Because Go Piss Up A Rope wouldn’t fit in the little box.
State Representative Kelli Stargel has filed a bill that would require teachers to grade the parents of the students.
HB 255 - Parental Involvement and Accountability in the Public Schools states
Parental Involvement and Accountability in the Public Schools: Specifies purpose to provide information & tools to parents of preK-12 students & to set standards for parental accountability; specifies causes for student underachievement; provides principles on which parental involvement is based & strategies to improve student achievement; requires shared information between teachers, schools, & parents; requires preK-3 teachers to assign parental involvement grade on student report cards; requires appeals process.
Look, I understand the desire to see children do well in school. I am very involved in both of my children’s education and the results show. It is a sad state of affairs that we as a society have relegated the rearing of our children to absolute strangers and the detachment that many parents show toward their children’s education is a byproduct of believing public schools are the solution.
Regardless, this is yet another bill to force people to do something they may not want to. In a video, Representative Stargel indicated that it would be required for parents to attend Parent-Teacher conferences. Stargel says “I don’t want it to be hostile, I don’t want it to be punitive, I just want it to be informational” and I understand her desire for that, but we’re talking about laws put on the books. You can’t get that without the punitive part.
Representative Stargel says that even if the bill doesn’t get passed but gets a conversation going, then that’s ok with her. I have issues with using the legislative abilities to promote a pet cause. Use your web site, mail your constituents, get the news crews to show up at your house (it’s easy! Trust me), but don’t use the laws to push your agenda. Although from what I’ve seen, the bill has very little chance at passing, if it did there would be unintended consequences. It’s hard enough for the teachers to deal with the students, but to give a parent a bad grade (justifiably or not) is another issue altogether.
I for one am a proponent of parent involvement. But I’m also a proponent of education not being something provided for by the state and having the parents decide on the best place to send their children, so, take that for what it’s worth.
If you ask me, part of the problem is in the concept of public daycare schools.