I'm concerned my middle-schooler is about to be bombarded with lies and hype in his school's "drug education" program. How do I deal with this, without creating an adversarial relationship with his educators?
6th grade he/she should already know the game if youve raised them well.. he/she just goes with the program at school,keeps his/her mouth shut about the way he/she was raised an mom an dads life choices and answers the questions they ask the way they want them to be answered and move on.. i dont see a issue or why there should be one..
You mean hype about marijuana? Just explain that it's a drug so it's categorized with drugs, but it's safer than heroin, meth,etc so take the hype about those more seriously? I don't know how a kid wouldn't know that by 6th grade, that's a little late with what drugs are accessible at school...they should really know not to try their friends meth/pills/etc by then..especially the pills, they share ADHD meds at a surprising rate in that age group...they should also know what to do if things go wrong. A nice "please dont narc out mommy and daddy" might be needed?
Because how he was raised goes beyond "Mom and Dad's life choices". Mom and Dad really could give or take smoking themselves. It's the larger impact the lies have on culture and consciousness. Above all, I have raised my child to be authentic and ethical. And while to a certain extent he understands game-playing for the sake of getting through, it's the bigger picture of consciousness, change and freedom that I want him to understand. If we are right in our convictions and protected under the first amendment, why do we have to be so sneaky with communication? It's not about smoking ourselves. It's about injustice and institutionalized misguidance. I can pass a piss test. It's not about that. It's about integrity and conviction, and freedom of conscience.
Lol. I just worry that mine's going to come home high again. I think he learned his lesson the first time though, he looked like hell. So your worried that it's going to turn into a legalization/rights of the addict debate? 6th grade seems early for that, maybe high school.
because a child has no constitutional rights at school.because a public school is no more than a government babysitter just looking for a reason to get other governmental agencies involved in you and your childs lives.. if you dont mind butting heads with the system then by all means stand by your convictions.. but that didnt seem like what you wanted from your op..
Actually, the constitution does protect students in public school, especially on topics of political expression. It also protects their parents.
lol,, like i said,, you asked how to avoid confrontation. i told you how.. if thats not really what you want,then by all means assert your right to free speech in public schools.. but dont wonder why there is suddenly "an adversarial relationship with his educators."
No. Because there's no addicts involved. It's about freedom of expression and political dissent. It's about honesty and integrity in education, regardless of where one stands on legalization. But ideally, I'd like to bypass the conflict altogether, and approach it in a non-threatening manner. I'm not out to overthrow the regime (yet)! The one goal I am working towards is changing how we educate, or at least opening up other options for dialogue and education, to focus less on hype, lies, and scare tactics and more on honesty, accurate factual information, and harm-reduction. I am not interested in creating an adversarial relationship with the schools, (even if I do think the status quo of public education is bullshit) or in playing a lying game when freedom of thought and communication is on the line. So if I have to not smoke so they don't have anything to "rat me out" for, I'll do it. Justice is more important to me than "getting away with it". And I understand that's a steep uphill battle at a snail's pace. This issue is really important to me. More important than getting high. So the rest of the revolution can wait for now. Is anyone here familiar with this resource? http://www.safety1st.org/
Oh I have every intention of doing so. Thank you for reminding me to keep that important aspect of activism at the forefront of consciousness. I guess the first step is to develop a clearer picture of what the school is already doing, rather than making assumptions, find out first hand, and also do test the climate a bit? There may already be some awareness of educational alternatives already. Oh Jesus, I'm going to have to learn to stomach PTA meetings, aren't I? I found these talking points. http://www.safety1st.org/content/view/114/139/ I like that they present sane alternatives to the status quo, and focuses on the real needs of students, parents and educators, something it's easy to lose sight of when opinions are polarized. It's not about us and them, it's about meeting needs. Compliance with state regulations is a need, but so are constitutional freedoms. So while we may have to accept, "this is the way it is", we don't necessarily have to lose our rights to say "but we believe there's a better way." And we can communicate that without being dicks about it, I believe.
Over here if people don't like the public school system teaching their kids they don't send them there or they join the PTO and work towards making it more of a community that way. The ones that don't send their kids either home-school or use the alternative schools they've set up which are kinda foofy IMO teaching the kids about pixies and fairies and knitting and singing about Giya all day with somewhat minimal education but they seem happy for the most part and the kids get lots of outdoor play time.
DARE is a fucking propaganda tool used by the government... they're teaching children to snitch out their parents, just like in 1984. They're teacing children to becoming their little thought police scouts. That's one reason afraid to have a kid because kids don't know how to keep their damn mouths shut.
Anti-Drug Campaigns Dumb Down Vital Message Mothers Against the Drug Czar’s War on Kids Drug laws fertilize teen violence July 18, 2008 MAMA formed in 1982 to address the multifaceted issues of substance use, misuse and abuse. MAMA's approach is based on Personal Responsibility, and Informed Decision Making, with Respect for Human Dignity Distortion 10: Young People and Drugs Distortion 10: Current drug policy protects American youth. Untrue. Current drug policy harms America's young people in many ways. "The horrors experienced by many young inmates, particularly those who are convicted of nonviolent offenses, border on the unimaginable. Prison rape not only threatens the lives of those who fall prey to their aggressors, but it is potentially devastating to the human spirit. Shame, depression, and a shattering loss of self-esteem accompany the perpetual terror the victim thereafter must endure." U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Farmer v. Brennan Just Detention International. Bong Hits 4 Jesus CU Police Return Marijuana To Student By Vanessa Miller CN Source: Daily Camera September 22, 2008 Colorado University of Colorado police on Monday returned marijuana to a CU student -- who's a medical-marijuana cardholder -- after officers in May confiscated about two ounces of the drug from the freshman outside his residence hall room. Now-CU sophomore Edward Nicholson, 20, had threatened to sue the university after he said CU police confiscated marijuana that he's legally certified to administer to his brother -- who Nicholson said suffers from chronic, debilitating pain from football injuries. Survey: One In Five High Schools Drug Test Students September 25, 2008 - Washington, DC Washington, DC: An estimated one in five high schools and one in ten middle schools engage in some form of student drug testing - including random testing, according to survey data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and published in the fall issue of Strategies for Success, a newsletter of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). "Findings indicate that the number of schools conducting … drug testing may be [approximately] 4,000 - more than double the highest estimates cited previously," the ONDCP reported. In all, 14.6 percent of all public and private middle schools and high schools now conduct some type of student drug testing, the CDC's School Health Policies and Programs study found. Slightly more than 50 percent of these schools reported conducted random drug testing among specific groups of students. Of the schools that drug test, 84 percent utilize urinalysis - a method that detects the presence of inactive drug metabolites, but does not have the ability to determine recent drug use or impairment. Fifteen percent of schools employ hair follicle testing, the study reported. Eight percent use saliva testing, and three percent use sweat patch testing technology. Of the drugs screened for, 86 percent of schools test for the presence of marijuana. By contrast, 75 percent of school drug testing programs screen for cocaine, 50 percent screen for alcohol, and fewer than 20 percent test for nicotine. Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on School Health resolved, "There is little evidence of the effectiveness of school-based drug testing," and warned that students subjected to random testing programs may experience "an increase in known risk factors for drug use." The Academy also warned that school-based drug testing programs could decrease student involvement in extracurricular activities and undermine trust between pupils and educators. A 2003 cross-sectional study of national student drug testing programs previously reported, "Drug testing, as practiced in recent years in American secondary schools, does not prevent or inhibit student drug use." A 2007 prospective randomized clinical trial also reported that students who underwent random drug testing did not differ in their self-reported drug use compared to students at neighboring schools who were not enrolled in drug testing programs. For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. Text Messaging Impacts Psychomotor Skills Far More Than Cannabis September 25, 2008 - London, United Kingdom Virtues' of Ganja Groups Endorsing RxGanja Politics of Pot Drug War Distortions Drugwar Lies Linked to Schizophrenia
The state regulates subject, but not content. They can say we have to teach drug education, but not tell us what to say about it. I found that out when we were homeschooling.
that im sure is for home schoolers. i think you will find that in the public school system they DO have a set curriculum that the teachers must go by. at least that is the way it is here in georgia.
Yes they do. But it is perfectly ok for parents to inquire what that is, voice objections, and offer suggestions, as long as they can do so without being a jerk about it. The DARE program is not required, and it is possible to opt out as it is not the school's entire drug education program. When parents opt out, if they can present alternatives, such as the Safety1st project, schools like that because it shows that ultimately, we're on the same "side" as far as having the kids' best interest in mind. Although, it's likely that the climate in most parts of Georgia is very different than it is here in the New Paltz/Woodstock area of NYS! So I can see why some parents might be hesitant to even inquire about alternatives at their school. I haven't decided yet whether to opt out, or to allow him to attend with guidance, but presenting alterntatives may be welcome anyway.
Sorry, but public school is not consistent with freedom of expression, political dissent, honesty, integrity, or justice. This isn't a new thing, this is what public school is for. http://www.thememoryhole.org/edu/school-mission.htm has some great quotes from the founders of our public education system. Either you teach your child to submit to the authority of the school and end up a sheep as intended, or you teach your child to play the game and fake it. Really middle school is a bit late to be making these kind of important decisions, but it's about your last chance. Playing the game applies to a lot more than just drug "education" and the school attempting to get students to rat out their parents. It applies to doing bogus homework assignments. It applies to going to school at all when the parents don't care enough about the child to homeschool them. Your child can't be ethical and succeed in public school. For example, what about the issue of cheating? Is he to rat people out for cheating, or is he to have friends? The primary positive result of schooling is socialization. Honestly if your middle-schooler is learning much in school, then you are not doing your job of teaching him. It is probably time for an honest talk about what the public education system is for, why it is important to play the game, and that this is necessary until the end of high school. You might choose now to tell him that the better he plays the game now, the more freedom he can have towards the end of high school and certainly after. Or it may be too soon for him to understand the long-term results. When I went through public school, I was idealistic, and suffered greatly for it. I was warned to play the game a few times, but received these warnings much too late and without sufficient explanation. A lot of public school education is as wrong as the drug education. We were taught that LSD breaks your chromosomes. We were also taught that glass flows at room temperature, and that this explains old windows being of uneven thickness and thicker at the bottom. 90% of what we were taught in history later turned out to be lies. If you want your child to come out with an actual education, they must learn how to do their own research. They must be aware that most teachers are people who failed at doing anything else in life - but yet they must know to feign respect for them so as to avoid trouble. Sometimes the misinformation in school is complicated. For example, we were taught that tobacco contains thousands of chemicals. But we were not told that all plants contain thousands of chemicals, and that the functioning of all life is the interaction between huge numbers of chemicals. Although we received a simplified view of it in biology, we were not told that the reality was more complicated. I hope this is not the first time you've given thought to the education of your child and how public school will interfere with it.
Sorry for the moderate-bump.. but: When I went through the program when I was younger, I already knew the right and wrong, and the propoganda spewing government. Therefore it did not affect me, and I just simply ignored their teachings. It's best to educate your child yourself right and wrong, do not let THEM do it.
