Good news!

Last week I discovered that I am, in fact, Smarter Than A Fifth Grader.

Not that there was ever really any doubt.

Much.

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Help me out here, because I may be overreacting as usual.

Since beginning work in fractions, my daughter has been doing very poorly in math. Every week I have to sign several papers for the teacher-everything under a 70%.
I sent a note to the teacher--quite politely--and said that since Becca apparently doesn't understand the fraction thing very well, perhaps she could take a little time to go over it with her and give her a little extra attention in this area.

Two days later I get a note that says, "I've spoken to Mrs. K and she has a tutoring spot available."

To the tune of $10 for 30 minutes.
To teach Becca something she's already being paid to teach her.

Now before you eat me, I'm all for tutoring if needed. And I know that many educators are seriously underpaid (and, if you ask me--which you didn't--a few of them are seriously OVERpaid for what they do).


Maybe it's just because I loathe my daughter's school, and that's coloring my view, but to a poor gal like me that's an excessive amount.
I'm willing to admit that I could be wrong, and I just don't like my daughter's teachers.

Like two weeks ago, when my daughter missed Thursday & Friday because she had the flu.
She went back on Monday last week, and went around to her teachers getting her make-up assignments.

The language teacher said, "Don't ask me right now, I'll get it for you during your class time."
During class time, "I'll have to look it up & get it to you before class is over."
Near the end of class, "SIT DOWN."
At the end of class, "IF YOU ASK ME ONE MORE TIME I'M GOING TO SCREAM."

And Becca came home withOUT the language assignment.

Now, it seems to me that my daughter was just trying to be responsible and get all her homework (mostly so she wouldn't get into trouble with me).
And the teacher, the adult, did NOT hold up her end of the responsibility bar.

But see, I'm on the defensive every time I have to deal with her school, just because they've got a pantload of teachers who...don't seem to care about the students and instead have designated times for "active teaching" (THEIR term), and the rest is seatwork. And busywork. It took Becca a full week (plus weekend) to make up all the work that she missed those two days--because of the daily homework load.
Sorry, but in fifth grade I think the time is long past for coloring by numbers.

But I could be wrong. Maybe I don't get it.