the Slumber party episode

[Ireneparalegal]

After some consideration, Mike & Carol finally believed Marcia was telling the truth abt the pic of Mrs. Denton. so why not go to the school and have a discussion with the principal abt it? There was no concrete proof Marcia had done it. And I found it odd that Mike & Carol after telling her they believed her, she still had to abide by her punishment at school. As a parent, I have had talks with teachers/principals abt things going on at school, my input on matters; one time my daughter was accused of something she didn't do, I stormed to the teacher and the teacher agreed it was wrong for my daughter to have been accused of the wrongdoing.

[scott_bolger2001]

Yeah, but this was the 70s, the teacher's were always right back then LOL.

Maybe they were just trying to set an example for children: you should listen to your teachers no matter what. I mean, I don't agree with it, but it fits right into the kind of morals family shows back then would try and promote.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by scott_bolger2001

Yeah, but this was the 70s, the teacher's were always right back then LOL.

Maybe they were just trying to set an example for children: you should listen to your teachers no matter what. I mean, I don't agree with it, but it fits right into the kind of morals family shows back then would try and promote.

I was a child of the seventies and when I protested to my parent abt something at school that wasn't fair (in my mind) my parent would go over there and talk to the teacher. Out of the three times I protested abt something when I was in junior high, two of those issues were turned in my favor. So, if a parent listens to their child and believes them when they tell them something, then it's the parent(s) responsibility to look into the matter.

[Jack1000]

Guys,

But remember that Mike DOES go to the school to talk to Mr. Randolph and asks to keep the picture. After discussing it with Carol and studying the picture they take Marcia's word that she didn't do the writing about Mrs. Denton or a hippo.

I think parents were more likely to take a teacher's or administrator's side over a school conflict with their children back than, as opposed to today.

Jack

[Ireneparalegal]

i just find it hard to believe that after the parent sees the child was telling the truth, they would let the issue go away. 70's or not, my parent back then in those days, teacher, administrator or what have you, stood up to whoever when it came to me telling the truth. In the 8th grade, I opposed one time having to retake a test simply because two students (out of 39 in the class) had been caught cheating. Why should I retake a test that I didn't cheat on? My parent went over there in a huff and the teacher felt that it WASN'T RIGHT after all and decided against the entire class having to retake a test. This is just one example and there are more. Simply put, if a parent feels their child is telling the truth, they should be there to defend their child against such an accusation.
Besides, why would Marcia admit to the drawing and NOT the writing? Seems to me a kid who was lying wouldn't admit to the drawing at all.

[Rich3]

They can't defend her because they have no solid evidence that she didn't. The school's best evidence was that she did it. She even admitted to drawing the picture. She shouldn't have been doing that anyways. She didn't intend harm towards the teacher. Neither did her friend. But she was still guilty of wasting school time.

The parents' belief in her innocence was based on a personal family relationship. Schools don't have the same intimate relationships with their students. The parents were helpless to defend her and they knew it.

Marcia started the trouble, and she was was careless in letting the picture be found by her friend. She got caught. It's like a parent taking a kid to the museum and the kid knocks over a statue. The parent is the guilty one because they were not minding their child. The parent's good intentions mean nothing to the museum. Nor did Marcia's good intentions mean anything to the school.

[Tweety]

another thing that was different back then was the Principal's comment as Mike was leaving his office...

Mike asked him if Mrs. Denton really looked like the drawing Marcia made... the Principal replied, "Unfortunately, yes".

Sure couldn't get away with that today!


For the most part, scott_bolger2001 is correct, teacher were usually considered to be right in those days, but Irene makes a good point as well... if parents got aggressively involved when they thought their child was wronged, then the school/teacher would sometimes reverse their decisions regarding punishments...

My parents got involved a couple of times when I felt I was treated unfarily, and both times, the school agreed...

I think the difference today is that parents today are much more likely to automatically assume that the school or teacher is out to get their kid, whereas back then, you really had to make a good case for your parents to take your side... In my cases, I had solid evidence, and I won both times...

Just an illustration, but just this week I was driving home from work, and had the "Dr. Laura" radio show on... a mother called up and was upset that her kid was being punished for breaking a school rule... she admitted that her kid did the deed, but thought it was unfair because "other kids" did the same thing and were not caught... of course, Dr. Laura put her in her place and said, it doesn't matter, your kid got caught, they've gotta do the time...

But that's pretty typical today... of course, our parents grew up (and I mean GREW UP) in the 30s and 40s, and had to deal with an economic depression, in addition to saving the world from fascism by fighting and winning WWII. Much of the Baby Boom generation has really never grown up, and we have to invent things to be stressed out about... and because so many baby boomers never grew up, many of them don't make very good parents themselves...


but back to the subject at hand, one of the things I like to joke about is how teachers today who are (roughly) in their 40s, are really two-time losers... because when THEY were growing up, the teachers were always right, and their parents took the schools side in most controversies... but today, now that THEY are teachers themselves, all of a sudden, the kids are always right, and the schools almost never back up the teachers, for fear of lawsuits..

sometimes ya just can't win

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by Tweety

another thing that was different back then was the Principal's comment as Mike was leaving his office...

Mike asked him if Mrs. Denton really looked like the drawing Marcia made... the Principal replied, "Unfortunately, yes".

Sure couldn't get away with that today!


For the most part, scott_bolger2001 is correct, teacher were usually considered to be right in those days, but Irene makes a good point as well... if parents got aggressively involved when they thought their child was wronged, then the school/teacher would sometimes reverse their decisions regarding punishments...

My parents got involved a couple of times when I felt I was treated unfarily, and both times, the school agreed...

I think the difference today is that parents today are much more likely to automatically assume that the school or teacher is out to get their kid, whereas back then, you really had to make a good case for your parents to take your side... In my cases, I had solid evidence, and I won both times...

Just an illustration, but just this week I was driving home from work, and had the "Dr. Laura" radio show on... a mother called up and was upset that her kid was being punished for breaking a school rule... she admitted that her kid did the deed, but thought it was unfair because "other kids" did the same thing and were not caught... of course, Dr. Laura put her in her place and said, it doesn't matter, your kid got caught, they've gotta do the time...

But that's pretty typical today... of course, our parents grew up (and I mean GREW UP) in the 30s and 40s, and had to deal with an economic depression, in addition to saving the world from fascism by fighting and winning WWII. Much of the Baby Boom generation has really never grown up, and we have to invent things to be stressed out about... and because so many baby boomers never grew up, many of them don't make very good parents themselves...


but back to the subject at hand, one of the things I like to joke about is how teachers today who are (roughly) in their 40s, are really two-time losers... because when THEY were growing up, the teachers were always right, and their parents took the schools side in most controversies... but today, now that THEY are teachers themselves, all of a sudden, the kids are always right, and the schools almost never back up the teachers, for fear of lawsuits..

sometimes ya just can't win

no you can't...good points!

[TV Guy]

Also, remember that a lot of the Brady writers were middle-aged (or older), so they brought a lot of 40s and 50s sensibilities to the show. Back then, the teacher was almost always right, and parents didn't protest nearly as much as they do today.