Parents Complain about Report
This article was in the Daily Herald today. This was also the topic of discussion on Libby Collins Show on WKRS this morning.
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Homework project too much for 4th grader, parent says
By Sara Faiwell One parent’s objection to how a fourth-grade social studies project was assigned at an Antioch elementary school has teachers banding together to defend it. In April, teachers at Oakland Elementary School assigned what has become known as the “fourth-grade state report” Comments9 Responses to “Parents Complain about Report”TrackbacksCheck out what others are saying about this post...
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That’s incredible. You’re right. Parents complain when the students are challenged, but say in a recent ETS survey that we don’t challenge them enough.
Are you all mad? Helping your children with homework?
How will the little dears ever learn if you don’t encourage them to do it themselves?
The project? Good idea.
It may have been done, and not put in the article, but perhaps the teachers need to hand out a sheet for the parents telling them what is expected of their child for this project (e.g. what kind of notes, what kind of drafts, what the deadlines are, what the parent should help with and what they shouldn’t).
Ten paragraphs? Okay, when *I* had to do this report in fifth grade, I had three states (something like Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska, no less), I had to get all of the information on state mottos, birds, flowers, etc., write about several attractions for each state (I repeat, NEBRASKA), and create a travelogue that included stops for gas and estimated cost. This is pre-Internet, too, so I think I had to write the Department of Commerce for each state or something to get the tourist info.
Yes, I did leave a lot of it to the last minute, but that’s my own stupid fault and I’ve learned a lot about procrastination and how to avoid it since then. I’m still amazed that I got the mileage and gas costs about right since I was kind of guessing, merely thinking about how long we went between tanks on long drives and how much they might have cost.
Ten paragraphs. Pikers.
If you notice, this is here second child that has had to do this report. SHe obviously knew it was coming long before it was assigned. I have learned there were other assignment prior to this report as well.
I am in the same boat. Parents DO complain when their kids are being challenged. Their statements such as “this is too tough for my kid” and “my child isn’t prepared to do this” are simply a clear admission of how much they underestimate their children’s potential. I have ultimately shut down our class website because I’m tired of being in the middle of parents’ complaints and not being supported by the administration.