Monday, April 4, 2011

Tiger Mother - daughter heads to Harvard

From the Daily Caller - via yahoo news

"Amy “Tiger Mother” Chua, the Yale professor who enraged much of the United States’ parenting population earlier this year when she wrote a Wall Street Journal piece about her strict child-rearing techniques, can safely say her rigidity accomplished something. According to Above The Law, Chua’s eldest daughter Sophia has been accepted to Harvard University. Young Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld received her acceptance letter earlier this week and “has already made up her mind that Harvard is where she’ll attend college.”

Catherine Connors, a writer and award-winning parenting blogger, told The Daily Caller in January that Chua’s parenting decisions are “beyond extreme” and could make children fall ill."

Ok ok ...excuse me - award winning parenting blogger......erm who gives out such awards - is it based on true ideas or number of friends watching the blog.

My response to clueless adults like Catherine Connors is below - pardon me - but this one got under my skin.


Oh that I could clone this woman.
As a high school teacher for more than 20 years and having worked with young people for nearly 30 years, I can say that while there are a lot of very good students out there, there are an awful lot who parent's expect everyone else including the school and police to raise them.

Example - I currently have 5 seniors who may got graduate due to excessive absences. In at least 2 cases, I know that the parent lets the 17 or 18 year old stay home cause it is easier than arguing with them. One of the 5 is repeating my class having been denied credit 2 years ago for excessive absences. One more absence in 6 weeks left- and she won't graduate.

Teaching in a small school system with a high minority rate, it is sad to see the number of kids being turned out whose parents and culture instill no belief in education. Prior to the changing of attendance laws, many used to bide their time and drop out. Now schools are punished for every single drop out and face harsh punishments and loss of funding for these who refuse to attend. Schools are punished because we can not convince a kid he needs an education when everyone in his family and his native culture expects him to get out of school as fast as he can and do manual labor. If female- job 1 is to find a guy - get pregnant and make babies. Argue what you want - I have heard these girls in class daily for 20+ years. Those same ones who hate to attend - won't hesitate to show up on campus or at a school activity, at 15 or 16 years of age - carrying a baby and act like it was their destiny.

These same people do not seem to realize that that pattern leads to a high number of alcoholics, a higher number of divorces (for many - this is the first time anyone stood up to them and said NO!), and a rise in criminal behavior and or incarceration. I once taught freshmen level courses to low performing students. At one time or another - more than 20% of the students I had my first year were in some sort of run in with law enforcement within a 6 year period. Ranging from DWI to burglary to sexual assault and even sexual assault of a child.

That was more than 20 years ago - scared to think what it might be with today's society.

So maybe this lady's ideas seem extreme - but you don't see her kids in legal trouble or unwed pregnancies or being fined for failing to attend school.

Has she raised my approx 2500+ students the last 20 years - what differences would I have seen?

At least 150 more students who graduated high school

At least 3 more living who died in violence related to drugs or criminal behavior

At least 150 less DWIs and at least 20 more of my students would have had the opportunity to outlive their teacher.

At the least 60 to 75 less children living in single parent homes where the parent has less than a high school education.

At least 6 more national merit scholars

At least 500 more college graduates.

So I wish there were more parents closer to her ideas than there are ridiculing them. We are approaching a time where more and more skilled jobs go outsource as American students get lazier and more self indulgent.

Tiger Mom may be extreme - but as parents - that is ok - we know her kids will shatter the norms of average students.Her kids will get jobs and not live on public welfare. Her kids will contribute something other than babies to the community.

Get 20% of the parents to move 2 steps in her direction as far as discipline - and I could teach another 15 years. As it is - I hope to last 3 and get out before it gets any worse.

So unless you got something better - maybe all students need a little Tiger mom treatment.

Should you want to read the whole issue - the link is below and my comments are part of the site.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/tigermothersdaughteracceptedintoharvard#mwpphu-container


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