I am not quite sure I understand what your argument is and if you even have one. You are saying that you are protecting your child by not letting them ride the school bus because they have been exposed to music you do not approve of on the school bus. I may be wrong here, but as long as the music is played on a radio station I am not sure why it would be an issue. You seem to not realize that there are a million different ways for your child to be exposed to suggestive lyrics and other material in this information age we live in. I have been working as a substitute teacher for a while now and was very surprised to see the number of young children (k-3rd graders) with I-pods walking around listening to anything they can get their hands on, the kids even tune-in to online radio stations while in the computer lab to listen to whatever they want (as long as it gets through the filter).
My point is that you want to protect your child from suggestive lyrics and other "evils" of the radio, but it cannot be done. Be glad that your six-year-old was saying sexy and not the plethora of other words that can be learned at school and not written on this blog.

I understand your fear and feelings on the issue. I just don't think that there is anything that can be done about it. I grew up here and listened to the radio every day on the school bus. I also listened the older kids swear and talk about doing drugs, drinking alcohol and having sex in the back of the bus. There is not much that can be done about it. It is all part of growing up. If you are the good parent that you claim to be and I am sure you are, then you will be the one to teach your children about sex and keep them away from drugs and alcohol, you are their greatest teacher and mentor and there is nothing their 180 days in a school year on the bus, playground, cafeteria and classroom can do to change that. You have to be the one to mold them and teach them what is appropriate and not appropriate and teach them to embrace what is and ignore what isn't. It is in your hands.

My Angels, I understand your concerns, even tho I don't have kids of my own. I am appalled at what I hear and see on TV sometimes...within plain site and ear shot of any one of ANY age! I get embarrassed watching TV with my 80 year old Mom some times! I can't imagine explaining things to a child, but most parents do a good job of either moving on in conversation or explaining what was said. But, as you said, why should we have to explain every other commercial on TV or song lyrics?

I don't like what I hear in some songs lyrics, I hate over-hearing casual conversations on the street! Leaving a very nice Duluth restaurant a few weeks ago, we were treated to employees on a smoke break "f**ing" everything from their spouses to Santa Claus! It put a damper on a nice meal. I sent management a letter addressing the situation. Public area, public conversation. No regard for anyone tho. Sad.

As far as the bus goes, why does a driver, either school employed or contracted, listen to the radio?! When I rode the bus 40 years ago, there was a blank spot where the AM Radio was to be! Shouldn't a driver's attention be on the students and the job at hand? I feel you need to dig further into this...not just the issue of the radio but why is it on in the first place?

We can't protect the children from life - it's out there, even tho it's soooo different than what we remember. My bus drivers were the guy that worked at the local grain elevator, or someone's uncle or the guy with that farm by the highway or the farmer that drove all the buses for the sports teams so he could make some winter money and watch his kids play in all sorts of sports. These people never had a radio except for the one to the bus garage. Did we get yelled at to "sit down and shut up?" More than once. Did we still respect these drivers? You bet. Or our parents would see to it that we did!

My Angels, there are so many out there that do care...and I appreciate your passion and concern. Home schooling is o.k. but not always the answer. Your kids want and need inter-action w/ the real world, no matter how bad it is sometimes. It's not pretty out here anymore...it's a tough ol' world. But I feel as you do, you shouldn't have to get tough when you're just a kid...

Do your due diligence and keep up the battle about giving a darn about your kids, their influences and their educations...your efforts will be rewarded.

LET IT SNOW

After talking with my grandkids there seems to be a greater problem on school grounds during recess. The foul language that is used is unbelievable.Also there is the bullying that goes on. When told to the teacher they were told they didn't want to hear about it. That gives them a real warm and fuzzy feeling when they can't even try to make it known. I guess the parents just have to keep trying to set a good honest example as to what is accepted and what isn't. Staying on top of things with your kids nowadays is a constant with no slack given. I guess I'm just from the old school and because it is doesn't make it ok or acceptable.

At the school I teach at, we do not allow pushing, or any "extra curricular" contact, no candy machines or pop machines, no swearing or other cussing of any kind, no cell phones or I confiscate them for the parents to come and pick up, no radios or MP3 players or any other toys other then bikes or foot scooters. No candy is allowed outside the school during recess nor any other food items in or out of the building during school hours unless approved by the teacher. No laser pointers, I took one last month, and the bus drivers are not allowed a radio because of the need to listen to the school transmissions or the CB band. No bullying, either verbal or physical is allowed, and all students raise their hand in the dining hall, for permission to get up out of their seats for any reason. Now I don't know if this helps you in any way or not, but thats how we do things around here and it works very fine. Occasionally, I have a parent who is determined to raise their children like dirtbags and trash but, of course, they can do so at home and not here in school and they get few chances to voice their opinions about anything but the level of education their children are receiving. Few entertain thoughts about discipline more then once, except to their little angels at home.

To go along with this kind of discipline I teach 2nd graders, algebra with my sixth graders doing junior college level work and I require my 4th to 6th graders to be able to "prove" pi is correct or the "pthag" theorem is correct by any of methods but a proof is required. In addittion, my 4th to 6th graders can add a column of numbers of any length and any size and have 5 seconds to do it in, and they can do it because they have developed their own algorhythems to do it. We have no problem with our PSAT scores being the highest in the state nor do I have any problems with my classes being "inspected" regularly to determine if "trig" is being taught appropriately to elementary students. I bribe 100% of my students with candy and German Chocolate cake, in the classroom, and they all know that the real reward comes in 10 years or so.

I said all this because first, everything I have said is true and secondly, I agree with Tom, home schooling is not the answer and is a detriment to the child when correct teaching methods are being used in the public school system. Our school system in this community is broken, defective and a detriment to the development of our children. That does not mean we do not have people that are concerned about teaching nor fail to work hard but having a desire to do well and working hard is simply not good enough. You must be effective in your desire and your work or you have failed. That kind of sucess comes from a desire from the top administrative staff down to the classroom, as to the level of performance that is required from the student and the performance "will" be met or you will not be asked to return next year. I have seen teachers from other current and prevailing "systems" that realize they can not compete even with their students and are in way over their heads and know they would not be able to return in the next year. Such is the way it should be, particularly if this quality of teacher is performing not necessarily without desire but without ability. Of course, it cost money to draw the quality of instructor necessary to understand the learning process and then also effect a desirable effect in the student.

So....I suspect the original bloggers desire is to have changes implemented that make our school system a better learning expirience AND a better learning environment so that her children are developed in "her" school system to more closely reflect her education and moral values. After all, I guess thats what we all want, don't we!?

We do have one big problem in the school where I work, I am constantly being corrected by another dear friend, an English Major, on my spelling and grammer whenever I make a display for my students work but what the heck, I teach math not Englisch.

Anton1965,

"The school you teach at"?? Is this school in District 361, the Falls or Littlefork, or is it the "best of the best" Catholic?? I find it hard to believe that you can use this kind of discipline in a Government (Public) School. Little Johnnie or Suzie have rights and the Public Teacher's job is to be a babysitter, not a teacher. God forbid!!!! I sent my children to Catholic Schools, and "your style" is what was used in their schools, and is "still" used today! So, give us a hint at "where" you teach at!! As for Home Schooling, that went out with "Cowboys and Indians"!! They might end up "well educated" but they have the social & life skills of "NERDS"!!

It is very diffidult to generalize with homeschooling and most studies of the outcomes of homeschooling betray the biases of the researchers as much as the TRUTH about this interesting development. I would agree with Buddy that you cannot issue a blanket statement about the homeschooled. Indeed, some are social nerds for obvious reasons. The same parents who decided not to expose them to modern education also decided not to expose them to proms, dating, sports participation and a whole host of other things that socialize kids and give them a mind of their own. It is no surprise that some of the best arguments for homeschooling are put forth by Muslims in the USA.
On the other hand, home schooled kids have many of the educational virtues of the previous generation -- they can write, they can spell, they are comfortable with criticism and with B's or C's. I recently had a PSEO kid doing her senior year at our school. Her college choices were Harvard and MIT and she was fluent in French and doing college-level physics. She DID NOT work very well with others, particularly other women. But that is purely anecdotal.
It is okay to have homeschooling as an option but I am always more content when a couple that could homeschool their kids doesn't but also takes an active role in the public education.
For the most part, education to college and beyond is part of the separation and individuation process. For too many kids, separation and individuation takes place too early through divorce or dysfunction. Homeschoolers have the opposite issue; it takes place too late.
So in a postmodern world, it is just one of the choices postmodern parents make -- particularly those who don't even know that homeschooling is a postmodern alternative.

Thomas and Roj you two blather a lot about homeschooling in a very negative and demeaning way. While as you both point out homeschooling does cut off children from thier peers who are educated in public schools and can hinder socialization to the world at large. However there are ways that homeschoolers can involve thier children in the public education processes through school sponsored field trips for educative purposes and then there's little league and a host of other ways to involve homeschooled children in sports activities. So there are many ways a home schooling parent can properly socialize their children in order to normalize thier view of the world they will be working in as adults. So I would submit that their is no logical reason why home schooled students are handicapped socially. As far as their education, they tend to be over achievers in college and in the workforce. And as far as the problems with bad behavior from children in school, and during their transportation to and from school, I hold that it is the responsibility of parents to deal with these behavior problems, and if they don't then KCCS should be intervening as early as possible in order to correct negative social behaviors that are expressed by these children as it is a sign of possible real trouble to come in the future. I believe it is the responsibility of our schools to identify and report such behaviors to the parents, and if the behavior continues then to bring in the social workers for a family intervention to break this ongoing cycle. Children learn through imitating their home environment, and the behavior of their parents, that is why we have so much trouble today, the cycle continues and grows exponentially. And yes I would agree that we are in the post modern era, and even beyond that now, as our public policies have not kept up with the problems of our society.

If you read my comment completely, you will see that I neither condemned nor absolutely, fully supported home schooling. I see all types but have never had a student blame his/her problems on the fact of theiir having been public-schooled. I have heard students who were overly and intensivley home-schooled attribute some of their problems to that fact. I also told the story of the girl whose parents did everything to enhance her experience including summer-camps in France. This girl is doing fine and will do fine.

What I would ask of you, cp, is to consider a world in which every child was home-schooled -- would that be a better place?

roj, I have no clue what the public schools are down there in the CSA but know that when I see a student with the name Lagoo, Helleloid, or Boyum from International Falls -- none of them homeschooled as far as I know -- I am always proud to hear my colleagues in chemistry or math talk about what great kids they are -- every bit as good as the students coming from Stillwater, Plymouth, or Mounds View. We are likely dealing with a bell curve and I am probably seeing those near the right end of that curve [the high end not the conservative end, roj].

For the record, Postmodernism allegedly began in 1967, so we 65'er really do come from a better place than you youth.

PS. In France, the government has just declared that 8:00 in the evening until 6:00 am is commercial-free television. When asked my opinion today I was honest -- that would kill commercial television in the US. Sometimes you have to take the bad [commercials] to have the good [our 90-something networks]. The same holds true for schools. They can be very bad at time but our educational system, at least the level I work at, is the best in the world.