Friday, May 11, 2007

We Can Do Better

Our children get a decent education, but we can to better.

The legislature is trying to give the children of Texas a better education, but the legislature can do better.

One thing we can all do better is to expect more benefits from education, as I explain here.

Another thing we can all do is to vote!

Robert

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Vote, Don't Sue

Parents in Plano have sued the school district.

If there is something you don't like within the district, vote against the incumbents!

Robert

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Parents Must See Tests to Help Their Children

You cannot coach your child on Math or Science or English if you cannot see what mistakes they make. I am very competent in Math, Science, and English, but I cannot help my daughter if I do not know what she gets wrong on tests.

Other parents have also been frustrated enough that they got the Board to vote on the matter. Result? The parents, and the kids, lost. Read about it here.

The administration is not perfect. They make mistakes. But do not give up, go vote against an incumbent!

Robert

Friday, May 4, 2007

Cheating and the PISD's Glass House

I had mentioned in an earlier posting that the PISD should tackle cheating head-on. I had in mind involving parents to give a firm message to our children: "I do not cheat at work and I expect you to not cheat at school."

I did not get that explict in the previous post for brevity, but I did wonder how many parents in Plano do cheat at work, and maybe steal also. I wondered what can of worms might be here in Plano.

Then a Plano citizen told me something I did not know: that the Plano Board of Trustees named a Plano elementary school after a convicted felon.

I was surprised. I've lived in Plano for 14 years and had not heard that. I googled the man's name plus the keyword "felon" and I found multiple hits on the internet that this man was a convicted felon and got a pardon from President George W. Bush in February 2004. The school was dedicated on September 29, 2005. The Board knew what it was doing.

How can the Plano Board of Trustees tell students not to cheat on tests when they honor a man who was sent to prison for cheating in business?

You've heard the expression, if you live in a glass house, don't throw stones. Has the Board built a glass house?

Can the Board talk to students about integrity with this shadow hanging over them?

Robert

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Student Tests and Parental Rights

I mentioned in one meeting how difficult it is to help your high school students when you cannot see what they get wrong on their tests. A parent later expressed the same frustration to me.

If you want to see what your child gets wrong on a test in high school, you must make an appointment to visit the school and look at the test there. That means parents rarely get to see what their children get wrong and the parents cannot help their chilren.

Yes, Plano has a cheating problem, just like all high schools in Texas. But with holding the tests prevents us from helping our kids learn.

Plano should address the cheating problem directly and not hold the tests hostage in an effort to reduce cheating. The kids are cheating anyway, so locking up the tests does little good.

I viewed this as just one more mistake made by the administration. Another parent told me he viewed it as a parental rights issue.

What do you think?

Robert

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Our Children are Tomorrow's Leaders

I have said that we are in a leadership crisis. We must prepare our children to be better leaders than the men and women leading America today.

The key to better leadership is in better education.

My Winding Spring Process of Education is designed to develop better leaders.

A vote for Canright on May 12 is a vote for your children's future.

Robert