{"id":3126,"date":"2013-08-01T20:37:34","date_gmt":"2013-08-02T01:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3126"},"modified":"2013-08-01T20:47:12","modified_gmt":"2013-08-02T01:47:12","slug":"on-those-back-to-school-packets-2004","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3126","title":{"rendered":"On Those Back-to-School Packets (2004)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In First Chance to Make a Learning Impression<\/a>, my friend Will Richardson shares his disappointment with the “back-to-school” packets he just received in anticipation of his children’s next school year. Will explains how the focus of the packet is on everything but learning.<\/p>\n

Just for fun, I set out to see how long it would take to find the word \u201clearning” somewhere in the mix. Nothing on the first page, or the second, or the third\u2026by the time I finally found the first instance I had stopped counting. It was a buried line in a letter from the principal explaining that due to NCLB, every teacher has to be \u201chighly qualified” and that \u201cevery teacher continues life-long learning through professional development activities.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Will’s 2013 article reminded me of a similar article I wrote for District Administration Magazine<\/em> way back in 2004. I recommend reading Will’s article<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n

Gary Stager on One-sided Parent Contracts<\/strong>
\nHere’s a list of promises I think schools should keep<\/em>
\nBy: Gary Stager<\/a><\/em>
\n District Administration, Sep 2004<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

DA Archive<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The back-to-school commercials each summer fill me with dreadful flashbacks of my own days as a student. As a parent, the end of summer is signaled by a last-minute desire to squeeze in a bit more family fun and the arrival of a large ominous envelope from the local high school. The package contains countless documents commanding our immediate attention and signatures in triplicate.<\/p>\n

This enormous collection of murdered trees contains countless rules, regulations and a list of innumerable sanctions the school intends to visit upon my child. As if this draconian catalogue of crimes and subsequent punishments were not bad enough, I am then expected to sign the documents, implying that I agree with them.<\/p>\n

This recent and disturbing phenomenon leaves me with many unanswered questions. What if I don’t sign the forms? When did the local public school become a gulag? Was there a public meeting in The Hague at which these rules and sanctions were compiled and democratically agreed to? Is this the best way to start a fresh school year? Can I have Johnnie Cochran look over the documents before I affix my signature?<\/p>\n

If the school expects parents to sign-off on a list of ways school discipline may be enforced, perhaps I can circulate a list of expectations for how I expect the school to educate my child. It only seems fair.<\/p>\n

So here’s my list, in no particular order:<\/p>\n