[hippichiclv]

Originally Posted by WOHR

I recently read on a Cleveland website that they wanted parents to have 15 mandatory volunteer hours at their children's school or they would have to pay a fine. I do not remember if this was a state issue or for the Cleveland city schools. There were many different ways to fulfill the hours. I really liked this idea. What a concept! Getting the parents to be more involved. I know people do not like the fine aspect of it, but you do not have to pay if you actually took a little time out of your life to help your kids.
What are your opinions on this? I'd be curious to hear. What other ideas do you have to help make our children's education better? When parents get involved, changes can be made for the better!! Complaining will only get us so far!

I think that sounds great for Las Vegas, although not many parents would go for it. I would definitely take the time to do this. I plan on being a very active parent as they get older. I devote my life to them. I don't gamble or drink or do drugs. I am a stay at home mom. I take them to church and if I have to stay here I will send them to a catholic school. All my time is for them and I am here whenever they need me. I was merely stating my opinion not necessarily complaining. I will stand my ground on any issue concerning my children.

[WOHR]

I am the same way. My kids come first. I cannot afford to send them to private school, maybe when they are older they can get a scholarship for one if that would be their choice. But I can work with what they have. I love my kids elementary school. There are so many wonderful, caring teachers there. The parents are great too. When I had to make a decision as to where we would live, I researched the schools here in the valley. I found that schools with very active PTA's were the schools that tested better and behaved better. Again proof that parent involvement helps children in school.

[verynicebecky]

Originally Posted by kimba01

I would like the people who are leaving because of their children to come back in 10 years and let me know how wonderfully the kids have done. I want to know that none of them experimented with drugs, sex or alcohol in the more "wonderful" towns you move to. It is everywhere people. Your kids will see "naked or half naked" people if they want to. Trust me. The one who said you see more skin at the beach or pools is exactly right. You can't keep the blinders on, but you can educate.

We didn't leave Vegas due to our children. We left due to my husband leaving the Air Force. Our kids were 2 yrs and 4 months old at the time. We moved to a small town in Oklahoma, populaton of about 1,200. In a town of that population you know who the trouble makers are. What did they do for fun? Well, because there aren't hundreds of kids going out for the football team, basketball team, etc., kids don't get cut from the team. Kids are involved. When I moved to Reno 2yrs ago my then 17 yr old got a summer job..and learned about how schools operate in the city. He choose to move back to Oklahoma and live with his father. He has a 4.3 GPA. My daughter who graduated from back there did so with a 3.87. They were never in trouble and one of my fondest memories are of the kids hanging out at the center intersection of town at midnight during the summer...hitting tennis balls to each other while the town cop sat in his car, keeping watch. Oh....and they were fully dressed.

I never, ever worried about my kids while living back there. I don't think I could say the same, had we stayed and raised them in Vegas.

[kimba01]

Originally Posted by hippichiclv

Who ever said they weren't going to experiment. I am well aware of the experimentation that goes on. I am from a good town and I experimented too. I plan to educate. I know there is skin available to see in pools. Gosh, you people are just trying to make yourselves feel better about raising your kids here. I saw in other posts that people that responded negatively to my posts are sending there kids to catholic school because they want to raise their kids closer to god or something. PLEASE. You can educate them at home on that too and not have to spend $3500 dollars a year on private school. It is well known how kids grow up when they are raised around this kind of stuff which makes it such an issue. You can parent and parent and parent all you want, but they are going to see the things around them and think you don't know what you are talking about. I would rather raise my kids around picket fences and green grass, good public schools, people who are neighborly and all the other stuff that I haven't seen here in the 7 years I have lived here. They stand a better chance in a better safer town. It takes a town to raise a kid right not just the parent. I plan on knowing where they are at every second and monitoring their friends just like everyone else said, but the town has to be involved too.

I am sorry if you took this post personal. It wasn't meant for anyone inparticular moreso, everyone. Just a note to really try to notice the "good" ones. They are not highlighted on the evening news. I do not live in Vegas so I am not (yet) trying to make myself feel better about raising my kids there. I am just trying to make a point to not be so sheltered, it doesn't always work. I guess I will see for myself and who knows, maybe I will come back and be agreeing with all the negative people

[hippichiclv]

Originally Posted by kimba01

I am sorry if you took this post personal. It wasn't meant for anyone inparticular moreso, everyone. Just a note to really try to notice the "good" ones. They are not highlighted on the evening news. I do not live in Vegas so I am not (yet) trying to make myself feel better about raising my kids there. I am just trying to make a point to not be so sheltered, it doesn't always work. I guess I will see for myself and who knows, maybe I will come back and be agreeing with all the negative people

sorry. thought you were referring to me. no hard feelings.

[lvlover]

Originally Posted by verynicebecky

We didn't leave Vegas due to our children. We left due to my husband leaving the Air Force. Our kids were 2 yrs and 4 months old at the time. We moved to a small town in Oklahoma, populaton of about 1,200. In a town of that population you know who the trouble makers are. What did they do for fun? Well, because there aren't hundreds of kids going out for the football team, basketball team, etc., kids don't get cut from the team. Kids are involved. When I moved to Reno 2yrs ago my then 17 yr old got a summer job..and learned about how schools operate in the city. He choose to move back to Oklahoma and live with his father. He has a 4.3 GPA. My daughter who graduated from back there did so with a 3.87. They were never in trouble and one of my fondest memories are of the kids hanging out at the center intersection of town at midnight during the summer...hitting tennis balls to each other while the town cop sat in his car, keeping watch. Oh....and they were fully dressed.

I never, ever worried about my kids while living back there. I don't think I could say the same, had we stayed and raised them in Vegas.

In rural upstate NY there were two kinds of graduates...those who went to the NY State Police and those who were arrested by the NY State Police.

Children who hung out at the middle of town in the middle of the night might well be fully dressed...but it was not much dress.

Cops that overlooked the situation were often the town expert on which young ladies were easy.

You seem to feel that the 4.3 and 3.8s in Las Vegas are at some disadvantage to those in Oklahoma. Are you sure a 4.3 in rural OK is equivalent to a 4.3 in urban NV? I don't think so.

while I am sure you feel good about the job you did on your children you have not been through a neutral score keeper. As a for instance you moved to Yerrington...a particular odd and interesting place. Had a kid with you I think. Was that a good move?

[airics]

correct me if i am wrong, but isnt the highest gpa a 4.0? it was when i was in school

[lvlover]

Originally Posted by airics

correct me if i am wrong, but isnt the highest gpa a 4.0? it was when i was in school

You just dated yourself. There are various spifs that can push grade point averages past 4.

[verynicebecky]

Originally Posted by lvlover

In rural upstate NY there were two kinds of graduates...those who went to the NY State Police and those who were arrested by the NY State Police.

Children who hung out at the middle of town in the middle of the night might well be fully dressed...but it was not much dress.

Cops that overlooked the situation were often the town expert on which young ladies were easy.

You seem to feel that the 4.3 and 3.8s in Las Vegas are at some disadvantage to those in Oklahoma. Are you sure a 4.3 in rural OK is equivalent to a 4.3 in urban NV? I don't think so.

while I am sure you feel good about the job you did on your children you have not been through a neutral score keeper. As a for instance you moved to Yerrington...a particular odd and interesting place. Had a kid with you I think. Was that a good move?

When we moved from the midwest to Reno, a somewhat urban city, my then 7th grader was amazed by what kids got away with at his school. He felt that a particular ethnic group ran the place (yes, we had minorities back where we used to live so don't start with the bs). He was pleased that there was less homework than he was used to. We moved to Yerington last fall, his 8th grade yr. He was promoted to Honor's classes. He also has homework, something that he rarely had last yr. I don't think he suddenly became brilliant during the one yr that he attended school in Reno.

Was it a good move? No, I don't think so but my mother needed someone to be near to her (medical problems).

[airics]

boy, do i feel old...