Hello, dear and welcome! I'm not a former teacher, but I was school social worker on the multidisciplinary team for twenty years. Homeschooled DS from 5th grade up, and now his ds is old enough to start Kindy in the fall. I'm praying DS can get a job nearby and move closer to us so we can have dgs with us!!! DH and I are currently schooling Other People's Kids (10th year just finishing up). I'm looking at the NAEP results -- Take a look at where LA is, compared to the National Average, and to FLORIDA. Your schools may be "horrible", but they're getting better results than ours! In 4th grade reading, FL's score was fifth from the top, tied (with an average scale score of 226) with Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Dakota, and Colorado. The National Average score was 220. Louisiana's score was 207, ahead of only Washington DC!!! FL's 8th grade reading is still two points higher than the national average score, and the 9th score from the top. LA's is third from the bottom, ahead of Mississippi and Wa. DC. In 4th grade math, FL's score is again 9th from the top, while LA's is 4th from the bottom, ahead of Alabama, Mississippi, and DC. In 8th grade math, FL's score is 15th, only 4 points below the national average, while LA is 4th from the bottom again, ahead of CA/NM/WV, Alabama, Mississippi, and DC. The kids here get threatened from day one of the school year with, "if you keep on like that, you'll never pass that end-year test!" Starting in January, almost all homework is replaced with "test prep" worksheets daily. In some schools, I've heard they actually replaced reading class once a week with test prep class - all year long! School virtually ceases after the state tests, even though there's more than a month left of the school year -- the only kids who actually keep working at passing their classes are those whose grades are "iffy" enough to depend on the last grading period to make or break their final grade in the class. The rest figure the test is taken, it's all over, the rest doesn't matter because even if they fail the last 6-weeks of the class, they've passed it for the year, and the rest depends on the test, which they can't do anything about now. The only other ones who care are those trying to protect a gpa for graduation. I wish there were facts and figures available about how many kids in Louisiana have anxiety attacks, are on meds for stomach disorders, asthma, and "nerves", or who have PTSD! So, your schools may not be "fun" but at least they're more effective (as measured by test results in comparison to other states). Ours ... 8-/ I'm totally startled that there aren't more homeschoolers and private schools here!
