While I love your admonishment to parents in your recent editorial I think you are missing the boat about schools in Madera (I don’t know about Valley-wide).
I am an art teacher from the Madera Arts Council who teaches in all the public schools. I go to all the 3rd and 4th grades and sometimes kindergarten through junior high. I see first hand how the kids and teachers are and how the teachers teach and what their classrooms are like. I am very impressed with Madera teachers and kids.
Kids are kids. They act up, especially when they see the art lady coming. The teachers always tell them to show respect. I see the Madera teachers really making an effort to instill good habits in their students.
What classes have you been going to that you feel the teachers need to do better? I think the whole question about why schools — in general — are not performing at a high level is a deeply complicated one.
That said, I completely agree with you about the role parents play. Unfortunately, the behavior I see displayed in too many parents makes me think they should not have been allowed to have kids. But that’s something that is beyond the scope of this letter.
Thank you for your continued work in making this a more cohesive community and encouraging people to rise to their best and most thoughtful behavior.
— Renée Benoit,
Madera