On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 18:23:51 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 17:27:28 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .

If algebra isn't a terrorist plot, I don't know what is.


John H

Is that what you teach, John?

One of the subjects, yes!

John H

Well, you'd better keep the quality level high. Kids are getting uppity
these days. Last year (8th grade), my son and some other honor student thugs
began complaining about their algebra teacher. Stuff like: "If we ask too
many questions, he says to go back to the book. And if we ask for 10 minutes
of help after class, he says he doesn't have time." So, I told him to be
sure he was using some sort of metrics to compare the guy with other
teachers. His response was that they knew what a good teacher was, and this
guy wasn't one of the good ones. I thought about two things: First, my
algebra teacher was hideous, and I did lousy. It hobbled me for years
afterward (except for geometry, because the lady teacher had drop-dead
legs). And, I vote YES on all school budget increases. I'm a customer. I
don't pay for tenured loiterers.

Finally, I said "So...write a polite petition and take it to the principal.
Either that, or I'll get involved and you know I'll get it straightened
out". He consulted with his friends. They made a petition. They began
circulating it in the hall between classes. Within 1/2 hour of that, word
got to the principal. There was a handful of suck-ups who probably
functioned as spies. My son and his girlfriend (who is NOT really his
girlfriend, I am warned) were called to the principal's office for a little
talking-to. Afterward, the girlfriend called her grandma, the recently
retired superintendent of our system. Grandma came right over and there was
apparently a "firm conversation" in the principal's office, according to
anonymous sources (probably a Bad Kid waiting his turn with the principal).

Next day, my son came home and said somebody put all new batteries in the
math teacher. He's really being polite, too. :-)

Some things I've learned:

Most 8th graders, even the *smart* ones taking algebra early, won't
read the book. They need to learn that doing so has benefits.

In my school we have late bus days. Teachers are expected to be there
until the late buses leave. That's an extra 35-45 minutes after the
last class. There are two or three late bus days every week. If a
parent were to call the principal to complain about the lack of after
school help, the help would quickly become available. This assumes
that the teacher really *isn't* busy after school. Some teachers are
also coaches, for example, and really aren't available.

Not all teachers are as dedicated as they could be. Some of them are
sick of fighting a system in which they are at fault for every failure
and parents have no responsibilities whatever in the educational
process.

Glad things worked out for your son. If he has an algebra question
tell him to post it here. I'll help him.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!