tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post8534350399270093449..comments2023-11-07T06:56:59.563-05:00Comments on Ann Arbor Schools Musings: Skyline High School: Two Pluses and a WishRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10531344380743742801noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post-17221209159398154612012-11-05T23:35:31.556-05:002012-11-05T23:35:31.556-05:00Ruth, I have children with that same plus/wish tea...Ruth, I have children with that same plus/wish teacher (receiving the same 'speak louder / more slowly' wish - if they ever got a wish at all. So many of the kids just write "no wish!"). <br /><br />The oldest of that batch is now at Pioneer and I must say that I agree 100% with the first anonymous commenter's wish. The environment there is so hostile - not just to parents, but to students as well. The attitude I perceive is "here are our rules, make sure you follow them. Oh, and if you learn something along the way, good for you." It's distressing.Triciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10800864673813334725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post-91494447301043006612012-09-26T21:54:20.212-04:002012-09-26T21:54:20.212-04:00I've heard many students and parents complain ...I've heard many students and parents complain about the trimesters for similar reasons. What do you suggest we do to change this? My daughter will be attending in an few years and the learning curve for me to pull all the relavent research together to present to the boe or other is daunting. Are there parents or teachers that have already done some of this and asked already? How far has this gone already? Is there an organized movement amongst parents or teachers or students?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post-68627953080711438982012-09-26T09:15:27.446-04:002012-09-26T09:15:27.446-04:00Great comments about Skyline. May I add my own 2 ...Great comments about Skyline. May I add my own 2 pluses and a wish for Pioneer? First Plus is the great extra activities there. My favorite is the Theater Guild which is welcoming, inclusive and has a huge variety of dedicated students participating. Second is the list of classes to choose from. My 2012 graduate never had enough time to take many of the ones she wanted. Favorites are psychology, humanities, and positive peer influence. My wish...I wish, wish, wish that the school would get away from the openly hostile attitude towards parents. I found the principal, coaches, class principals to be rude, dismissive, and outright ignoring of concerns brought to them. This results in angry parents taking problems all the way to the Balas building and even outside sources. I wish that whoever is named principal makes a real effort to change this culture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post-82398806151980248762012-09-25T20:35:39.567-04:002012-09-25T20:35:39.567-04:00In an ideal world all schools would be on semester...In an ideal world all schools would be on semesters and block scheduling - this has been proven time and time again as the most effective method for students. I teach in a school on trimesters - although it allows students to take more electives, I think it negatively impacts learning in the core classesL.J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08270468287100922807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post-68491282883077785682012-09-25T11:25:15.978-04:002012-09-25T11:25:15.978-04:00I'm curious -- are there people who *like* the...I'm curious -- are there people who *like* the trimester system? Are there any pro arguments? And if not (or if weak), is the BOE and super responsive when folks bring up these issues? Are they considering a change?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790809561264810693.post-40903168829435294102012-09-25T11:01:47.898-04:002012-09-25T11:01:47.898-04:00I was interested to see that Scot Graden on the Sa...I was interested to see that Scot Graden on the Saline Superintendent's blog wrote about some new furniture they got, the "softer" side of Saline High School. Another thing that the Skyline facility could definitely use is some softening. Read Scot's blog post here: http://scotgraden.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/the-softer-side-of-saline-high-school/Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838540410394430noreply@blogger.com