If you can read this, either the style sheet didn't load or you have an older browser that doesn't support style sheets. Try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.
Fark SearchWeb Fark

         more options... Create account

(NewsNet5) Asinine Legislator proposes forcing parents to "volunteer" at schools under the threat of a $100 fine   (newsnet5.com) divider line 77
More: Asinine  
•       •       •

1025 clicks; posted to Politics » on 06 Apr 2008 at 5:09 PM   |  Make this a Fark FavoriteFavorite    |   share: Share on OMGTWITTER WEB2.0share on StumbleUponshare on Facebook  more»   |    Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends! shirt it!

77 Comments   (+0 »)


Fark.com's  Political Inclination Thermometric Analyzer:
Neutral 3.04% Fascist
Archived thread
First | « | 1 | 2 | » | Last | Show all
 
CelebrityPharmacist [recently expired TotalFark] 2008-04-06 10:55:43 AM  
Bullshiat. If there is one great thing about America it's that I don't have to help anybody do anything.

 
SpinStopper [TotalFark] 2008-04-06 11:13:40 AM  
The biggest problem with getting people to volunteer is that, all too often, volunteers are treated like galley slaves.

Which is why I have stopped volunteering at the local library.

 
Militant Moderate [recently expired TotalFark] 2008-04-06 11:31:49 AM  
House Bill 519 is sponsored by Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland)

Even proposing this kind of law should be a crime.

 
Kyosuke [TotalFark] 2008-04-06 11:33:39 AM  
SpinStopper: The biggest problem with getting people to volunteer is that, all too often, volunteers are treated like galley slaves.

Yup, I've noticed this in my business, too. The more expensive I make my services, the more respect I get from the client. If I 'give it away,' I get treated like I don't matter.

 
Majick Thise [TotalFark] 2008-04-06 11:46:19 AM  
Volunteer..... She keeps using that word.....

www.macmeisters.com

 
Temescal 2008-04-06 12:31:27 PM  
SpinStopper: The biggest problem with getting people to volunteer is that, all too often, volunteers are treated like galley slaves.

Which is why I have stopped volunteering at the local library.


Weird. I've only had good experiences when volunteering. Granted, I know that the work I'm doing when volunteering doesn't exploit all my potential, but usually people/organizations call for volunteers when they need a lot of manpower for a short amount of time. I know going in that I'll probably be spending my time doing grunt work, such as lifting, moving, or carrying stuff. As long as it's in a fun environment, and/or for a good cause, I don't mind doing it. I figured that if they had to spend time training the whole group of volunteers to do more "skilled" activities, it would probably waste more time than it saves.

 
Katie98_KT 2008-04-06 04:01:36 PM  
Kyosuke: SpinStopper: The biggest problem with getting people to volunteer is that, all too often, volunteers are treated like galley slaves.

Yup, I've noticed this in my business, too. The more expensive I make my services, the more respect I get from the client. If I 'give it away,' I get treated like I don't matter.


definitely found this to be true.

 
Rant_Casey's_Rabies_Buffet [recently expired TotalFark] 2008-04-06 04:31:47 PM  
Yeah, it's not like these parents have, you know, "jobs" or anything.

 
lajimi [TotalFark] 2008-04-06 05:01:59 PM  
I have chosen the option of writing a $100.00 check.
Three questions.

1. Can I choose where to stick it?
2. Can I deduct it from my (obscene) school tax?
3. Do you believe that the voters will allow you to return to office after THIS little scheme becomes law?

 
Marley 2008-04-06 05:05:12 PM  
I like it. But then I don't have kids.

I did a volunteer job that I loved for a few years, then moved away. When I moved back I went back to see if they needed a volunteer again. "It's not a volunteer job anymore," they told me. "After you left we couldn't find a volunteer who did it as well as you, so we made it a paid position. And we'd love to have you back."

So I ended up doing a job I'd happily do for for free, and they paid me for it. And they always treated me with respect, whether I was a volunteer or paid.

 
ChopSueyKS 2008-04-06 05:15:05 PM  
My school already has this. If you don't do your hours, they'll kick your kid out of class. They were flexible if you had work and had a lot of volunteer options. I rarely heard of any parents complaining about the process, it was nice.

/Magnet school.
//One of the many reasons our school was the best in the town.

 
moothemagiccow 2008-04-06 05:17:39 PM  
The bill's incentive is a $100 fine for parents who don't fulfill the requirement.

This is not an incentive.

 
GilRuiz1 2008-04-06 05:18:04 PM  
Research shows parents' involvement leads to student success, but Cleveland schools CEO Eugene Sanders said volunteerism is almost impossible to legislate.

hometown.aol.com

 
ChopSueyKS 2008-04-06 05:29:51 PM  
Remove all Republicans: ChopSueyKS: My school already has this. If you don't do your hours, they'll kick your kid out of class

Therein lies the problem. Why should the children be punished if their parents do not have the interest in helping out?


How else can you make the parents do their work? The school understood if the parents were legitimately was trying but had to work. Besides, if the parents didn't want to do the work they wouldn't send kids to the school anyway, going to a magnet school was not necessary.

 
GoodasGold 2008-04-06 05:33:08 PM  
This is a racist law. They are justing doing it to attack black people who as they know are least likely to volunteer.

 
4th Yorkshireman of the Apocalypse 2008-04-06 05:34:38 PM  
I approve, especially for parents who vote Democrat - you farkers keep stripping us of freedoms "for the children" and the "common good", let's see you chip in a little something extra.

 
ratbert 2008-04-06 05:34:51 PM  
Will the teachers be compelled to show up at the parents' workplaces to, say, pick up trash in the parking lot or do some filing for a day?

 
ratbert 2008-04-06 05:40:35 PM  
Remove all Republicans: Therein lies the problem. Why should the children be punished if their parents do not have the interest in helping out?

That's right. What if you're a good kid who's struggling with issues at home. For example, your dad is a drunken lout who beats your mom. He's unemployed and sits on the couch all week drinking. In other words, there's no way the parents can ever be present at school. How does it help such a kid by tossing him out on his ear?

 
Ed Finnerty 2008-04-06 05:45:07 PM  
Parents should only be involved with their children's education when it comes to sex with and Jesus.

 
John Dewey 2008-04-06 05:46:18 PM  
Ric Romero: Some kids live in single parent homes where the single parent works multiple jobs and doesn't have time to volunteer at school.

That aside, i do think schools need to do a MUCH better job of incorporating volunteers. Is there any reason that parents couldn't come in and read aloud to a group of 4-5 first graders? Or even run a small reading or math groups? None. Is it more planning for the teacher? Yes, but once you get a good rapport with a parent, I think it would be a godsend.

 
randomjsa 2008-04-06 05:48:35 PM  
What are teachers for again?

 
ChopSueyKS 2008-04-06 05:53:50 PM  
Ed Finnerty: Parents should only be involved with their children's education when it comes to sex with and Jesus everything.

Go on, help your kid with his math homework. Doesn't mean you have to get all up in his teacher's grill (and yes, I am gansta, thank you), but you are still the one who is ultimately responsible for his education.

 
CaesarSneezy 2008-04-06 05:58:00 PM  
Um... wouldn't this count as slavery?

 
Spitzer wannabe 2008-04-06 05:58:21 PM  
Gregory F. Stuart: If a majority of the Indiana voters support this bill, then it should become law.

If a majority of the Indiana voters are against this bill, then it should not become law.

Furthermore, this legislation should only apply to public schools.


I would agree with you except for one teeny, little problem. The state in this is Ohio, not Indiana.

 
jackofspades 2008-04-06 05:59:38 PM  
I'm confused...Why is an Ohio legislator trying to pass legislation in Indiana?

Or could it be that newsnet5.com fails at geography and reading comprehension.

FTA: Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland)
Also FTA: an email address featuring @ohr.state.oh.us

Not that it has any bearing on the issue at hand, Indiana just has enough problems without taking the heat for Ohio's dipshiat legislators.

 
Feldspar Q. Walrustitty 2008-04-06 06:05:29 PM  
My mother volunteers a lot. Whenever someone in charge biatches at her or treats her like a galley slave, she says: "Go ahead, cut my pay in half, biatch."

/I wonder where I get my attitude?

 
Ed Finnerty 2008-04-06 06:06:55 PM  
ChopSueyKS: Ed Finnerty: Parents should only be involved with their children's education when it comes to sex with and Jesus everything.

Go on, help your kid with his math homework. Doesn't mean you have to get all up in his teacher's grill (and yes, I am gansta, thank you), but you are still the one who is ultimately responsible for his education.


Agreed.

When I was 16 and got busted with a bag of pot by my parents, they grounded me.

The only way I could be "ungrounded" was to write a 10-page research paper about the ill-effects of marijuana. (With annotations)

I wrote one and explained that the science wasn't definitive, therefore I was unable to draw a conclusion.

Impressed, my parents read the paper, checked the sources and lifted my groundation.

I also argued my way out of having to go to (Catholic) church every Sunday.

They are very religious. However they can understand a cogent argument and respect one that can be proven.

 
LittleSmitty 2008-04-06 06:08:29 PM  
ChopSueyKS: Ed Finnerty: Parents should only be involved with their children's education when it comes to sex with and Jesus everything.

Go on, help your kid with his math homework. Doesn't mean you have to get all up in his teacher's grill (and yes, I am gansta, thank you), but you are still the one who is ultimately responsible for his education.


You got that right. Maybe if every parent helped their kid with homework, or a least made sure he/she does it and checks it for accuracy, volunteers would not be necessary.

/OK with the gangsta too

 
CaesarSneezy 2008-04-06 06:08:55 PM  
Gregory F. Stuart: If a majority of the Indiana voters support this bill, then it should become law.

If a majority of the Indiana voters are against this bill, then it should not become law.

Furthermore, this legislation should only apply to public schools.


So you have no Constitutional concerns with the government forcing people to work for no pay? I thought we lived in a constitutional republic, not mob rule.

 
GratuityIncluded 2008-04-06 06:11:39 PM  
CelebrityPharmacist: Bullshiat. If there is one great thing about America it's that I don't have to help anybody do anything.

lol, suuuuure

As to the article, I think maybe the problem is too many ideas that are not well thought out and lacking of common sense. Pretty systemic problem in society, fark notwithstanding.

 
wooden_badger 2008-04-06 06:24:52 PM  
Militant Moderate: House Bill 519 is sponsored by Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland)

Even proposing this kind of law should be a crime.


Maybe the Ohio House should be full of elected "volunteers".

 
potee 2008-04-06 06:25:12 PM  
John Dewey: Ric Romero: Some kids live in single parent homes where the single parent works multiple jobs and doesn't have time to volunteer at school.

That aside, i do think schools need to do a MUCH better job of incorporating volunteers. Is there any reason that parents couldn't come in and read aloud to a group of 4-5 first graders? Or even run a small reading or math groups?


I thought we hired teachers to do that.

shiat, I'd be willing to go in and read Charlotte's Web every once in a while, assuming I can have a few grand worth of taxes back.

News Flash: Normal people have jobs.

 
JeffTL 2008-04-06 06:26:10 PM  
CaesarSneezy

Strictly speaking, it would be conscription, not slavery. I don't know if the State of Indiana has the right to institute a draft, though.

 
ChopSueyKS 2008-04-06 06:28:48 PM  
potee: I thought we hired teachers to do that.

shiat, I'd be willing to go in and read Charlotte's Web every once in a while, assuming I can have a few grand worth of taxes back.

News Flash: Normal people have jobs.


Normal people should also be involved in their child's education. Heaven forbid they try to improve their kid's school. Be a coach for a debate team, help with math tutoring, raise money for new textbooks at a bake sale...it's not going to kill you to get involved.

 
John Dewey 2008-04-06 06:29:36 PM  
I thought we hired teachers to do that.

shiat, I'd be willing to go in and read Charlotte's Web every once in a while, assuming I can have a few grand worth of taxes back.

News Flash: Normal people have jobs.


Actually, I'm talking about people who don't have to work during school hours. And I'm not talking mandatory service, either. Schools use volunteers to do things like make copies, count out copies, cut things out, etc.

Why? Why not use them to help enhance the curriculum? While the teacher is working with one group of 4-5 kids, a parent can work with another 4-5 while the other 10 kids work independently or cooperatively on something else.

 
CaesarSneezy 2008-04-06 06:29:39 PM  
JeffTL: CaesarSneezy

Strictly speaking, it would be conscription, not slavery. I don't know if the State of Indiana has the right to institute a draft, though.


It isn't military service.

 
potee 2008-04-06 06:30:25 PM  
Malbar: Sounds like a convenient way for the lazy, stupid and unionized teachers who dominate the school system to do even less work than they already do.

Excuse me, but spending 9 months a year working from 9 to 3 with an hour and a half break is very strenuous, and therefore people with easy jobs like engineers or doctors or contractors should be forced to take personal time off to do a teacher's job for free.

 
John Dewey 2008-04-06 06:32:23 PM  
potee and Malbar, you are both more than welcome to become teachers if it's such an easy gig.

 
abb3w [TotalFark] 2008-04-06 06:33:42 PM  
Majick Thise: Volunteer..... She keeps using that word.....

Ex-army maybe? "I need three volunteers - you, you, and YOU!"

 
wildcardjack 2008-04-06 06:34:07 PM  
Yet another deterent against people thinking about having children.

What, are you actually trying to get to the world of "Children of Men"?

 
Falcc 2008-04-06 06:41:25 PM  
This sounds like a great idea! In fact I think they should expand it, taking on some people full time at a salary in order to help children in schools. They could call them.. umm.. teachers!

Snark aside, I think parents do need to pay more attention to their kids, and it's sad that it's come to the point where people feel the need to legislate morality becuase it isn't happening. This certainly isn't the best solution, but this may be a problem which legitimately requires some sort of collective nudge in the right direction from an outside source, probably government. Of course the general lack of common sense displayed in anything coming out of the government these days means anything they do causes more problems than it solves, but there's actual potential for good if we had some fresh minds at it.

Instead of forcing punishment on people that don't do anything there should be some kind of benifets to parents helping out their kids in school. It can't be a tax payer burden either, however. I don't have any ideas off the top of my head for how it'd work, but it seems offering to pay people 100 dollars will get more attention than threatening to fine them the same amount (as an example, not a suggestion). One of the real problems that's gotten us the society that spawns these stupid laws is there's no real rewards for being a good person or making an extra effort or using common sense anymore, if there ever was.

 
godofusa.com 2008-04-06 06:42:02 PM  
My brother's grade school (private) forced kids' families to volunteer 25 hours a year.. if you did anything under 25, you had to pay $10/hour.. so yea.. that sucked.

 
bboy [TotalFark] 2008-04-06 06:43:35 PM  
SpinStopper: The biggest problem with getting people to volunteer is that, all too often, volunteers are treated like galley slaves.

It's really true. People volunteer because they enjoy the good feeling they get when they think they're making a difference in somebody's lives. And, yeah, clean bathrooms make a difference, but it doesn't really FEEL that way, y'know?

 
moothemagiccow 2008-04-06 06:50:51 PM  
wildcardjack: Yet another deterent against people thinking about having children.

What, are you actually trying to get to the world of "Children of Men"?


Never going to happen. The people who have a choice about having children usually don't have as many.

 
jcooli09 2008-04-06 06:52:04 PM  
Gregory F. Stuart: If a majority of the Indiana voters support this bill, then it should become law.

If a majority of the Indiana voters are against this bill, then it should not become law.

Furthermore, this legislation should only apply to public schools.


I live in Ohio, and if the voters in Indiana pass a law that forces me to volunteer, I'm going to be pissed.

 
LittleSmitty 2008-04-06 07:05:17 PM  
If I contribute $200, will they keep them longer? Volunteering cuts into my free time

 
John Dewey 2008-04-06 07:08:25 PM  
But then I'd have to be surrounded by whiney teachers all day.

Yeah, but some of the young ones are really hot and not so whiney.

 
Hamster Lover 2008-04-06 07:12:41 PM  
JeffTL: CaesarSneezy

Strictly speaking, it would be conscription, not slavery. I don't know if the State of Indiana has the right to institute a draft, though.


I don't see how forcing someone to "volunteer" at a school for no pay is conscription.

From the U.S. constitution:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

 
jcooli09 2008-04-06 07:15:04 PM  
I volunteered to help at my daughters school, and they turned me away. They had too many stay home mom's that were helping.

I'd like to see what the schools have all those parents do. 13 hours per student is going to add up.

 
ChaoticLimbs 2008-04-06 07:16:56 PM  
lib·er·ty /ˈlɪbərti/ Pronunciation[lib-er-tee]
-noun, plural -ties.
1.freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
2.freedom from external or foreign rule; independence.
3.freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
4.freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint: The prisoner soon regained his liberty.
5.permission granted to a sailor, esp. in the navy, to go ashore.
6.freedom or right to frequent or use a place: The visitors were given the liberty of the city.
7.unwarranted or impertinent freedom in action or speech, or a form or instance of it: to take liberties.
8.a female figure personifying freedom from despotism.
-Idiom
9.at liberty,
a.free from captivity or restraint.
b.unemployed; out of work.
c.free to do or be as specified: You are at liberty to leave at any time during the meeting.



THIS IS WHY LIBERTY IS DEAD IN AMERICA. People don't even know what it means anymore.

 
Displayed 50 of 77 comments

First | « | 1 | 2 | » | Last | Show all


[Continue Farking]