Suggestions for Waco schools

27. Nov, 2010 0 Comments

The Greater Waco Community Education Alliance is looking at Waco Schools and what to do about them. I have some questions for them. Why did the Waco schools let the kids out of school all week? I could understand Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. But with jobs hard to get and keep, this upsets the parents or in many cases the grandparents who have to keep them if school is not in.

Kids not being bused are usually picked up by the parents or grandparents. At least this is not all day.

I learned that Monday and Tuesday, the kids were let out so the teachers could have an in-house workshop. I think this is dumb. Sure they probably need a school themselves, but this could be handled different. Like they could alternate the teachers while half of them go to school one day and the other group the next day. Teachers would have to double up to keep the kids in a class. I think this is better than turning them out to pasture, upsetting the families who have to keep them.

Word from the WISD office is that a lot of families take the kids out Mondays and Tuesday when they travel, so this is a good day for teacher workshops. Another dumb idea. What about those families that don’t take their kids out to go places.

Some workers can get by keeping the kids with them at work, but efficiency goes down. And again the kids are not learning unless the parents or grandparents are good at home schooling. This is unfair to the employers. Maybe if these parents are in business for themselves they can keep them without feeling put out.

I visit a lot of schools delivering papers. The elementary schools let the kids out about 2:30. I see a long line of cars with parents or grandparents picking them. Again this must upset their work day. At least it is not all day.

I’ve often wondered why they don’t have an after hours way to keep them in the school house until the parents get off work, after 5 p. m. I think a few school do.

Schools opened again Nov. 29. We’re told they get out again two weeks or more for Christmas. This is more reasonable because a lot of parents are off too.

I’ve tried to hire Baylor students, and they are out of school more than the public schools. Usually from well to do families they are ready to go home to dad and mom. (to get their credit cards recharged.)

I learned something about schools I didn’t know. If you get elected on a school board you have to go to school to get so many certified hours. Guess this is a good thing.