Daily Herald (Chapter 10)

Here is the link to Chapter 10. You can access all of the chapters through this link. I am going to assemble all of the stats and chapters in a more compact form. Let me know if you want at copy.

I've been collecting these articles so thanks for the link. Now I can get everything in one place. I would LOVE a copy of what you compile. My next career step - at some point - will be to pursue a degree that helps me change the way schools are run, how they reach varied learners and how we pay teachers....it's only a matter of time until a total re-vamp needs to occur. Healthcare system = same thing.

Echo thanks for the link. Great (if dismaying) information...

I read this article. I have a freshman in college, who graduated from Glenbard West. He is taking a remedial English class because of the test they give before you register for classes at COD. I think he really struggles with the English classes. Part of me thinks it is the way he was taught in the primary grades in Dist. 41. Because my 7th grader does really well in Langueage Arts, as they call it now. The curriculum has changed. Maybe my older one just doesn't care. Half of my son's class at Glenbard West is going to COD. It does make you wonder what we are paying for.

I have to say this also. My son had no clue what he wanted to do, or major in. So COD was the logical choice for him. It is a good place to start. Sometimes I think there are too many choices for the regular kids in this town. And parents go crazy asking where is your kid going etc. etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Nelson:
I have to say this also. My son had no clue what he wanted to do, or major in. So COD was the logical choice for him. It is a good place to start. Sometimes I think there are too many choices for the regular kids in this town. And parents go crazy asking where is your kid going etc. etc.

big high-five to you, nelson, for choosing and/or guiding your child to COD. and you're right on about the pressures on kids to make a college decision when they're not really sure is really tough on them. truth be told, now more than ever before in our history, they are being heavily marketed to by not only the colleges, but also by their peers, HS officials and, yeah, neighbors.

i love the look on parents faces when i tell them i'm suggesting my kid take a "gap" year or two to ground himself as well as explore other options. they look at me like i have a disease, yet smile and nod stepfordianly with false approval. and the college name dropping game is always fun w/some GE/GW parents. . . they love to drop those big-dollar school names.

You old cantankerous SOB. You make it sound like he (a really nice kid, BTW) is taking a gap year to roam the streets of Paris and read Sartre in cafes. But in all fairness to the typical GE/GW parent. . .he really does have solid plans on what he will do in that "time off", correct?

I have no problem with kids heading off to college immediately after H.S. On the other hand, I have told many who are foolish enough to come to me for mentoring/guidance (I know, I know...sounds preposterous, but happens all the time)...to take one or two years off after college. I try to explain to them that work is....uh....work, and youth is fleeting. Do what you can and want to early in life, 'cuz it's going to be a long time until you have the time and opportunity to do it later on. Unless you're Fish. Then you just do whatever you want, whenever you want.

TA: Taking a couple of years off??? What are you, Mormon?

Send the kid to college and let him scramble for fake ID's with the rest of the 18 year-olds. What fun is it when you're 21?

Well....I guess that's another way of looking at it.

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
You old cantankerous SOB. You make it sound like he (a really nice kid, BTW) is taking a gap year to roam the streets of Paris and read Sartre in cafes. But in all fairness to the typical GE/GW parent. . .he really does have solid plans on what he will do in that "time off", correct?

first off, i shouldn't respond until you get the "quotes go outside commas and periods" thing figured out, but i will anyway. promise me you'll work on it though.

once again, you've misread one of my posts. read it again. i'm the one suggesting the gap year(s), not the kid. and before you ask, yes, we've talked about what he'd be doing. alas, he's been so thoroughly spun, marketed to and mind-washed that he's convinced he'll be ostracized by society should he jump off the education treadmill now. it's sad if you ask me.

quote:

Originally posted by t.a. superette:
he's convinced he'll be ostracized by society should he jump off the education treadmill now. it's sad if you ask me.

I shall forever ostracize him. It will look something like this.

TA, If you would like me to talk to your son about this, I'd be happy to. He has options and yes, even after a year off, he'll have options. Let me know - it's my "thing" to know this stuff. Heck, I'm kind of taking a "Gap Year" myself!

Potts, Are you sure that isn't an Emu?

quote:

Originally posted by Amy:
TA, If you would like me to talk to your son about this, I'd be happy to. He has options and yes, even after a year off, he'll have options. Let me know - it's my "thing" to know this stuff. Heck, I'm kind of taking a "Gap Year" myself!

1000 thanks for this, amy. we are waiting for a couple more schools responses, then we're going to talk about options/decisions. it could be valuable to bring an unbiased, well informed party into the process.

i'll float this by son #2 to see what he thinks (you're a HS school counselor, right?). if he goes for it, i'll circle back once all our school data is in our hands.

thx again!

. . . oh, and yes, that's an emu.

So much for images.google.com.

Fine though, I will forever emucize him.

quote:

Originally posted by t.a. superette:

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
You old cantankerous SOB. You make it sound like he (a really nice kid, BTW) is taking a gap year to roam the streets of Paris and read Sartre in cafes. But in all fairness to the typical GE/GW parent. . .he really does have solid plans on what he will do in that "time off", correct?

first off, i shouldn't respond until you get the "quotes go outside commas and periods" thing figured out, but i will anyway. promise me you'll work on it though.

once again, you've misread one of my posts. read it again. i'm the one suggesting the gap year(s), not the kid. and before you ask, yes, we've talked about what he'd be doing. alas, he's been so thoroughly spun, marketed to and mind-washed that he's convinced he'll be ostracized by society should he jump off the education treadmill now. it's sad if you ask me.

OK, OK, OK. . .I get it. I don't put the punctuation marks inside the quotation marks. Just like I have never properly used ellipses, either. Old habits die hard. Good thing I don't write for a living . BTW, does the emoticon come before or after the period in this case?

Also, you are an old, cantankerous SOB. That being said, my wife insists that I remain polite, civil and friendly to you as she enjoys hanging out with your wife. I think we might even be having dinner Saturday night if I'm not mistaken. So . . .uh . . .have a good day. See you at the Cops and Coffee session Saturday.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by t.a. superette:
1000 thanks for this, amy. we are waiting for a couple more schools responses, then we're going to talk about options/decisions. it could be valuable to bring an unbiased, well informed party into the process.

i'll float this by son #2 to see what he thinks (you're a HS school counselor, right?). if he goes for it, i'll circle back once all our school data is in our hands.

[QUOTE]

Yes, I'm a high school counselor on a one-year leave this year. I spent seven years as a counselor specilizing in college and career and one as a genearal counselor. I was an art teacher before that (that's probably not here nor there unless your son is considering to study art). I'd be happy to assist if you think it would be helpful. Of course, I am not predisposed to any one plan for high school graduates. The path taken should reflect each individual's personal goals/values/beliefs. Just yell if you want to meet up over a coffee or something. Clam knows how to reach me.

And I do know my emus. I lived in Australia for a year and found emus to be quite entertaining!

"Leave." Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:

OK, OK, OK. . .I get it. I don't put the punctuation marks inside the quotation marks. Just like I have never properly used ellipses, either. Old habits die hard. Good thing I don't write for a living . BTW, does the emoticon come before or after the period in this case?

emoticons are to never be used by folks over 40. neither is the expression "oh no you dih-ent."

quote:

Also, you are an old, cantankerous SOB. That being said, my wife insists that I remain polite, civil and friendly to you as she enjoys hanging out with your wife. I think we might even be having dinner Saturday night if I'm not mistaken. So . . .uh . . .have a good day. See you at the Cops and Coffee session Saturday.

so now i'm old too? geez, i was just getting comfortable w/cantankerous.

haven't heard about dinner this weekend. i'll go, but you can't make me have a good time.

coffee w/cops: my topic will be "how can the cops get better at enforcing the 5-hour residential street parking ordinance?" if they do it right, they will generate a nice revenue stream and we all can go back to having nice wide residential streets with smooth traffic flow. unfortunately, the coffee drinking cops will only placate me and suggest they're doing the best the can w/the ONE service cop they can afford to do this duty. They'll go on to say he has his hands full just enforcing the CBD and the HS area. I'll take another swig of coffee, shrug, mutter that this tete-e-tete was a waste of a good saturday morning, then wander back to my simple, apathetic lifestyle.

. . .but before i do, i'll wait to hear the throngs who've come to bemoan GE's homeless problem. . . ("oh no he dih-ent just say that!")

quote:

. . .but before i do, i'll wait to hear the throngs who've come to bemoan GE's homeless problem. . . ("oh no he dih-ent just say that!")

That would be me and I've already spoken to our "top cop" 2x about this issue, thank you. It's beyond coffee at this point. Maybe if they had an event called Cocktails with the Cops or even "Shots" with the Cops, I could more easily be persuaded.

BTW, I never saw Clam last week to get your contact info. If you still want to discuss your tax appeal, send me your info via the other message board and we'll get together.