First, the "solution" is not: "we."
The disrespect to teachers from students almost universally originates from "home" where parents flat out do not instill the concept of respect to "authority" which includes teachers.
Next, we cannot dismiss the very substantial importance that religious schools, private schools in general, charter schools, and some public schools absolutely require their students to demonstrate because these institutions believe "respect" is at the "top" of the list of what they believe their students should learn and demonstrate at all times.
We cannot ignore this frequently used excuse by parents to flat out justify the disrespect to teachers by some parents by their "wonderful" children -- the teacher did "X" to my child so my child had every "right" to disrespect the teacher.
This excuse is probably used by parents a great majority of the time to justify their children's disrespect to teachers.
If any educational institution, public or private, permits parents or students to disrespect any one of its teachers or administrators, I exercise the only act I have any control over: I personally have no respect for that institution.

The media, the politicians, the parents, the public in general do not respect teachers.
Don't you think that message carries down to the students? And it is also true that public school teachers are so overworked and stressed that they can not follow through on every situation that arises in the classroom. With 34 students in each class times 5 classes in high school, it would take up the whole day and evening to keep up with each student that isn't doing homework, paying attention, studying for exams, coming on time, coming at all, and being disrespectful to either the teacher or other students. Prep time and professional periods are filled with chores, meetings,
correcting homework, preparing lessons, going to the copy center, and clerical duties for the administration. If a report on a student is written up, we need to make a copy and give one to the A.P., keep a copy, submit the original to a dean, all of this after a phone call is attempted to a parent and a letter sent home. No one has time to do all this. By the time it's done, the situation is long forgotten by the student and the consequences are not seen by other students in the class. It appears to others that teachers have no power and they can get away with everything. They are right!

Most of the time, the teachers are good people. What I am more concerned about, however, are the worksheets, homework and general assignments that seem to be written by individuals trying to "condition" our kids to conform through subtle ways. For example, in my child's D46 class, they are teaching children as young as kindergarten to be, and I QUOTE from one class project, "A good citizen."

While this may seem inoocent enough and harmless on the surface, when a child is exposed to this kind of repeated language in text, papers, etc., it starts to strip them of their individuality, because it literally and subconsciously keeps asking them to "conform" to what a textbook tells them to.

I think D46 teachers are great. But I am upset with the people who are writing the curriculum they are given at times, and wish the school board would pay closer attention to the things such young kids are exposed to.

Yet another paper in my child's kindergarten class referred to a black child by the name "ebony." The context of this worksheet was a bit disturbing too, for reasons I won't even get into here....and I am a white parent saying this.

I think this wrongly exposes kids to labels that might also unnecesarily condition them to judge people by the color of their skin, when they should not obviously.

Just a few things I have noticed. Again, I think the teachers are great. But do D46 administrators ever stop and read what these kids are reading, etc.? Seriously.

Why do teachers think that they deserve more respect than others? I have personally seen very disprespectul behavior by teachers right in the hallways of Woodland. Teachers and admin. in schools tend to think that they are always in charge and do not like to be questioned. I could relate a story from just this Friday about a call I got from a music teacher who was so condescending and rude I couldn't believe it.
What you should be comparing is homeschooled kids compared to public school, and then compare the SCHOOLS, NOT the kids.

Alot of this stems from the Liberal agenda, which has for years taught people that we should all just let everyone do what they want, even if it is at the expense of our own values. Public schools generally follow a liberal agenda, where private schools follow a more conservative agenda. Just look at the teachers, and you will see. Private school teachers don't wear ripped up jeans and chew gum and eat in class. Public school teachers, and yes even at the much-adored Woodland, wear torn jeans and chew gum and don't seem to know how to talk to adults that are older than they are. So, there you have it. It's not all the student's fault, and teachers seem to often think they are untouchable. Re: the name 'Ebony:. Please! People actually NAME their kids that, so don't even start with the whole 'white guilt' stuff.

one more thing, then I am done. For years, schools have sort of taken over kids and parents, and many parents just assume the school knows best and leaves everything to them. So, although it may be true that this sort of thing starts at home sometimes, we can't hve it both ways. We can't say 'we are in charge' and then take all the credit but none of the blame, as schools. State-run school is like that, they want ownership and they want to tell parents how to raise their kids. This is true, if you look at the stuff that comes home from Dist.50, they really do tell parents what to do and how to do it. And many just follow along, never questioning. So, when a child is disrespectful, we really shouldn't place all the blame on the parents. So many parents think that because school says somethingthey have to follow along. Asking a question is looked at as being disrespectful or 'rebellious'. So let's look at the State's agenda before laying blame and labelling an entire generation as 'disrespectful', as long as we are being so P.C.

Everything seems to focus back to political arguments here. This issue of respect shouldn't end up that way. Students respecting teachers and teachers respecting students should be something that everyone learns. My child isn't even close to school aged yet, but if he ever mouthed off to his mother, his teacher or myself we would have a problem. I understand that it is my responsibility to try to instill the values I learned onto him.

To me, teachers feel they deserve respect because they are with our children for 5-7 hours a day for much of their early lives. We entrust that they will teach them and do their best to keep them moving forward. That shouldn't give them the right to talk back and be rude either. Ideally they should work with parents to help get children back on track or continue moving forward. Again, I think some get disillusioned when they come across problem children whose parents just don't seem to care.

As for teaching core liberal values, If the schools have been doing that for so long, how do we still have roughly a 50/50 split of liberal and conservative residents here in America? Teaching a child to be a good citizen should be just that. There isn't a need to read into it. Liberals see hidden conservative messages and vise versa. Not everyone is out to get you.

Just answering the question, in my experience, I do not believe private schools produce more respectful students. I have frequently been flipped off and sworn at by students riding the bus home from St. Gilbert's school in Grayslake while walking to pick up my own child from school. Maybe it was their only time to rebel, because the bus driver sure didn't care that they were standing up and yelling out the windows, I don't know. I am not saying my publicly educated kids and their classmates are more respectful, just not any less respectful.

Do public schools PRODUCE less respectful kids? No, parents do that.

Jose, what age range do you belong in? Just curious. One of my kids is respectful to a fault and I have never laid a hand on her, nor will I ever. She is a teacher's dream (comment we pretty much hear from every teacher at every parent conference). i was not a great student behaviorally or academically, but my daughter is one of the most diligent, well behaved kids you'll ever find. She thrives on teacher approval. How could that be, Jose, when I have never had to use corporal punishment?

It's unfair to compare public with private schools. Private schools can pick and choose who they take, and quickly expel a kid with behavioral problems. Public schools have to take the bad with the good, with regards to ability, behavior, and parental involvement. A parent who pays private school tuition on top of some of the highest property taxes in the country is going to be extremely invested in their kid's academic achievement. Some of the public school kids come from families whose parents didn't finish grade school. It does all go back to the home, and always has. To say it has anything to do with a "liberal agenda" or that it is wrong to try to instill 'good citizenship" into a child is absurd.

In one of the greatest longshots of all time, my daughter attended parochial school rather than public school. It is my observation that parochial schools more consistently practice routines that focus on self-discipline and control, which in turn affects students ability for self-respect and respect of others. For example, wearing clothes (with a limited code - uniforms or otherwise) sets a standard and teaches the idea that respect is warranted in places like school, church, work and/or court. There was a time when even in public school, virtually all parents taught kids to differentiate between "school clothes" and "play clothes." I believe there is also more focus on providing opportunity for kids to act in charitable ways, and on helping kids to aspire towards acting in a responsible and respectful manner rather than just doing it "becasue it's the rule."

I believe, however, whether child or adult in public or private school, being able to be respectful requires several prerequisite cognitive and emotional skills, such as a certain degree of frustration tolerance, empathy and understanding of the advantages of acting respectfully.

I don't believe it's as important to say public vs. private, as it is to compare teachers. Some teachers are fabulous, while others are simply there for the benefits....regardless if public vs. private.
And how can you ask us which is better, public or private? Of course I'm going to defend the school my children attend. I have no personal experience with private, I only know what I hear/read. If someone asked me to compare my employer with our direct competitor, of course I would defend my employer, the one I know. How can I intelligently speak about something I've not personally experienced? I get tired if hearing private school parents brag about their superiority. Don't speak on a topic you've only read about or heard about, but have not experienced. I would put my D46 school against any of the local private schools any day of the week.

Chris, I in no way meant private schools are superior to public. If you were a frequent reader of the Patch, you would see that I am a staunch advocate of public education. In my daughter's case, her particular learning style is more conducive to the smaller class size that her school offers. I think smaller class sizes would benefit all, but it's an unfortunate reality that public schools cannot afford that. I consider myself very lucky that I can send my daughter to a school more conducive to her personality, but I realize not everyone can, and therefore,I believe public education has to be supported. The tea party republicans' view (such as Marilyn) of education is appalling and dangerous. Respect for teachers and other authority figures comes from the parents. Seeing the total disrespect and anger in Marilyn's posts pretty much says it all. It would be hard for me to believe her kids have any respect for educators or anyone for that matter who has a different perspective than their own.

Another comment regarding public versus private. The kids at my daughter's school can be just as disrespectful as any other kid. I do not think the type of school makes a difference. As i've said, it's the parents who make the difference. That was my original point in my comments to Jose.

The child observes and imitates what others do. If parent(s) are disrepectful to others, in from of the child, then the child learns that its ok to be disrepectful. If the crowd that the child hangs out with is disrespectful then the child again is seeing a re-enforcement that being disrespectful is the 'in thing' to do. I went to a public highschool and was very respectful. While economic status may ellude people that private schools or suburban schools create more respectful kids, this is definitedly NOT TRUE. Having money may actually perptuate it as well. It all goes back to the parents and role models. Quite frankly, the parents allow things like sports and such to interfere with the kid's ability to be able to get homework done in a timely manner. So, the excuses and the 'right to have extensions' since the kids are involved with extracurricular activities allow the kids to consistently need more and more extensions. It gets to the point where school is interfering with the kid's ability to do extracurricular activities...and the parent(s) support it. Something just isn't right here.

Here is another example: I remember that a choice was made, when I was young, go to religious school or participate in sports. In my day, religious school was far more important than sports. These days, the kids are missing religious school because the team needs them and then the parents are disrespectful to the teachers because their kids are not learning (and all of this extra money is being paid to have their kids taught).
So the question is: Are the parents disrespectful to the educational system causing the child to lose respect...thus perpetuating the entire cycle of disrespect to continue to escalate?