First day hardest — for Mom
I will not cry. I will not cry.
Who am I kidding? I’m gonna cry.
This is a week of goodbyes and new beginnings. Today is my daughter’s last day at the daycare she’s attended since she was five months old.
She started in the baby room at one end of the building and has moved up through every classroom, now finishing a year in pre-kindergarten.
Her teachers have advised me (how to get a breastfeeding baby to take a bottle), admonished me (where did Adi learn that “bad” word?), and helped me adjust to all the wonderful and bewildering changes of a child growing, learning and loving.
I don’t know Adi’s new teacher yet. I meet her today. I’m sure she will be wonderful and kind and enthusiastic.
I hope she won’t wonder why there are tears in my eyes. They are happy tears. My baby is growing up.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
School supplies shopping can be educational
Shopping for school supplies can be more than an errand, it can be a great learning experience for your child.
Parenting expert Michele Borba recommends having your child help you make a list of supplies, then look for store flyers to find the best deals. Younger children that can’t write can cut out photos of the supplies they want.
Together you can make a budget with your child, and then hit the store to gather the goodies. Borba said allowing your child to pay for the items (using a gift card or your credit card) also can help teach them financial responsibility.
Borba also recommends that families stock up on supplies that are real bargains. Sure you may only need five notebooks, but if they are 5-cents each, why not buy 50?
What advice do you have for buying school supplies? E-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com or comment here.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
‘Solace for the skeptics and fodder for the fans’
Less than 1 percent of public school students in Oklahoma attend charter schools, and Oklahomans make up less than half a percent of the nation’s total population of charter students.
But there were still 4,708 students enrolled in charters here last year — more than 4,000 students to whom charters do matter.
That figure is according to the new Annual Survey of America’s Charter Schools by The Center for Education Reform.
Jeanne Allen, the center’s president, calls the results “educational for the uninitiated, solace for the skeptics and fodder for the fans.”
So whether you find this information to be educational, solace or fodder, here are some highlights:
- -There are 1.2 million students in about 4,100 charter schools nationwide. There are about 4,700 students in 15 charters in Oklahoma.
-Demand is growing, based on the size of wait lists that grew 33 percent over the previous year. However, growth dipped for the first time ever due to caps in some states.
-Charter schools operate with less public funding than regular schools.
-About 40 percent of charters serve majority-minority populations.
-A sampling of state data shows charter schools consistently outperform their conventional counterparts. (Locally, Dove Science Academy, a charter school in Oklahoma City, has the highest API score in the state.)
And while the report did not draw the conclusion that all schools should be able to close the racial achievement gap because charter schools are raising minorities’ performance, others have used this type of data to make that argument.
That thought reminded me of something a presenter said at the Hechinger Institute seminar I attended earlier this month in New York.
Professor Douglas Ready said that there is a selection bias in play, that the low-income, single-parent, minority children in the charter schools are not the same as the low-income, single-parent, minority children in traditional schools.
Their parents are in some way different in that they found reason and time to take a proactive stance in enrolling their children in such a school, Ready said.
Share your thoughts on charter schools in the comment section below.
Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter
The crown stays at home
I was looking at school supplies yesterday for my 5-year-old, who starts kindergarten next month. I didn’t have a list of required items, but was temped to buy her some Disney Princess notebooks. Instead I e-mailed her principal about what she’d need.
Turns out that most parents at this school opt to give the teachers a minimal amount to buy the school supplies needed for the class. That way, all the kids have what they need, and there’s no bickering over who has the coolest stuff.
I like this idea, and I’m warming up to the idea of a school dress code; in this case, the kids wear basic shirts, pants and skirts in navy, white and khaki colors.
My daughter will still be my “pink-loving little princess,” she’ll just do most of her costuming at home.
What do you think about rules regarding dress codes and school supplies? Does such conformity squash individuality, or does it allow kids to focus more on the important stuff — learning.
Comment here or e-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Dads step up to the plate
My mom was involved in the PTA at the schools my brother and I attended.
I always imagined that PTA meetings were full of other parents just like my mom — people who I saw doing everything from making photocopies for teachers to raising money for student clubs to organizing field trips.
It didn’t occur to me then, really, to think of PTA meetings as being full of parents who were just like somebody’s dad.
But Byron Garrett will become the association’s first black male chief executive officer at its national convention next week.
He follows in the footsteps of Chuck Saylors, who last year became the organization’s first male president-elect.
Males make up about 10 percent of PTA membership. Here’s what a recent PTA survey has to say about their influence:
- -More than 75 percent of respondents described their PTA’s level of male involvement as “somewhat involved,” “involved” or “very involved.”
- -A little less than 75 percent of respondents said male involvement is “valued” or “very valued” by the PTA.
- -More than 50 percent of respondents said their PTA holds a special membership drive, hosts specific male-oriented events or in some other way specifically tries to attract and retain male members.
Comment below to share how your school encourages father figures to get involved.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Do your homework on school choices
Earlier this week, a co-worker asked for help finding a list ranking metro area public schools.
It’s a question I’ve heard from parents before: How do I find out what school is best for my child?
Here are some resources you might find helpful if you’re wondering the same thing.
1) www.schoolreportcard.org/reports.htm#dist – These are report cards compiled by an oversight board. They contain a substantial amount of district- and school-level data. The 2007 reports just came out.
2) www.greatschools.net – This allows for comparison of individual schools and includes parent comments. I’d say you have to take those comments with a grain of salt – a school might not be bad just because one parent has a bad experience – but nevertheless it may also be useful.
3) http://sde.state.ok.us/NCLB/pdf/api2007.pdf – This contains a straight comparison of district and school state test scores.
4) Visit school Web sites and call the schools you are considering, especially for children with special needs, gifted status or particular interests, to see what school is best for each child.
If there other ways you gauge school choices, share them here on the Education Station.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Sugar Plum Fantasies
I learned an ugly truth in second grade. From a teacher no less.
The tooth fairy may not be an actual wing-wearing, coin-toting magical creature after all. She might be nothing but a fairy-tale.
I was horrified, scandalized, and permanently immunized — against such childish flights of fancy.
Now I’m a parent, and I’m wondering if there’s ever a right time to shine the glaring light of reality onto a child’s eyes. At what age should you have that “talk” about imaginary heroes propagated by toy sellers and story books.
Maybe you never have that talk, and the innocent learn the hard truth from playmates or teachers. Yes, you wait. Because childhood fantasy is a precious gift and dreams don’t come gift-wrapped by elves.
Susan Simpson, Staff Writer
Treat for Mom Too
I grew up on a farm so trick-or-treating was tricky. We’d drive to some neighbors’ houses and then into “town” to visit a select more friends. The upside to this was that we knew all the candy was safe. But we never experienced the tradition of walking around a neighborhood.
I live in the suburbs now, in a neighborhood I really like. Last night, my daughter and I met up with some other families on our block to trick or treat. This group had lived in the neighborhood a long time, so they knew which houses had the best decorations or really splurged on the treats. My daughter loved traveling in a pack with lots of other kids, and I liked talking to the other parents about such important things as what to do if you are blocks from home but your child needs to use the “facilities.” The answer to that depends on the type of costume said child is wearing.
So while farm life can seem idyllic — and at times it was — I think there’s a lot to be said for reaching out to neighbors that live across the street — not over the next hay field.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
52-Pickup
I don’t know how to shuffle cards. At least not neatly. A few always pop out of my hands or fall to the floor. No biggie, since the card games I play at this (Mommy) stage of life are Go Fish and Uno.
But help is available for folks that can shuffle and want to get a job at a casino. Oklahoma City Community College is offering noncredit online courses in dealing poker, blackjack and baccarat.
The courses are offered through Gatlin Education Services and The Johnny Chan Academy. Chan is 10-time winner of the World Series of Poker.
The courses aren’t cheap. $1,195 for the 75-hour baccarat class, and $1,395 each for the other two classes, which are 100-hours each.
OCCC says students that complete the program get job placement help from the Johnny Chan Academy.
What do you think? I don’t know what dealers earn here or elsewhere. Is this a career gamble that you would take?
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
How to Take the Work out of Homework
Homework.
It’s a noun with a public relations problem. While accurate — it is work that you do at home — it just doesn’t sound like a lot of fun — with the work part and all.
Maybe we should start calling it Supplemental Educational Opportunities? Or Brain-Boosting Bonanza? “B-to-the-3″ has a nice ring.
Regardless of its name, homework is here to stay. My step-daughter has been bringing home assignments since she was in kindergarten. We usually try to get it out of the way early in the evening, but sometimes it’s a struggle to fit it in or keep her focused.
What tips do you have for helping your children with homework? How do you assist the younger ones, or encourage older students? Do you think homework is worthwhile?
E-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
