Abandoning the Right to Criticize Your School

What parent of a school aged child has not muttered to him/herself in the evening when going to pick-up poster board for their child's school project (which of course, is due tomorrow)?  "Why does the teacher always make more work for me, the parent?"  "Why don't they just call this 'parentwork' instead of 'homework'?"  Name any school project, and for certain, their are parents out there grumbling about it.

There is comfort in group mumblings and complaints.  Sounding boards for our frustrations, irritations and complaints are soothing to our battered, stressed-out selves.  There is definitely something to be said for finding another parent who agrees that Mrs. So&So, the [fill in grade level] Grade teacher isn't doing a very good job this year.

Parents make excellent educational "Monday Morning Quarterbacks."  We certainly know when our child's individual needs are not being met.  We know our own child's sensitivities better than anyone else and it can be very easy to see why a certain textbook or school project is a poor fit for our child.  It may be too boring and not challenging enough for our eager, bright student.  It may utilize and emphasize a learning style which in no way corresponds to our child's learning style.  It may simply be to advanced for where our child currently is educationally, and it does not take a crystal ball to foresee the tears and frustrations that will be forthcoming before the assignment is complete and on Mrs. So&So's desk.

What parent has not felt a bit vindicated or validated by another parent echoing the same complaints about Mrs. So&So at the ball field or waiting in the carpool line?  There is safety in numbers, especially when feeling disgruntled or concerned.

So what does the parent feel who decides to take responsibility for their child's education by becoming the "TEACHER?"  Simple, TERROR!

Good-bye parking lot gripe sessions!  Good-bye ball park commiserations!  The buck stops here!

The only fault-finding now, will be with yourself and your spouse.  Yikes!  That's scary enough to make you run back to the school with your re-enrollment papers.

My mother always said that I never did things the easy way, so why start now?