CHANGE NATIONAL LEVEL OF STANDARDS TO REDUCE STRESS IN SCHOOLS

Dear Mr. President Bush,I am writing to you because of violence that has been surfacing in our schools. Although parents are usually looked at when problems occur, I feel we need to look closer to other causes.Stress is a major factor. Today in the name of growth and technology we have pushed ourselves to become a fast pace nation. This has trickled down to our children. The school takes at least 8 hours each day of each childs'' life. I am a stay at home mom so I am lucky enough to see my children for 6 hours.I see them struggle with things that have been around for years, dress, language, drugs and alcohol, and peer pressure. Now we have a new one to the list.I'm not sure how you would classify it but it comes in a package. Inside this package you will find: Stress from too many classes in an 8 hour period (my child in the 9th grade has 15 periods)Stress from being pushed too hard to achieve much higher standards per class (even ART)Stress from trying to achieve these new demands in order to pass a classStress from these Inter grated programs that no one really knows anything about or how to address the problem because it is quote"at a National Level" These are to name just a few, Mr. President, and I am growing increasingly concerned, that in our hope as a stronger Nation through our Children of tomorrow that we are endangering them in the process. In the last couple of months my child in the 5th grade came home very upset because he had a Written assignment in ART class. A 200 word Essay in Art.It's gone that far. I have talked with the Art teacher, the principal, the Superintendent, the school board Members, The County Art Consultant, and The State Board of Education.