kumon or, in our
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| schools, as well as the more violent
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| | case, nonexistent tutors.We spent
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| forms of playground bullying. But for the
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| | somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000 on
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| most part, the rest of the teaching
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| | tuition, uniforms and other expenses in
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| agenda is the same, particularly if you
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| | the vain hope of giving our child a
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| live in a state like California, where
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| | decent education. All that happened was a
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| private schools are so regulated that
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| | gaggle of overpaid strangers slowly
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| they often just give up and use the same
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| | strangled his curiosity and crushed his
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| books, the same curricula, same time
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| | desire to learn, leaving him a bundle of
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| tables and same test "preparation"
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| | nerves at the age of 8.Sometimes it's the
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| procedures as the public schools. If
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| | educator who needs to be reminded of what
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| you're lucky, there might be some time to
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| | he already knows. My child is too
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| squeeze in a little religious
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| | important to me, and I think someday to
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| education.That was our experience. Not
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| | the world, to leave in the hands of a
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| being much of a corporate yes man myself,
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| | capricious public or private education
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| we've often been on the lower rungs of
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| | system that, ultimately, is designed to
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| the economic ladder. Still, we managed to
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| | produce conforming drones, not thinkers.
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| put our son into private schools despite
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| | We, as his parents, cannot simply stand
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| the cost. Sending him to our local public
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| | by and watch the life being squeezed out
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| elementary school was out of the
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| | of him like the juice from a lemon.The
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| question. The first time we went to that
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| | reality is that we, like most parents,
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| school's office, there were three
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| | have allowed this to happen for far too
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| children being treated by the school
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| | long because it was convenient to let our
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| nurse after getting beaten up in the
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| | son be raised by strangers.No more.We had
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| halls. The second time we went to that
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| | started supplementing his education with
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| office, the police were there having a
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| | materials from a local home schooling
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| "chat" with a boy who looked like he was
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| | program when he began having grade
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| in about fourth grade.So we got our son
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| | trouble and as a "backup" because of the
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| into a local private school, with high
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| | monkey business school administrators
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| hopes of better things. Now, when he
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| | liked to be up to, such as putting new
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| started kindergarten, he was almost a
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| | students on "probation" for no
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| whole year younger than the rest of his
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| | reason.We've decided to take the plunge
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| classmates because of the oddity of
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| | and just home school. It will be a
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| birthday cutoffs, but he still tested
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| | change, for sure, and a lot of
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| above many of them. That glowing moment
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| | responsibility, but the incredible
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| didn't last long, however. Soon, we were
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| | improvement we've already seen in our
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| told that our boy needed a speech
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| | boy's attitude and aptitude is making it
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| therapist because he had trouble
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| | worthwhile.I've encountered many parents
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| pronouncing certain syllables. We took
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| | with stories similar to ours. We
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| him back to our local public school,
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| | apparently are part of a growing movement
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| which actually had a real speech
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| | to take back education from the millers
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| therapist on staff, and after five
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| | who are running the system.Having been
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| minutes she pronounced not only was he
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| | through the system myself, and having
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| normal for his age, but he was
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| | seen what it nearly did to my child, I no
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| exceptionally bright and seemed like he
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| | longer believe in "reforming" the
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| was a few years ahead in his vocabulary,
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| | education system, reducing class sizes or
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| even if he couldn't quite pronounce his
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| | raising teachers' salaries. If the
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| "th" sounds yet.After we got over that
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| | government insists on dabbling in
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| hurdle, we learned that he was being
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| | education, then what is needed is a
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| picked on at school. Despite the school's
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| | wholesale elimination of what we have
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| supposedly strict "no bullies" policy,
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| | now. A replacement system would start
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| our son, who was a year younger than most
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| | with teachers who are trained in a
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| of his classmates but also taller than
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| | subject other than "education," have an
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| almost all of them, was in the same
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| | administrator-to-teacher ratio on the
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| classroom with a boy who was almost two
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| | order of 1-to-20, eliminate the
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| years older than most of the
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| | nonsensical scale of grade levels and let
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| kindergartners. So now I found myself
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| | students achieve at their own speed in
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| having to explain to my gentle 5-year-old
| |
| | the needed skills.How do I know that
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| how to handle an 8-year-old
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| | would work? Because that's essentially
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| developmentally challenged gorilla who
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| | what we've created with our own home
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| liked to express himself with his fists.
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| | schooling group, and it is working
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| We finally got the principal to take
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| | spectacularly well. There are kids who
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| action after the teacher did nothing, but
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| | have gone through the same program and
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| at the expense of his teacher now viewing
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| | entered college by age 15. Many of the
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| us and our son as "the enemy" for getting
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| | teens in the program or formerly in the
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| her in trouble.And that was just the
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| | program have successful businesses. My
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| beginning of our experiences with private
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| | son's only 8, so we've got lots of
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| schools. At one point, our boy must have
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| | working and growing ahead to do, but for
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| seen something on TV at the same time the
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| | the first time in a long time, both he
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| class was studying Christ's Passion in
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| | and his parents are looking forward to
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| school, and he made a comment to
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| | it.Tad Cronn is an author and editor in
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| somebody, somehow, somewhere, "Oh, just
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| | West Hills, CA.
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| kill me." I think it was because he used
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| |
|
