The reason I am writing this is as a warning to do whatever it takes to home educate your children. We are educators with 70 years combined experience. Do not put your children into group settings with a teacher in a classroom and leave them there for the day. A few students spoil the learning environment for the entire group every single year. This is why we are starting Surfside Leadership Academy. We want your child to succeed in the most productive and nurturing learning environment possible.

Early 1993 I decided to pursue a career in education. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Pre-Med (Kinesiology), I desired to work with the youth of our country. After completing my credential requirements in California, I immediately was employed to work in middle school teaching Life Science. Shortly into the semester, I observed how my students were not ashamed of their inability to read a 7^th grade science book with fluency. The social studies department exclusively read the textbook the entire period 5 days per week the entire school year in response to the same concern. Towards the end of my first year of teaching, I had two students who had gang leaders for parents. As the students were exiting my room on the last day, they stopped by my lab table and confidently told me, “I am going to get you.” I immediately informed my principals and they both told me to start parking in the front of school instead of the back. After my principal’s lame response, I sought employment elsewhere. (That principal is one of the highest paid superintendents in the country working in Los Angeles today).

Governor Wilson had just passed the “Class-size Reduction Act” so school districts were clamoring for teachers since rooms were being split to accommodate a 20:1 student ratio. I was immediately hired to work at a local school in a reputable school district in Orange County teaching 5^th grade. My school was a Title 1 school, so my campus had many extra resources to help low income families who were mostly Latino. During my eight year tenure, I saw multiple million dollar programs being implemented. One year, we were all thoroughly trained to use Open Court Phonics and it was all the rage. We used it for one year and were then told to turn in ALL of our materials for the new Houghton Mifflin Phonics/Reading program. Within my school district was a superintendent who was one of the youngest at the time, and the highest paid in the country. Below him, were 3 others. They would periodically make their rounds through our classrooms and campus. When they arrived, the teachers would state, “Here comes the million dollar squad”. My campus received a multi-million dollar revitalization school bond in a recent election. We were told of all the different improvements our campus would get over the summer. To our surprise, upon our return, our campus received a new parking lot with disability accommodations and a bus lane, a million dollar bathroom in the middle of campus, and new paint. The campus looked essentially the same. The student’s bathrooms were essentially 50 years old and scary. The money allotted for schools does not make it to the students or classrooms. Often, teachers would buy supplies with their own money-including paper and pencils.

One day after a day’s work at school, I was playing Hawaiian music, cleaning up, and preparing for the next day. My classroom door opened and about 15 large enraged African American people began to file into my room. I was quite surprised, and with them, was one of my students. Apparently, she thought that I had said something racist while teaching that day. I was appalled and vehemently told the family that I was not a racist. After a few words, they were deflated and realized it was a big misunderstanding. To this day, I have no idea what I said to create such a commotion. Not long after that, I received a student who was expelled from his school because he threatened to “shoot it up”. He came to school with a backpack every day and this caused great concern, no only for the welfare of my students, but for my well-being since I was in the early months of pregnancy. I informed my principal about my concern. She told me he had every right to have his backpack in class with him. I went to the assistant principal, she overruled the principal, went against school policy, and told the family that he could not bring a backpack to school. The family complied. I have many more stories that involve mom’s with multiple children from multiple fathers, students showing up on the day of state testing with green hair, students using the “F” word toward the teachers, and students burning down science labs during passing periods while the teacher was told be outside in the hallway.

After my first year of teaching, I married my husband, who also became an elementary school teacher. He worked in a different school district, but we were close enough to carpool together. His campus was also a Title I school. His first year of teaching a 5^th grade class had a student who would physically attack the other students with his pencil by trying to stab them. The student was not removed from the class. The PTA and principal that year awarded my husband with the “Very Special Person” award for enduring that situation his first year of teaching. By the end of his 20 year career on that campus, students began to make up ridiculous stories about teachers. Some of the fables involved amazing teachers who smashed iPads on student’s heads, pulling chairs out from underneath students, etc. It became ridiculous, so my husband took an early retirement.

We both took positions at a Christian homeschool hybrid in south Orange County believing the situation would be better in this educational setting. It was a small version of the public schools. Students were completely obsessed with their cellular devices and wanted to be mostly entertained instead of educated. My husband taught a social studies class where the students were learning about the Constitution and other ideologies like Communism. They expressed their dismay in the curriculum and their teacher’s role as educator. While teaching a 6^th grade earth science lab where the students were having a blast with slow erupting volcanoes using ketchup and vinegar, I had a disruptive student. I moved him to a table across the room. Shortly after that event, he and his friends created a story accusing me of drugging him during the lab. Within a period of two weeks, the entire event was proved false and eventually the student was expelled. At the end of the year, we decided to not return to this particular campus, and, two years later the academy was dissolved.

A parent contacted us and informed us of another homeschool hybrid in the area. We interviewed and took positions teaching middle school and upper elementary. The philosophy was one that we adhered to-give the students as much outside education as possible. The teachers received scope and sequences of the curriculum and the program seemed very well organized. Within a short amount of time, the students began to “show their true colors”. I had middle school students who did everything possible to sabotage my lessons. During art when I looked away, the paint would be sprayed all over the opposite wall. During recess, out of the blue, another middle school student physically attacked a campus assistant. Neither he, nor the parents, took responsibility for this event. They blamed others and withdrew their family. On another occasion, a teacher politely approached a parent at pick-up asking if he would speak to his child about respecting other teachers during recess. The request was returned with an “F-You”. We ended our year there and decided to change positions.

This time, we were hired to work at a Christian private school. We were very optimistic. This was going to be the place we would remain until the end of our teaching careers. The principal had informed us of some of the challenges on the campus and we felt prepared. Within two weeks of the start of the school year, my husband resigned. His 3^rd grade class had two students who were very high special needs who caused extreme disturbances in the classroom. I continued in my middle school science position. After a short amount of time, I discovered extensive cheating on tests and classroom assignments as well as disturbances during my lessons and labs. On one occasion, the students began collapsing all of the tables in the room while I was presenting a lesson. On another occasion, a cow began mooing while the student connected his lap-top to his cellular device. I resigned 4 days before Christmas realizing that the students did not want what I had to give.

Two weeks later I was hired to teach 5^th and 6^th grade english and history at another Christian homeschool hybrid academy. I was thrilled and encouraged, and believed this was where I would remain until the end of my teaching career. The parents were demanding but I enjoyed the challenge and the curriculum. My husband was hired on the same campus before Easter. Almost immediately, the students decided they did not like the order and instruction that my husband brought to the classroom. Sadly, a small group began to conspire against him and create outrageous stories. The gossip spread through much of the campus. The parents wrote degrading, disrespectful, and very hurtful messages to the principal before ever attempting to speak to the teacher first. After all, what would the teacher know since they spend six hours per day with their children? We are in our last week on this campus. 

Our teaching careers did not end the way we would have liked. We tried. Our experiences with families and students at all types of educational institutions is very disturbing. We have concluded that the student’s access to cell phones and social media at an early age has largely contributed to this problem. We have come to the conclusion that parents do not understand the responsibility and requirements to raise good citizens. Our child was home educated. He will be starting college in the fall studying engineering and computer science. He has practiced and competed in Brazilian jiu jitsu for 12 years-winning a few championships at the highest level. Families within our community have noticed that our child is confident, well educated, and respectful to all people. They do not understand the sacrifice and love involved in the parenting process. This is the problem with America’s educational system and families.