Sunday, May 06, 2007

Back To Basics...

For quite a while, I've gone off track from what I originally did with this blog. Seeing the "Stupid" and trying to figure it out.

I was placed firmly back on the rails this week. There was a meeting at the kids' school for us to attend. Seems there was a "major issue" that needed addressing.

Briefly, there's a "Spring Concert" every year at the school. The show is in two parts: the school band gives a recital, and then the kids who decide to try would get up and sing a song, karaoke style. They've always taken it somewhat seriously, rehearsing and tweaking, until they come up with an admittedly good show.

Well, this year, there seemed to be a big falloff in the second part of the show. Kids didn't seem to care, weren't showing up to rehearse, weren't putting in the time. So the show's director decided to eliminate the karaoke half of the program. Made sense to me. If the kids didn't care enough to put the work in, no use letting them get up and give a half-hearted effort. (My own daughter was one of the participants, by the way, and she wasn't working too hard either)

So the meeting came along. There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth over the cancellation. How dare the director do this to the poor kids.

Umm, yeah, hi.

They didn't care about it for the 6 weeks preceding, how did we all of a sudden get this infusion of enthusiasm, with a week to go? The show would have been a disaster, and for the ones who put in the effort, it wouldn't have been fair to ruin the show for them, right? (Remember, my own kid was in it, and I wasn't crying "injustice!". She didn't work hard, that's the penalty, right?)

Nopey. Not how it went down. These parents raised such a ruckus (now mind you, none could, or would, say that their kid had been working at this) that the principal overruled the show director, and reinstated the second half of the program.

Just another instance of the fine example parents seem to be setting for kids these days. None of the work, all of the glory. I think it's a crock, and I'm sick of seeing juveniles raising kids. I think this would have been a great opportunity to show these kids that there are consequences for giving less-than-optimal effort.

One of the idiots at the meeting said that the director's action showed a "complete lack of respect for the children." I'm still from that planet where respect is earned, and I saw no correlation here between the decision of the director, and "respect." As much as I think "amazing" is the single most overused word in the hipster's lexicon, "show me respect" is front-runner in the diluted-phrases department. You don't command respect simply by being born. No way. Not ever.

The whole thing was stupid, from the debate, to the conclusion.

And so, I'm back.

6 comments:

  1. oh right, not fair of the director - but fair of them not to take their kids to half the rehearsals or make them be serious about it! PARENTS@!@

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  2. The only clear solution to me...is that those angry parents should put their OWN show on for the second half. They are the ones who want it, obviously not the kids.

    Nancy

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  3. The respect was not given to the director by the kids. I wish she would have fought harder for her wasted and valuable time. Great example Jimmy of the "entitled" generation.

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  4. Being one of those directors myself in a previous life, I will say that school set their director up for failure by calling such a meeting and I feel the injustice in their behalf.

    Couldn't they have instead sent a letter home with all the kids signed up to perform saying they were concerned about the quality and setting a time for an official audition? Any child who really wanted to perform, could try out.

    Let any quality performances perform. If only one or two make the cut, work them into the concert somehow. If no one makes the cut, at least you could they were all offered a fair shot and the director wouldn't have had his/her name dragged through the mud in the process.

    You really do have to be a politician to work with groups of parents don't you?

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  5. Oh. My. Gosh. You know how much this kind of bugs me too. I'm ranting right there with ya'. That director should turn the show over to the principal--he can run it. I hate it when administrations don't support their staff and/or bow to parents. That shows weakness. And you're right; those kids are learning some bad lessons here. So unfortunate.

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  6. I'm sorry but I'm still reeling over the line "complete lack of respect for the children." Um... They're KIDS. I'm sorry but how much "respect" have KIDS EARNED? lol My mom taught me give respect, get respect. (Kinda realize that's crap when I got older but you get the idea lol)

    I have to echo Dan Conry, my favorite talk show host of all time: They are KIDS. Kids don't GET respect.

    Note that this is coming from a 19 yr old lol Someone needs to tell them that the kiddos need to strap on a few years then we'll see about the "respect" part coming into play. Like around the time you can vote, go to war, and smoke. That little thing called adulthood.

    ~Lily

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