Mmm… probably, yes. It is likely to be in trouble, especially if the current budget goes through.

California schools have frankly been facing some issues for a while. Despite that we used to have a great school system, according to a letter I got from my daughter’s school today, California currently spends about $1900 less per student than the national average, and they’re talking about a cut that would mean another $800 per student less.

Insanity! How do they expect teachers to work with so little?

My husband and I call it the continuing war against education in this state, because that’s what it feels like at times. We were both in college when huge cuts were made for the California State University system. One of my sisters had her entire major cut at the college she was at. And now things are looking that bad for our public schools too.

They’re talking 30 kids to one teacher in kindergarten classrooms, here. Up from 20:1.

If you’re a parent in California, or if something similar is happening in your own state, don’t just sit there and watch! The economy is rough all over, but there must be better ways for governments to handle their budget problems than this. Contact your State Senate and Assembly representatives, and let them know what you think.

And for those who say “Well, time to homeschool!” just remember that what happens to the public schools still matters. And if a recent court decision holds, homeschooling in California could be much harder to do anyhow. I don’t expect it to hold, especially since our governor is not so foolish as to agree with the judge, but it is a potential issue.

I love the school district we’re in now. It’s the best rated in the area, and my daughter has a wonderful teacher. But I don’t see how her school can keep up all the wonderful programs they have if this keeps up.

There’s still time for the state to work on this budget. Frankly, if they follow what is practically a California tradition, they’ll finish it late anyhow. But there needs to be better than this in it.

I’m not homeschooling my kids, but my sister is. Today I read an article that I had to immediately forward on to her. It seems California may be clamping down on its rule that only a credentialed teacher can teach the kids.

The family involved is doing something that is much like what my sister and her husband are doing with their kids, as I understand it. They’re registered with a charter school, but teach the kids on their own at home.

California does not consider parents to have a constitutional right to homeschool.

I’m not a homeschooler, but I find that ridiculous. Homeschooling is a great option for many families. I don’t care if it’s for religious reasons, if you don’t like the schools in your area, or if it’s just your preference, I think parents should be able to decide how their kids are taught. So long as they do receive a decent education, it shouldn’t matter to the state how it’s accomplished.

And yes, I know the quality can be the big issue.

Obviously it’s very important for parents in California to be aware of this one. While they’re saying the law hasn’t actually been changed, a precedent has certainly been set that the kind of homeschooling many parents do here in California as a workaround may not comply with the law after all. Which really sucks.

For many moms, the television is a big help, starting when their kids are very young. The Baby Einstein and similar DVDs keep young children occupied while mom tries to get things done around the house, or just a few moments of peace and quiet.

There’s been plenty of controversy on this topic. Some say it’s related to Attention Deficit Disorder and the like. It’s a topic I really recommend parents consider.

Both of my kids do watch television. In fact, we were given my sister’s spare TiVo as a Christmas present. That’s been a lot of fun as we can program it up for the shows my kids like to watch, and they can watch them when we want them to have the TV on. It also helps with letting us watch our shows at our leisure, but that’s not today’s topic.

My own feeling is that it is not a bad thing in moderation. My kids watch television, but they also spend a lot of time playing outside when the weather permits (and they love playing in the rain!), and playing creatively with their toys. We have plenty of ‘TV off time’.

I also was never that much into the Baby Einstein thing. We have some of their videos, and in terms of style, I liked Baby Genius much better. Still didn’t show them that much.

Some videos I have seen definitely educational value from, such as the Leap Frog Letter Factory video. Their others aren’t bad, but both of my kids picked their alphabet up almost effortly from that video. My son, who is in speech therapy because he struggles with speaking, knows his alphabet and all the letter sounds. He’s not even 3 yet. My daughter was doing that by 2. It’s just a delight to me.

It’s just like anything else, really. Some can be good. Too much does harm.

How much do you let your kids watch television?

One area I always have to resist going overboard on at Christmas is giving my kids books. It’s just flat out fun! They love getting them, too.

There are a few titles I already know I’m getting, such as both The Daring Book for Girls and The Dangerous Book for Boys. While both of my kids are too young to read these themselves, I expect to find some fun things to do with them.

I also want to get some of the Level 1 books for Gage, and Level 2 & 3 for Ariel. Yes, at 2 years and 9 months old, Gage has been seriously trying to figure out this reading thing. It’s been one of those amazing things to watch. He sees his sister learning to read, and wants to be like her, so he’s trying, and trying hard! We go through the books word by word with him, and while I don’t think he’s reading yet, he’s getting the idea and recognizes all the letters. It’s a nice start.

Of course I will probably end up getting a book or so for my husband, or at least I do so often enough that I can say so without ruining any sort of surprise. He doesn’t read this site much, but he does a little.

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Just had my first official parent-teacher conference today. They were delayed due to the fires, and only the kindergarten classes at my daughter’s school had them at all.

My daughter’s teacher and I had a great time talking, and the marks were what I expected. Ariel is generally doing very well, meeting most standards and heading over some of them. Her main challenges have to do with behavior.

I expected that. I have a feisty daughter who loves to socialize. It’s something I know all too well. But it’s still something when the teacher tells you not to panic over her marks in behavior.

The trick wil of course be doing anything about it. I’ll be reminding her that it is often time to settle down and work at school. Fortunately she has been improving in some of the areas she had trouble in early on, and I think she will improve in these areas with some encouragement.

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