Video: The obligatory “parents humiliate son by making him wear his report card” clip
posted at 4:15 pm on February 10, 2009 by Allahpundit
Actually, that’s just phase one. Phase two is dragging him on “Fox & Friends” to make sure America knows just how much he “sucks” at Algebra. I wonder why the kid’s having trouble focusing.
Prediction: Roughly 98% of viewers will find this awesomely awesome, even though they’d never dream of subjecting their own kids to a fate so cruel. Free Tre! And get him a tutor!
Blowback
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Just listen to how the kids responds: “It sucks!” No respect for being on television, no understanding still, of the gravity of the situation.
You can hear the resentment in his voice. This kid didn’t learn anything by the sound of his voice. He’s just mad. Of course that’s part of the point, making someone feel ashamed isn’t supposed to confer feelings of exhuberance.
Hopefully he pulls his head out.
catmman on February 10, 2009 at 6:28 PM
I never had to do anything about my childrens’ grades. The oldest has only made 4 B’s, the rest A’s (lifetime, up through the second year of college). The younger one once told her sister, “I don’t even know what a B looks like.” (Senior in high school). I guess if they are going to be competitive with each other, this is one area I am all for it. They work hard for them too. Yeah, I’m a proud dad.
Buford on February 10, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Someone needs to drag Congress on “Fox & Friends” to make sure America knows just how much they suck at math.
The Ugly American on February 10, 2009 at 6:36 PM
It’s an interesting theory that it’s a result of being a more conversation composition.
I do know that I write letters to colleagues and clients in a different register than I write blog posts. I have no problem throwing in a “folks” or even the occasional colloquial “gonna” on a blog post (especially if it’s my personal blog or comment on a friends blog), but those terms are completely absent from my letters and even my speech in work related arenas.
I had a speech teacher at NYU that always spoke in “Standard English” which sounded vaguely South African to people in her classes. We spent half the year trying to figure out where she was from. One day, we ran into her in the break room on the phone with her sister. She had the thickest Philly accent that you’ve ever heard!
People actually have an amazing capacity to slip easily in and out of personal accents and sets of vocabulary depending upon the group that they are addressing.
I’d like to take a moment to point out that this is not exactly the same thing as suddenly having a southern accent simply because you’re addressing a black church….although, the two things might be related….kissing cousins, perhaps.
JadeNYU on February 10, 2009 at 6:52 PM
I support the parents on this. Of course it sucks, but whether the kid is resentful or not is not the issue, it is whether his grades go up. I would like to see if it works.
Mr. Joe on February 10, 2009 at 7:12 PM
what the hell is an “E”. wtf
kara26 on February 10, 2009 at 7:29 PM
God Bless his parents for caring. My eldest has a theory about math teachers…..when you can’t get the career you want you might fall back on teaching as a “paycheck” so what if they got a teaching certificate if the teaching career is a fall back position the kids sitting their class are basically on their own. Think about it they get paid either way. So after you put the right amount of focus on your child make sure the teacher isn’t sandbagging them. If you have someone in a job but no temperament for the job, you would want them replaced. This is from experience and it is always MATH, who is filling those teaching positions and why?
We always here that American kids Math scores are lower then other countries so what are other countries Math Teachers doing right?
Dr Evil on February 10, 2009 at 7:29 PM
My elementary school had E’s…but they were for “Excellent”. S was “Satisfactory”, N was “Needs Improvement” and U was “Unsatisfactory”.
That doesn’t seem to be the case here (since he has A’s and C’s) so, it looks like his school gives E’s instead of F’s.
I really don’t understand the point in giving an E instead of an F….let’s be honest, it’s not the symbol that hurts the little kiddie’s feelings it’s what it symbolizes. Put a happy face on their page for all I care….if everyone knows that a happy face means you failed, everyone knows you failed.
JadeNYU on February 10, 2009 at 7:34 PM
I substituted for a former Maryland middle school Teacher of the Year today. Eighty percent of my 8th grade class (32 students) made no effort whatsoever to learn. Eighty percent of the class was failing this quarter. In this “I didn’t do it!” generation, defiance is the norm.
God bless the 20 percent who, for whatever reason, still care about their grades and their future. They’ll probably end up supporting the other 80 percent.
Most parents would be stunned to see their precious child in action.
A retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant who’s put two “A” students through the same school system, I was truly sickened by the disrespect and disobedience that I witnessed today.
More money won’t properly address this problem. Parents must.
BJ Phisch on February 10, 2009 at 7:40 PM
If it were me I’d be resentful as well–it does suck. Yeah maybe he shouldn’t have used that word, but that’s as far as I’ll concede you. Why should he have respect for being on television? Because the audience who gets to see his shame has widened? What’s so special about TV anyway that he is supposed to respect appearing on it?
I don’t think this is a good idea and as a teacher I would not air a child’s shame out in that way. There may be a reason he isn’t turning the homework assignments in–maybe he doesn’t understand it as well as he lets on. And if he is being irresponsible then consequences, sometimes over long term. Most people don’t change overnight. And sorry to say, sometimes they *do* keep doing stupid stuff because of negative peer influence and that can be hard to battle.
I guess they don’t have recess at high school, but this strikes me as one of those “never do” things, like never put a kid on time out for all of recess.
fireweednectar on February 10, 2009 at 7:40 PM
I’m less concerned about the math scores than I am with the verbal/writing scores. Those are abysmal. Try hiring someone with writing skills — it’s a nightmare.
In any event, I wouldn’t put much stock in the test scores of kids from Asia — it’s well-known that those test results (I assume you’re referring to GREs and the like) are not valid. Students from China, Korea, India, and Pakistan typically arrive here with stellar scores (both quantitative and verbal), but in my experience they are not, on average, any better at the concepts than the domestic kids.
The Asian kids’ scores are a reflection of an educational system that emphasizes learning by rote and repetition — when it comes time to apply concepts to solve problems, they are not any better off than the U.S.-educated kids. In fact, because they have a culture of not criticizing or disagreeing with their teachers, the Asian kids are at something of a disadvantage in grad school, imho.
Y-not on February 10, 2009 at 7:41 PM
What the hell is an “E” grade? Have schools really gotten arid of F’s? No wonder he doesn’t care about grades, his school doesn’t even try to make him feel bad, his parents did the right thing.
Typhonsentra on February 10, 2009 at 7:56 PM
I would agree. Moreover, schools are requiring more and more critical thinking at lower levels–at least in my area. And early childhood pushes certain activities to help enable that part of brain development. It’s important even without grad school.
fireweednectar on February 10, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Good for them. If only more parents, especially black parents, pushed their kids.
SouthernGent on February 10, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Good for the parents. They sounded articulate and are obviously involved and interested in having their child do well and hold him accountable.
moxie_neanderthal on February 10, 2009 at 9:00 PM
Shame used to be a much more common form of punishment then it is now.
You are right here, I don’t have a problem with this.
However, I could also see myself doing something simmilar to my kid if I was feeling that depsparate in my attempts to save him.
paulsur on February 10, 2009 at 9:22 PM
I saw a fair amount of this in graduate school. I will say for the Chinese and Korean grad students that they had excellent network/study-group skills (great outlines, copies of every test given in the last 10 years), and whatever misplaced respect they may have had for professors, they worked the TAs like rented mules. Mostly they kept their heads down and worked their butts off.
DrSteve on February 11, 2009 at 7:53 AM
I don’t necessarily have a problem with it, but it’s not the best course of action. How about grounding the kid? Restrict him to his room with a notebook, a pencil, and his school books. No TV. No video games. No talking on the phone with friends. Let him know that these things aren’t entitlements — he has to earn them.
Worked for me.
Mark Jaquith on February 11, 2009 at 9:13 AM
We used to have Es in school. It’s not a bid deal, A-B-C-D-E.
It’s only logical that E is after D. The letters only represent a numerical range.
reaganaut on February 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Once again Allah BLASTED by the people he supposedly represents and speaks for… Conservatives think this ROCKS! Get the little bastard working, focused… His language, his slouch… Probably has his pants around his knees with drawers showing and can’t wear a ball cap straight… I raised a Marine, he’s a proud, productive and very good kid… These tactics are different, i will admit. Not sure I like the TV part, but as far as demanding the focua and effort from this kid is GREAT! Maybe he won’t end up face down in the streets of Chicago or in a gang in LA or in the White House as an empty suit!
Closer to 99% Allah… FAIL! Free his PARENTS form another ignorant turd… Kick his ass, taech him manners, values and core princpals… Teach him Conservatisam, not being a drag on welfare cheese…
Allah = The wussification factor in parents and America.
Mark Garnett on February 11, 2009 at 10:21 AM
I wish these parents lived in my neighborhood. None of the parents around here seem to care about their kids or what they’re doing (in school or out). I applaud those parents that care enough about their son, that they’ll do whatever it takes to set him straight.
Anna on February 11, 2009 at 10:24 AM
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