LilSugar

Should Parents Be Responsible For Kids' Actions in School?

LilSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:47 -0700

Sit down and behave yourself will take on a new meaning in British schools this year. Under a government plan, parents of children enrolled in state schools will be required to sign a Home School Agreement regarding rules on attendance, behavior, school uniforms and homework. Should kids break the rules, their parents could face court proceedings and a fine up to $1,600. In explaining the reasoning for the new rules, the British schools secretary said:

If the large majority of parents are doing the right thing but a small minority do not engage you can have one lesson for 30 kids disrupted by one child. Every parent will have to, as part of the admissions process, say they take on board the obligations in the Home School Agreement, and every parent will be expected to reaffirm that every year.

In a rather unique twist, parents will have the ability to complain about other moms and dads that are not complying with the agreement. If the parents are found guilty, the courts can force them to attend parenting classes to ensure better behavior. Would you want to see such rules enforced in the United States?

No More A's, B's, and C's For New York Elementary Schools

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:00:31 -0700

Students in New York Elementary Schools will no longer receive traditional letter grades - A, B, C, D, and F - to evaluate their performance. A new grading system assigns a number - 1, 2, 3, or 4 - to assess the student's skill set. Across the nation, numerous schools have adapted to the standard-based report card system. As a parent, what's your opinion?

Arkansas Teacher Used Tape to Get Students to Sit Still

LilSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:00:52 -0700

Parents send their kids to school assuming it's a safe place to learn, but that wasn't the case in one Risen elementary school. An Arkansas first grade teacher has been placed on administrative leave after angry parents of nine of her twelve students brought child abuse allegations against her. They are accusing the educator of taping their young children to their chairs as punishment for not sitting still. The Sheriff's Department, DHS and the school board are all investigating the situation.

Have You Ever Misused Your Kid's School Directory?

LilSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:00:00 -0800

A booklet of personal phone numbers and email addresses has proven too tempting for many New York parents who use or abuse their children's school directories for their own benefit. Rather than planning playdates and organizing classroom snack schedules, moms and pops are using the resource to send political mailings, real estate listings and fundraising inquiries.

Have you used your child's school directory for other reasons?

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India Hicks Sends Her Kids to School on Another Continent

LilSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:00:17 -0800

India Hicks (host of last season's Top Design) has many titles, but none is more important than mother. In the latest issue of Cookie magazine, the model/designer mum to four who lives with two of her children and her partner in the Bahamas, talked about making the difficult decision to send her older boys, Felix, 11, and Amory, 9, to boarding school in England. She said:

"There's a point where you outgrow an island education," she explains. "Especially boys, who need to be socialized and have laboratories, art departments, and playing fields." That said, she adds, "I miss them unbearably. It's a physical pain. I hop on and off that plane to London like it's a bus."

Would you be able to bear this kind of separation if it meant a better education for your kids?

Six-Year-Old Gives Himself License to Drive

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:10 -0800

You miss your bus so you hop in the car. Not a big deal...except if you are six! A Virginia boy put the pedal to the metal in his family's Ford Taurus after he missed his ride on Monday. While his mom slept, he grabbed the keys and got going, running off the road multiple times before he hit an embankment and utility pole. Luckily, he suffered only minor injuries despite not having buckled up and even made it to class after a trip to the hospital. What is going on in the world these days? One kid takes the wheel and a couple of others tried to get hitched?
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Lil Tip: Help Your Child Adjust to a New School

LilSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:00:24 -0800

The Obama girls started their new school, Sidwell Friends, yesterday. While most students don't ride to school in a motorcade flanked by the Secret Service, a mid-year transition can be difficult for any child. As Malia and Sasha move into their new digs, the White House, they will also be forging new friendships and getting familiar with their surroundings.

If your tot is adjusting to a new educational environment, help them along by hosting a party so they can get acquainted with their peers, reaching out to other parents in the PTA and keeping the lines of communication open in case your youngster wants to chat.

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Did You Choose Your Home Based on the Schools?

LilSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800

The debate over public versus private school can be a heated one that has even worked its way up to the presidential level. Last week, I told you about the beginning of my quest to find the perfect school for my daughter and that got me thinking.

Did you choose your home based on the school system your child will attend?

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The Kindergarten Chronicles: Why School Is So Scary

LilSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:45 -0800

The first day of school is a cinch, it's the process of getting there that's a hassle. I remember being excited about my own entree to kindergarten - slipping into my plaid uniform and putting on my brand new backpack hoping for homework. I was five-years-old and now twenty-six years later, I will relive that moment with my daughter in a matter of months. Currently in Pre-K, she's on her way to grammar school. While my lil darling enjoys making noodle necklaces, learns to perfect the angle of her letters and memorizes our street address, I hurry from school tour to open house, trying to find the pulse of an academic establishment that will educate her for the next nine years. I did this mad dash for preschool a few years back, but it was so much simpler. To see why, read more.

I was more concerned with her safety (I checked the fences to make sure they were locked) than the things that come to my mind these days. Will the institution I choose offer my girl a core curriculum that will make her thrive, teachers that are still passionate about inspiring students and friends that she will bond with for the rest of her life? And, the real issue is -will she get in? We live in a city where competition is fierce, tuition is high and seats are limited. If you want to join me on this once in a lifetime journey (siblings get priority!), check in to lil's new feature where I'll be updating you.

Please chime in if you have your own story to share!

To Pledge or Not to Pledge

LilSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:42 -0800

The Pledge of Allegiance has been routinely said in classrooms since the 1800s. Many youngsters mumble it out of habit, but students at Woodbury Elementary in Vermont are well aware of the words they are stating. The school has banned the practice of the pledge in the classroom so students who wish to partake in the morning routine do so in the gym and then return to their studies.

This arrangement has some parents up in arms, as they don't feel their offspring should have to say "one nation under God" in a private setting. What do you think - is this a practical solution for families on both sides of the issue?