what makes the school--parents or teachers?

yo'ma ↓

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 5:50 pm

hotmama wrote:

yo'ma wrote:

newlywed86 wrote:

redsea - I know people who send their kids to schools that they don't necessarily "fit in"to, so that does not work either. There is not a school for parents who feel that they're not Yeshivish, but not MO. I know for a fact because I have a sibling who is having a hard time finding the right place for his child. As are a few of his friends who are similar.

That's not true. I know of some schools that are like that. The staff may not be, but the parent body is.

oo this does make for an interesting discussion - what makes the school - the parents or the teachers???

what do you think, the student body/parents or the teachers?

I think the students because that's who you're children really interact with the most. Of course the learning has to be up to your standards.

costanza

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 6:19 pm

I know my kids school would probably be better if many parents just let the teachers and administration do their job, instead of always thinking they know better and phoning to complain about every ridiculous little thing.

mumoo ↓

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 6:45 pm

totally the teachers- can make it work or bring it down
a good teacher knows how to work the parents, too

↑ yo'ma

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 7:04 pm

I meant more w/ how frum the school is. embarrassed

Lady Godiva

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 7:06 pm

I think the parents do because they have the power of the purse.

Emee

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 7:52 pm

The student body. We had our kids in a "very frum school" The administration and teachers were all yeshivish but the student body was more modern. My daughter was in class with kids who wore pants, watched tv etc. That is definitely not yeshivish. The nevironnment was one of a more modern orthodox even though the staff was all very right wing.

TheBeinoni

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 7:59 pm

I think it depends.

Kids of all ages even high school age are very easily influenced. If you have a good quality staff thats frum teaching in a more modern school the kids will very likely be influenced positively and turn out more "religious" than their parents. At least that is the phenomenon I see in my generation. Most of the mothers of the students in my school wore pants, and even the ones that only wore skirts definitely did not cover their hair! But if you look at the majority of graduates most of us are all "frum". Maybe not black hat (there are some) but we all cover our hair with sheitels or fully with tichels and snoods and hats, etc.. Could be just my generation now. It is def an "in" thing to be "religious".

On the other hand, parents DO have influence because they are on the board - they ultimately control the politics of the school (at least at my school they did).

However, I know it is hard to think about it this way, but you have to look at the big picture. I went into high school wearing skirts only (not cuz of my mother but because I was a BT at a young age). I left hs wearing pants again - probably because of the student body. We all went thru our stages and peer pressure throughout school from young ages till the end. But when you grow up and start really making thoughtful decisions you look back and take example of the ones that most positively influenced you - and I can say that those were teachers and all frum ppl. Maybe I'm saying this because I'm a BT, but I really think that a good teacher/rav can change a child's life. It doesn't matter who strict or not strict the parents are.. kids spend more time in school than at home..

flowerpower

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 8:01 pm

school
students
parents

Tehilla

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 8:04 pm

I think it is a vital combination of all three: students, parents, and teachers. without a concerted effort on everyone's part...you know?

we all play an important role there.

amother

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 8:40 pm

the principal

↑ mumoo

Mon, Jul 21 2008, 11:38 pm

yo'ma wrote:

I meant more w/ how frum the school is. embarrassed

I completely misunderstood. in light of this I have to say, the students make up the hashkofa of the school- so that must be the parents by default