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Amid all the talk of a liberal agenda, I need someone to lay it straight with me. I am about to pull my child out of a private school situation, but before I choose another option, I'd like an honest assessment from parents on the ''agenda'' in schools. We are a family that leans conservative and had hoped we left liberal agendas behind when we moved to this part of the midwest. So, how would you qualify the bias, if any, in the Pickerington schools? Specifically Fairfield Elem on up. I was appalled at something I saw at Diley when we went for special ed there during the summer--I'll leave it at that. I am familiar with special ed since I have a child, not yet school age, there(and I can not speak highly enough of my child's teacher--she has been just wonderful--an absolute joy), but I would really like the scoop on other schools. By no means do I intend to hurt the schools, yet I am not opposed to homeschooling and I just don't think I can make a sound choice without hearing from other parents their thoughts on Pickerington schools.
Thanks and btw, if you would prefer to keep your comments private, feel free to email me.
Thanks again
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Jr High student
I have a junior high student who is leaning very conservative, much more than me. He is not getting the absolute conservatism at home as we encourage variousother views and allow them to make their choices. I think peers have an influence on what beliefs are formed and if many of these students come from conservative families, I have a tendency to think that view is expressed a lot in class, at least he says it is as they have a lot of open discussions.
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Just my opinion, but,
I think that the schools are good and that they are doing their job. I have two boys, one in high school one in junior high. Both have been in Pickerington schools since day 1 and both are thriving wonderfully ?– straight A students, involved in athletics each season, friendly, fairly popular, involved in their church, volunteer in the community, etc.
I think that any school system, whether it be public, parochial, military, home based, etc., can be good for some kids and bad for others. My belief is that what matters most is the 5 or so years that your child spends at home (NOT AT DAYCARE) before formal education starts, and the 16 or so hours each day that the child spends outside of the classroom once that process starts. In other words, how YOU raise your child, the values YOU instill and exhibit, and the priorities that YOU place in your and your child?’s life are what matters most. Don?’t turn the majority of the waking hours of your child?’s life over to daycare, spend that time with them yourself teaching them what YOU believe.
Yes, they will be exposed to good and bad at any school. How they have been taught by YOU to handle and deal with each will determine how they turn out. Schools should not be given the burden of instilling values in your child ?– that is your job as their parent.
I have no problem with other views being presented to my kids, because they have been taught to know right from wrong and to be accepting of others and their thoughts and beliefs. They have been taught that while we may be a conservative family and truly believe in conservative ideals, others may truly believe in something different ?– and that is ok?… The important thing is that they know what they believe in and why.
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The other side of the story
I believe there is a liberal agenda being put upon our young people and to pass their classes and get through the education system in this state it clearly looks only at one side of the issue.
Recently the Columbus Dispatch published some sample test questions that came from the new required graduation test. I took offense at what our children are not being taught.
The question in regard to the U S citizens that were of Japanese descendants during WWII were placed in camps inland from the coastal areas of this country. Using today's standards that would be an outrage. However I often wonder if our teachers ever teach what actually happened to the Americans during that war. It might give us all some insight on why the Japanese were interned to these camps.
I had three uncles and my father fought in WWII. My mother's brother was on a ship that was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7th 1941. He was able to get out of his ship safely. Japan had not declared war on the U S but attacked us without provocation. We lost nearly 2400 Americans that day. Many still are buried in their graves within the bulkheads of the ships they served on. Others were burnt beyond recognition.
Shortly there after they attacked the Philippines with out provocation. After a long siege the Americans surrendered. They were then led on a 1000 mile death march. Many of our Americans honorable surrendered and the Japanese put them to death.
For those that survived the Japanese death march and ended up in the prison camps in Japan their survival rates were very poor. I believe I read once where less than 25% of those taken prisoner by the Japanese survived. I believe the Germans returned over 87% of their American prisoners. The general in charge at the time of the American surrender to Japan was General Wainwright. He looked more like one of the Jewish prisoners coming out of the Nazi camps.
I was just reading aboout the cruelty of the Japanese when they invaded China.
The Japanese had a Imperial ruler before the war. Once they surrendered they were forced to accept a new constitution written by the General Macarthur and his staff. Today the are a democracy and one of our allies.
My point is that is if our schools continue to only teach our children one side of history and that history is always finding fault with the USA then our nation is domed. There was good reason that the Japanese were placed in camps to keep them from being spies and to protect them from retaliation from the Americans who were upset with the Japanese for their atrocities.
Teaching what happened in WWII is not a political agenda. However to ignore and to re-write history is a disservice to this nation.
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