I help my son with his homework because he'd fail otherwise. He has a crappy teacher this year who is retiring next month and mentally retired back in December. I figure my not helping just to prove a point about independence would lead him no where fast.

Its utterly insane to think that teachers need to "back up" your failed parenting. You are THE parent. If your child does not listen to the normal, eat your veggies, put on a coat, don't sit in front of the TV all day stuff then there is something completely wrong with your authority. There is something wrong with your parenting. If a neurotypical child wont listen to his or her parent, well, there's pathetic parenting for you.

There are a lot of mentally ill homeless people in my city so yes. If you're acting like a weirdo I will move away from you. I don't care about "special needs" or whatever. I've treated skills trainers and teachers who have been injured by violent autistic or mentally ill young adults and children. Call me a douche all you want but would you risk your own families for the sake of being "sensitive" to that type of behavior?

I'm so in favor of democracy (voting) for things in schools. Like, should the class do this art project or that one? A mural for the cafeteria on brown paper or something to cheer the teacher who's been out sick for 4 weeks? Whether to use the extra class time because an assembly was canceled to do our homework or listen to a story the teacher reads. Kids need to learn that there are some things that they can control and that the democratic process is a good thing.

I'm a teacher. For every class of 25 kids, there are always maybe 3 or 4 whose parents email/call and ask if I can parent for them. They don't put it that way, but say things like "can you talk to him about being himself, and going to bed on time, and cleaning up after breakfast, and..." for 50 items. I kid you not. One lady was emailing over 20 pages a DAY. I wanted to suggest not spending hours typing so she could do the mom things herself. I'm not opposed to it, but it worries me that people are relying more and more on teachers to be parents for them. What does it say about our society?

I think teachers do help raise our kids, they spend a majority of their waking time there. Thank you teachers.

I am a high school teacher. I try not to be prejudiced against any group of students. But I fucking hate cheerleaders.

I cringe whenever the AT&T U-verse commercial comes on. A cable guy goes to a school for career day. He starts talking about his job when some smartass little girl shuts him down by telling him how useless he is because his company doesn't bundle its services w/cell phone service. The poor guy stands there while the entire classroom turns on him, even the teacher. He slinks away, embarrassed, as a fireman is called up next. Even if AT&T offers a better product than the cable company does, it's not his fault. He's trying to earn a living and there's no need to treat him like a loser.

I am so sick of people who claim that if you have your child in daycare they are essentially raising your child for you. Is that what the teachers at your child's school are doing for YOU?

I recently started working in my daughter's classroom. I don't know how teachers do it. The kids are so smug and defiant. They won't do their homework and THEY WON'T CARE. No consequence gets through to them, and it's almost impossible to motivate them. Very few take any pride in their work. The average test grade is 60%. "What are you going to do about it?" is a common refrain, as is "You can't fail me anyway!" I say, bring back the strap and the cane, and wipe the smirks off these hellions' faces. You couldn't pay me enough to be a teacher.