Mandatory volunteering at school?

[Quantum Windbag]

It amazes me that liberals oppose the draft, but have no problem forcing people to do community service or "volunteer" at school. If they really want to encourage parents to participate, why not offer a tax credit to parents who volunteer. This would offer an incentive to parents who want to get lower taxes, and would not turn something that is supposed to be voluntary, and possibly fun, into a mandatory activity, and thus promoting resentment. Making it mandatory is not going to cause parents to care more, it is just going to make some of them show up. If they don't want to be there they are just going to go through the motions.

Where in this article is it stated it's mandated by "Liberals?" Please show us all.


And for the record, since you're a n00b and all, I'm considered a "liberal" by most of the people on here. Go read my post, and quit making snap judgements if you want to be taken seriously.

First, it is being considered by a school district in San Jose, CA. Are you going to try to say that they are actually conservative there? If you are I will be glad to provide some evidence to the contrary.

Second, I did not call you a liberal, so I fail to see what your point about your post is. I do not care if the entire board considers you a liberal, the only person whose opinion in that matter who matters is you. Are you a liberal?

Third, even if you are a liberal, does that mean you automatically agree with every liberal idea you hear? Unless you think that making volunteering mandatory a good idea I fail to see what your problem with my post is. I made no snap judgements about you, or anyone else on this board. I merely stated that liberals are inconsistent about this part of their politics.

I can easily point out areas where conservatives are inconsistent in theirs as well. Maybe you should stop making snap judgements yourself, if you want to be taken seriously that is. Maybe you just feel better trying to trivialize other people though.

 

[xsited1]

If parent participation in classrooms is good, why not make it mandatory?

That's the thinking of some in San Jose's Alum Rock Union School District, where a committee is crafting a proposal to require families of all 13,000 students to volunteer at least 30 hours a year at school.

It's a tall order. The disparity in parent volunteers is as wide as the economic rift in the valley, as schools serving affluent families depend on moms and dads to drive on field trips and help with science projects, while schools teaching poor children often lack such involvement.

In Alum Rock, where 88 percent of the students are poor and 54 percent are language-learners, most of its 28 schools don't even have a PTA. But even as some critics warn working parents don't have extra time, trustee Gustavo Gonzalez is pushing volunteerism, citing studies showing that students do better when their parents are involved.

"We're trying to create a culture of strong parent-guardian-family participation in schools," he said.

Although it's not clear whether state law permits districts to require parents to donate time to schools, proponents say that's besides the point. In addition to getting parents to embrace the expectation that they participate on campus, the district wants to persuade principals and teachers to welcome parents in the classroom, Gonzalez said.

Not everyone agrees that mandating volunteerism will work.

Regardless of income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, be promoted, attend school regularly, have better social skills and graduate, according to a study by the Texas-based Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

The school is looking into ways for other parents or community members to "adopt" students whose families face hardships in participating, she said.

School district may make volunteering mandatory - San Jose Mercury News

Good idea? I don't think I could give 30 hours. I have always participated in PTA and fundraisers, etc., but haven't volunteered in the classroom since my son was in Kindergarten. What say you?

30 hours a year isn't much. I have no problems with it, I do think, conversely, that the teachers should be required to attend all PTA meetings voluntarily. <yeah, I know that's an oxymoron but so is requiring parents to "volunteer">

They just need to make it a requirement for the parents to send their kids to school. I can see it working at a Magnet School, for example. The private schools I know about don't have that problem.

I do wish them luck on this: "The school is looking into ways for other parents or community members to "adopt" students whose families face hardships in participating." That's a tough one. There are a lot of welfare kids in Arkansas who are raised by their grandmother and have never known their father. Very sad.

 

[random3434]

It amazes me that liberals oppose the draft, but have no problem forcing people to do community service or "volunteer" at school. If they really want to encourage parents to participate, why not offer a tax credit to parents who volunteer. This would offer an incentive to parents who want to get lower taxes, and would not turn something that is supposed to be voluntary, and possibly fun, into a mandatory activity, and thus promoting resentment. Making it mandatory is not going to cause parents to care more, it is just going to make some of them show up. If they don't want to be there they are just going to go through the motions.

Where in this article is it stated it's mandated by "Liberals?" Please show us all.


And for the record, since you're a n00b and all, I'm considered a "liberal" by most of the people on here. Go read my post, and quit making snap judgements if you want to be taken seriously.

First, it is being considered by a school district in San Jose, CA. Are you going to try to say that they are actually conservative there? If you are I will be glad to provide some evidence to the contrary.

Second, I did not call you a liberal, so I fail to see what your point about your post is. I do not care if the entire board considers you a liberal, the only person whose opinion in that matter who matters is you. Are you a liberal?

Third, even if you are a liberal, does that mean you automatically agree with every liberal idea you hear? Unless you think that making volunteering mandatory a good idea I fail to see what your problem with my post is. I made no snap judgements about you, or anyone else on this board. I merely stated that liberals are inconsistent about this part of their politics.

I can easily point out areas where conservatives are inconsistent in theirs as well. Maybe you should stop making snap judgements yourself, if you want to be taken seriously that is. Maybe you just feel better trying to trivialize other people though.

You were the first person to bring a political label into this thread, n00b.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Perhaps, but it wasn't directed at you. Since you claim to think this is a bad idea I fail to see your problem.