Ask Lisa May 2011
Teachers Could Deny Privileges to modify Behavior
Q. Recently my son was denied permission to attend a class field trip because
of his behavior. I didn’t think that it was fair to make him stay at school and miss the
trip, so I kept him at home. Does a school have the right to refuse to take children on
field trips as punishment for behavioral issues? Angry Mom
A. Yes, according to the current School Law, 30th Edition text p.466, administrators and
teachers have the right to deny students participation in field trips, interscholastic
sports, and other activities, when behavior is an issue and suspension is not
deemed necessary. Having said that, I personally do not like to see children miss
educational field trips that they will probably not have the chance to attend
again. When it comes to behavior, I prefer to see the school psychologist become
involved and set up a behavior modification plan that the classroom teacher and
parents are trained to implement. The psychologist can also observe the child’s
behavior and recommend any outside assistance if needed. I would suggest that you
talk to the classroom teacher ahead of time and ask him/ her what his/her policy is
regarding behavior and field trips. Volunteer to attend the field trip with your child.
Also ask him/her what other strategies could be used instead of missing trips and
other fun activities. Let him/her know that you are willing to work with him/her and
follow the steps in the behavior modification plan if one is created.
Teachers work hard to meet the New York State standards and to teach their
students what they need to know. When there are behavior problems, teachers have
to stop teaching to address them.
Complete the Free Lunch Form to Help your School District
Q. My district continuously sends home ‘free lunch’ application forms. Every year
they harass parents to fill out these forms. I know that I do not qualify for
free lunch. Why do they ask all parents to fill out these forms?
A. The free or reduced lunch program is for parents who can demonstrate that their
children are eligible to receive it based on their total household income. Children
who receive Food Stamps, Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian
Reservations (FDPIR) are all eligible for free or significantly reduced breakfast and
lunch. Other households are eligible depending on their income and number of
persons in the household. Foster children may also be eligible. Children with
special needs whose disability interferes with their ability to participate in
regular food service programs without some modification, may also apply for special
meals or substitutions. A doctor’s note will be required. The information in the
lunch forms are kept strictly confidential.
The reason districts want as many families as possible to complete the lunch forms, even if
families are not eligible, is because the information provided is used for the
allocation of funds to federal programs such as Title I and National Assessment of
the Education Process (NAEP), State Health or State Education Programs, and for
Federal, State, or local means tested nutrition programs. Districts have to prove that
they are in need of and entitled to these federal funds used to provide programs and
improve instruction for students. It is in parents’ best interest to complete
these forms so that their children’s schools can receive the federal funds needed to
implement and provide enriching programs to meet the needs of all children
attending that district. Also some families think that they are not eligible and they
are. You can obtain lunch forms and guidelines to see if you qualify from the
central registration office in your district.
Homework Helps your Child do Better in School
Q. My son entered 4th grade this school year and he has so much homework already. It
takes him hours to complete his homework and he gets tired while I get frustrated.
Why do teachers give so much homework and is homework really necessary?
Who should I talk to about the volume of homework? Frustrated Parent
A. You are not alone in this dilemma. When parents get home from work, the last
thing they want to do is hours of homework with their children especially if a
child is having difficulty with a particular subject. First let’s discuss the purpose of
homework and its benefits. An article entitled Helping Your Child With
Homework by Nancy Paulu from KidSource.com, provides the
following reasons why teachers give homework. Homework can help children:
- Review and practice what they’ve learned;
- Get ready for the next day’s class;
- Learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials and encyclopedias; and
- Explore subjects more fully than time permits in the classroom.
Homework helps your child do better in school when assignments are meaningful,
are completed successfully, and are returned with constructive comments from the
teacher. An assignment should have a specific purpose, come with clear
instructions, be fairly matched to the child’s abilities, and designed to help develop
a student’s knowledge and skills. Teachers often use homework as a way of
observing whether students have grasped a concept or not. Then he/she knows
whether he/she needs to review further or can move on to a new concept.
So how much homework should a student receive? Many educators believe that
homework is most effective for the majority of children in 1st through 3rd grade
when it does not exceed 20 minutes each school day. From 4th through 6th grade,
many educators recommend from 20 to 40 minutes a school day for most students.
For students in 7th through 9th grades, generally, up to 2 hours a school day is
considered suitable.
Of course some children can handle more and others struggle to keep up. Parents
have to judge whether their child is the only child who is taking a long time to
complete tasks or is mainly one subject that takes so long. If your son is
struggling in only one subject, ask that teacher for extra help or consider a tutor. If
he is struggling in all subjects, ask the teacher if he is having difficulty in his classes
also. If he is doing well in class but not in homework, it is probable that he is tired
and getting to bed late after doing homework. This can become a bad cycle.
Observe whether your son can do the work but he is wasting time (watching TV,
going to the bathroom etc.). Give him specific times when you expect homework to
begin and to be completed. Reward him when he meets the goal. If you still
believe that there is just too much homework, you need to make an appointment and
speak to his teacher. If your concerns are not appreciated, you may have to speak with the principal.
Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who
has worked in education and special education for two decades with children of all
ages. She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural
education. She also holds certification in educational administration.
She is the author of the book, “They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks!
Thoughts From Nicholas. She is currently employed in the Hempstead School
District. You may contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by visiting her website at
Whats New
-
Attorney Famuyide Wins Green Card For Rehabilitated Drug Addict After Many ConvictionsIt took about 5years to accomplish, at some point, deportation seemed imminent. The Service filed voluminous record of many convictions all for drug possession and use, it was an emotional rollercoaster case with many sides, but at the end, Attorney Famuyide won. The easiest way to forfeit permanent...Read More...
-
Attorney Famuyide Wins Follow To Join Immigration CaseDue to the huge cost of obtaining permanent resident status in the United States, even when an immigrant is eligible, many immigrants are resulting to using credit cards and borrowing to foot the bill of trying to obtain legal statuses in the U.S. In many instances, families are separated, with an advance...Read More...
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8