I think schools should be segregated.....

[Olioxenfree]

Well this is kind of a horrific idea. ALL CHILDREN are entitled to an equal education regardless of their race, ethnic background, religion, S*x, or whether or not their parent(s) attend PTA meetings.

According to her they don't all deserve it and if you think otherwise you don't support children and that kids should be self motivated. When I explained that parent motivation and child motivation often correlate, she said that is ridiculous because she worked 80+ hour weeks and her kids still devoted themselves to their education. When I said that her kids either had another adult getting them to school and getting them to do their homework while she was working 80+ hour weeks or her kids were somehow able to motivate themselves to do all of that from kindergarten on by themselves, but that isn't the case for most kids, she went on a rant about how much volunteer work she does and how she fed hundreds (never quite understood the relevance of this rant?) and how I never had to work for anything (not sure where that comes from either because it is't un any way true?) and how she was always the one to take her kids to and from school and to care for them and get their homework done, while working 80+ hour weeks? And she's on a board for kids living in poverty and single handedly got a kid into Johns Hopkins (or as she calls it John Hopkins) as guardian ad litem (don't think she knows what that means?), but he didn't want to go so he is a waste of an education. Oh, and she says she hates me. So basically this person either to be honest needs to seek professional help or is a whole new kind of troll.

[Anonymous 1]

Well this is kind of a horrific idea. ALL CHILDREN are entitled to an equal education regardless of their race, ethnic background, religion, S*x, or whether or not their parent(s) attend PTA meetings.

According to her they don't all deserve it and if you think otherwise you don't support children and that kids should be self motivated. When I explained that parent motivation and child motivation often correlate, she said that is ridiculous because she worked 80+ hour weeks and her kids still devoted themselves to their education. When I said that her kids either had another adult getting them to school and getting them to do their homework while she was working 80+ hour weeks or her kids were somehow able to motivate themselves to do all of that from kindergarten on by themselves, but that isn't the case for most kids, she went on a rant about how much volunteer work she does and how she fed hundreds (never quite understood the relevance of this rant?) and how I never had to work for anything (not sure where that comes from either because it is't un any way true?) and how she was always the one to take her kids to and from school and to care for them and get their homework done, while working 80+ hour weeks? And she's on a board for kids living in poverty and single handedly got a kid into Johns Hopkins (or as she calls it John Hopkins) as guardian ad litem (don't think she knows what that means?), but he didn't want to go so he is a waste of an education. Oh, and she says she hates me. So basically this person either to be honest needs to seek professional help or is a whole new kind of troll.

Seriously? I never said any of that.

[Anonymous 1]

Gee, I volunteer with our local youth counselling centre mentoring parents of children with emotional disorders and mental illnesses. Many of them are low income and can't afford to pay out of pocket for services their children need. Many of them are exhausted and aren't mentally or emotionally capable of fighting for their kids anymore. Some single moms are working 3 jobs to feed, clothe and house their children and are getting little help from society or their child's school. They have few waking hours to sit on hold trying to find the services they need only to find they're being sent in circles.

There are crappy parents out there who make excuses but you seem to be painting all of them with the same brush. Until you've walked in the shoes of a low income parent trying to get help for their child please don't judge others based on the small snap shot you see of them at your food bank. Pray tell... if a parent believes their child has a mental health disorder where exactly do they go to get this help you say is readily available? I'd like to tell all the parents I chat with online where it is because a lot of them haven't been able to find it from their local schools, doctors or hospitals. And for parents who thing their child has a learning disability where exactly do they go when the school tells them there's a 2 year waiting list for testing?

I would suggest you round up a few volunteers and set up meetings with the following:

1) Social services. Explain that you’re with such and such non-profit and would like to sit down with someone who can walk you through the resources that are available for low income parents. Social workers routinely help families apply for all sorts of benefits, but only once they are involved. Almost all of those programs are available without the involvement of social services - your clients just have to apply for them themselves (you may want to then train a volunteer or two that can help parents in need of these services to apply).

2) The Department of Health. Most, if not all, states offer free or low cost insurance for children that are not only uninsured but also for children who are UNDERINSURED. At least in my state, testing and mental health services for children are definitely covered by this and income limits are much higher than they are to qualify for Medicaid.

3) Your local volunteer CASA (court appointed special advocate, often called Children in Placement). In addition to the programs that social services can tell you about, CASAs will sometimes know of special programs like camp scholarships, free in home care to give exhausted parents a break, etc.

4) Your local homeless shelter. This can be a great resource for understanding what charitable organizations are ready and able to help with mental illness and addiction services.

5) Your local food bank. If you get lucky, you may run into someone that has done steps 1-4 for your area and provides you a nice information packet about all the aid she has found that’s available, and a handy spreadsheet explaining the income and asset limits for each program .

If you do this or if you find another volunteer to do this, please make sure you drop off your end product to everyone you spoke with as well as counselors at your local schools and mentors at community centers.

ETA: your local food bank may have programs for all kinds of emergency assistance, so that’s the primary information you’re looking for from them.

That looks SO good on paper. I sure wish it worked out that beautifully in real life. I'm taking a shot in the dark and thinking you likely have never actually lived the life many of these people are living who you. But you sure like judging them while you "help" them.

It does if you’re persistent. The first social worker I spoke to was useless, the second was an encyclopedia.

[Olioxenfree]

Well this is kind of a horrific idea. ALL CHILDREN are entitled to an equal education regardless of their race, ethnic background, religion, S*x, or whether or not their parent(s) attend PTA meetings.

According to her they don't all deserve it and if you think otherwise you don't support children and that kids should be self motivated. When I explained that parent motivation and child motivation often correlate, she said that is ridiculous because she worked 80+ hour weeks and her kids still devoted themselves to their education. When I said that her kids either had another adult getting them to school and getting them to do their homework while she was working 80+ hour weeks or her kids were somehow able to motivate themselves to do all of that from kindergarten on by themselves, but that isn't the case for most kids, she went on a rant about how much volunteer work she does and how she fed hundreds (never quite understood the relevance of this rant?) and how I never had to work for anything (not sure where that comes from either because it is't un any way true?) and how she was always the one to take her kids to and from school and to care for them and get their homework done, while working 80+ hour weeks? And she's on a board for kids living in poverty and single handedly got a kid into Johns Hopkins (or as she calls it John Hopkins) as guardian ad litem (don't think she knows what that means?), but he didn't want to go so he is a waste of an education. Oh, and she says she hates me. So basically this person either to be honest needs to seek professional help or is a whole new kind of troll.

Seriously? I never said any of that.

You said literally all of that...

[Anonymous 1]

According to her they don't all deserve it and if you think otherwise you don't support children and that kids should be self motivated. When I explained that parent motivation and child motivation often correlate, she said that is ridiculous because she worked 80+ hour weeks and her kids still devoted themselves to their education. When I said that her kids either had another adult getting them to school and getting them to do their homework while she was working 80+ hour weeks or her kids were somehow able to motivate themselves to do all of that from kindergarten on by themselves, but that isn't the case for most kids, she went on a rant about how much volunteer work she does and how she fed hundreds (never quite understood the relevance of this rant?) and how I never had to work for anything (not sure where that comes from either because it is't un any way true?) and how she was always the one to take her kids to and from school and to care for them and get their homework done, while working 80+ hour weeks? And she's on a board for kids living in poverty and single handedly got a kid into Johns Hopkins (or as she calls it John Hopkins) as guardian ad litem (don't think she knows what that means?), but he didn't want to go so he is a waste of an education. Oh, and she says she hates me. So basically this person either to be honest needs to seek professional help or is a whole new kind of troll.

Seriously? I never said any of that.

You said literally all of that...

I said that you never paid or worked to support things you claim to value on this website. Seriously, Karen, you bought everything I needed for my food bank clients without a concern for anyone but yourself.

If neither child or parent values education then it’s a lost cause in 99.9% of cases.

[TheCut]

The real issue is how public schools are funded in the first place. The children of uninvolved parents shouldn't have unequal access to quality education simply because they're poor. That's why we have public education in the first place. "The great equalizer" and all.