AGDee and MysticCat--that's because you all are good parents...
But I understand what both parties mean.
This past summer I had a young teenage "girl" to me that I was mentoring, showing her how to determine blood pressure on mice and surgeries on rats. She took copious notes, followed ever direction I gave her, was able to make her own chemical solutions and present her work to the "public" intelligently. Her mother was just so happy her daughter could have this chance. But, what I think it was that this young lady had gone to private school and several members of her family sacrificed her going to that school.
Meanwhile, I have had students, that would take the stipend money and sleep with their new found little boy- or girlfriends in the dorm. There would not show up for work or show up late, they would talk back to me, fall asleep at work, put there iPODs on and tune out.
Then some of these same kids became 1st quarter freshmen, let's just say that the retention rate is extremely low for the 2nd quarter...
These kids had gone to a public school system school. I am not mocking the parents or schools. But we all must make a difference in every child's life. Maybe make a tax credit for tutoring young people for work and employers get extra bonuses if more of their employees spend time with school aged children? I don't know?
I do know about some my teaching skills, and I can motivate college-age kids and middle school kids into science interests.