[tokenadult]

You are willing to send your child away for more hours per day than you spend with him and place him with adults you don't trust?

In almost all countries of the world, school attendance is compulsory for certain age ranges in default of government-approved alternatives. Perhaps the author of the grandparent comment acquiesces to children attending school more than being actively "willing" to have the children in school. In any event, the statement is correct that it is a parent's responsibility to protect minor children, and that includes protecting children from haughty teachers who are unwilling to allow parents to have the power to shop, the power to CHOOSE teachers as readily as parents choose grocers, physicians, community sports coaches, and other adults who influence children's lives.

AFTER EDIT: This addition to this comment was posted only after the back-and-forth below (to the "great-grandchild" comment level) about the unchanged original version of this comment above. Let me be clear: a lot of the zero-sum head-butting between teachers and parents would go away if only the system were changed so that parents of minor learners have greatly expanded choice in where their children go to school at public expense. Currently, the public policy position of most schoolteacher labor unions in most countries is that school attendance should be compulsory, that schooling should mostly be provided by government agencies, and that learners should be assigned to schools rather than have a wide choice of schools. All of those public policy positions entrench union leaders in political power, but none treat schoolteachers as professionals. Services that are CHOSEN by clients are largely appreciated by clients. Indeed, in the United States even a food stamp recipient doesn't tell off a grocer, because even shoppers who obtain a public subsidy for what they buy are still accorded the basic dignity of being able to choose where they take their business. Not all teachers are a good fit for all learners, no matter how fine the teacher (and no matter how dedicated the learner). It's best for everyone, and promotes more respect for teachers as professionals, to put learners at liberty to shop around for the learning situations that fit them best. The international examples I've read about (particularly the Netherlands) strongly suggest that teachers, learners, and taxpayers all benefit from having more rather than less choice.

http://www.amazon.com/Contrasting-Models-State-School-Compar...

[lutorm]

Your arrogance is stunning. Do you also feel justified in telling grocers, physicians, and sports coaches how to do their jobs?

Of course you are free to choose a school for your child. But don't tell me you know my job better than I do.

[tokenadult]

How did I indicate arrogance in the grandparent comment? Do I get the choice or whether or not to use your services as a teacher, or must I be assigned and compelled to use your services? If I have but one choice of a teacher, you can be sure that I will question the teacher early and often about how the teacher is designing the class and evaluating the students. That's the right thing to do to make sure that my children are getting a good education.

One of the neglected benefits of school choice for teachers is that parents who don't see eye-to-eye with a teacher, perhaps because of background the parents have gained in their own educations, can simply take their business elsewhere. Meanwhile, parents who are at liberty to shop for the best match for their children are all the more likely to appreciate the thoughtful work of the teachers who fit their children best.

[lutorm]

Arrogance was indicated by the tone implying that you knew best... Of course taking an interest in your child's education is good, noone would argue otherwise. But second-guessing the teacher is another matter.

Of course there are bad teachers, just like in any other profession. But I'd like to think that I'm not one, and on the off-chance that you'd have a kid on those rare occasions when I teach something, I'd hope that your presumption is that I'm a competent individual, unless confronted with evidence to the contrary. (And your child scoring low on a test is not.)