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A friend recently adopted three Russian orphans. She spent the Summer teaching them how to eat with utensils, basic manners, and basic emotional security. By the time school started, they had exemplary manners, were eager to learn, and grateful for the opportunity to do so. By the end of the first six weeks, she had two boys who were rebellious, ungrateful, and constantly in trouble. The girl was succeeding in the classroom, but not as eager. She pulled the two boys out to homeschool and they are regaining lost ground by doing a seven-hour school day with additional help from a ESL tutor. The girl will finish this school year in public school, then homeschool with her brothers.
My friend calls the current state of public school a utopian orphanage based on their family's experiences with both. Survival at all costs is what her sons learned in both places.
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