What do you think about the fact that parents give up the right to control?

what their child is taught the moment they drop them off at a public school?


While the Supreme court has consistently held that parents have the right to direct the education of their children, they have also held that parents who send their children to public schools have no right to demand that their children be excluded from or be offered an alternative to any activity or aspect of the curriculum even when those objections are due to a firmly held religious belief.

Many school districts inform parents of some activities that are controversial such as sex education courses but according to the Supreme Court those school districts are neither required to inform parents of any activity nor to excuse students from participating in any activity.

Ayliann

We are not talking about changing the curriculum to accommodate a parent. All we are talking about here is whether or not parents have the right to exclude their children from portions of the curriculum and school activities which the parents find objectional.

It's called parens patrie, I believe, it means "in place of the parent" and yes, when you drop your child off you are essentially turning your kids over to their teachers and the school. It falls directly on the parent to get involved, write a letter to both principals and teachers and let them know exactly what you don't want your child involved with. (i.e. sex education classes) The parent is in full right to demand this notification as well as demanding their child be excused from the classroom, it's just a matter of staying on top of the teachers/principal/and school.....

I'm for it if you don't like the public school system you have plenty of alternatives.

if they don't like what their children are learning, they can send their children to private school or get them homeschooled. especially if the issue is about a religious belief.

Public schools have to teach mainstream ideas. We can't cater to every bizarre whim that each parent would like his/her child to be taught today. If you want your child to have specialized education and be taught only things that you agree with, then you could consider homeschooling. But most of the accredited curriculums available on the market also insist that you teach your child some idelogy that you may or may not agree with. A well-educated child shoud receive information on many different trains of thought and be encouraged to form their own ideas and opinions.

I agree with the courts. If parents want total control over what their children learn, they can put forth the effort to educate those kids themselves. I did and both my sons graduated highschool at 13 and 15 years old, both are in college and will graduate with masters degrees, one in Engineering and one in BioChemistry. I think too many parents are too lazy for one, and to caught up in their own lives to have children, let alone complain about how the public school system may or may not educate them.

You do control what your child learns, even in a public school.
Go to school board meetings, go to PTA meetings, and let them know your opinions. If you still dont agree, you can always send your kids to a private school or home school.

What religious beliefs? I went to public schools and I don't remember being taught anything about God. The word God was only used in the Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. I didn't find that offensive and my atheist mother didn't find that offensive.

What is the matter with you people? Damn, if the public school system doesn't get it from lack of funding they have to deal with over zealous people who would rather see their child uneducated than deal with the word "God".

As to the sex education, what the heck are you afraid of? Sex is a normal, biological function of our species. Are you teaching your child responsible sex? I hope so.

I am glad we had sex education in our school, my mother didn't talk much about it, but she always signed the permission form for me to take it. Otherwise, I would have ended pregnant at the age of 15 and collecting well fare.

I think public schools have worked very hard to keep church and state separated. It isn't a perfect system, nor will it be. Why don't you try giving the public school systems a break? Instead, you can harass our government for more funding to put towards an educational system that is more advanced than the one we have now.

Can't we spend our time a little more wisely?

Spend a couple weeks in the school system and then see how "easy" it is to accomodate parents who drop off their children, do not participate in their children's education, expect teachers to play parent and educate them on sex, manners, character education, morals AND hold them accountable for studies that they don't want to do.

Teachers and school staff are among the lowest paid employees in the nation. Most school support staff, office people, custodial staff, bus drivers, ect. make little above the national poverty level, however all of us are held accountable for a students education or lack thereof.

Schools are over crowded and understaffed so if you don't like the public school system...feel free to take your child somewhere else. I'm sure their teachers would appreciate it.

Public school is a package deal. If you want the package, you get all of it. You can't break open the package to pick and choose.

Of course, they can also get involved on the school board, and get the package changed. That's yet another option. Or they can provide additions to the package, telling their children to ignore certain things in school because the parent's believe otherwise.

And nothing forces parents to take the public school package. They can keep their kids at home-school, or send their kids to a private school. But if they choose to take the package, that's what they get.