ha!  Good story.  That Colonel kind of sounds like what I imagine my son (coming up on Captain) would say. 

He's the same one who wrote on my blog against my other son's inlaws who invaded my space remember?   He always makes me laugh at what he says or writes because he's quick witted and no nonsense.   

I'm taking it that Betty was a non-Catholic 

I have no idea of her religion.  Maybe she was and that was why she was out that day. But I had the good fortune of having my math teacher for 2 classes a day 2nd semester (I was doubling up on math), and he hated her!  I later learned from others that the feud between Ms. Nicholas and Mr. fontenote (they are long gone or so old I doubt they would mind - this was 36 years ago) had been going on for years!  Needless to say, Mr. Fontenote was my favorite senior year teacher.

So when your son makes Colonel, are you going to tell him to stop?

She was in charge of that bus! So many teachers are of that ilk.  I know I sound like I am against teachers a lot of the time, I am not.  I am, however, against stupid teachers all the time and there are unfortunately, waaaaay too many stupid teachers.

Good story, Doc.

Having put 4 kids through school, I have seen some great ones (in addition to the ones I had) and some wastes of oxygen.  And I got to work in education for 10 years (I am back in now, just at a higher level), where I saw the 2 types as well.  You are not anti teacher from what I can tell, but you have met your share of stupid lazy ones.  Any responsible parent has I would suspect.

I don't really understand the american schoolsystem, I mean there are things that are really odd like this attendance taking or requiring a hallpass to go to the bathroom or being written up for being tardy etc. It took a while for me to got used to that when I was an exchange student because we didn't have anything like that in germany.

Creating a nuisance for parents by requiring them to come in before allowing a replacement test with a docked grade no less would have never had happened in my school. But then, those holy days of obligation are usually national holidays in Germany.. everything is closed, no school, so a scenario like would have never happened.

School vacations are spread over the whole year as well. We have a break in fall which originates in the need of farmer kids to help with the harvest, then there are is christmas break, usually from the 24th till the first school day after the 6th of January (roughly 2 weeks +/- a few days), fasching break (tradition is tradition!), 2 weeks for easter, 2 weeks for pentacost, and 6 weeks in the summer. Summer vacations start in the last few days of July and school starts in the 3rd week of September, at least in the state where I live. It's different in each state in Germany. And there are of days of holy obligation like 1st of November always off in addition to that.

thanks for the story!

Some traditions are sacred!

I think the difference can be traced back to culture.  In Germany, School is seen as an opportunity (parents stressing it).  That is how it is for some in this country as well.  But for too many, it is seen as a babysitter.  Parents do not care about their children's education, so the children do not care.  The rules were actually a lot less strict when I was in school.  This teacher was just being petty.  I did not skip (miss class) much, and went because of both the socializing aspect of school and because my parents were of the former type. 

But my sister (same parents) skipped a lot and had to repeat the 10th grade.  She never did like school or see the value in it.  In america, you are required to attend school until you graduate (or take a test that says you know enough) or until you are 18.  It is the law.  I do not think you have a law like that in Germany, but then truancy does not appear to be the problem it is over here.

I like to tell my kids that the dress code in my high school was "you must wear shoes".  That was it!  They assumed that people would wear shirts and pants.  Of course when the streaking fad hit, they could not suspend the students because - all wore shoes (and nothing else).

Every child has to go to school in Germany, at least until they finish 9th grade, it's the law as well. Homeschooling isn't allowed. As a matter of fact, a german family was granted political asylum in the US a few weeks ago because of this, they wanted to homeschool their children and weren't allowed to. IMO Calling that political repression is a bit much, but if you don't send your children to school they'll call social services and all kinds of troubles head your way.

We didn't have dresscodes at all in school, you could wear what you wanted. I don't remember anybody streaking, but quite a few had a goth and punk phase. The only thing the school made those kids do was to take out or tape over their jewlery(mostly piercings) in PT to avoid injury. My school back then was sort lax on quite a few things, including smoking. Some teachers even had their smoking breaks together with the older students, but since then schools are very strict about that. No smoking on school grounds. My school was a former priest seminar (the buiilding is ovver 250 years old) and it had a basement with a small theatre stage and a bar, and we used to organize parties there a few times in the year. A few kids set up a DJ and we had our very own disco. Fun times.. there always were teachers there to make sure it didn't go overboard, but as alcohol was sold (beer and sekt) people did get drunk in front of teachers. It wasn't a big deal though. Imagine that would happen in the US - I can see the headline on CNN already.

Link pic of my school

any government entity who refuses homeschooling raises a big red flag in my opinion.  We have to ask, who do these children belong to?  Government's?  Parent's?    Public school should be a place where parents can opt to send their children if they choose NOT to homeschool. 

The history (compulsory) education is a long story.

Personally, I don't think disallowing homeschooling is a bad thing. Who is to say that parents are qualified to teach their children - the fact that they are the parents alone?

I went to a school almost as nice as yours (Freshman year - marin County California), but of course graduated from the dependant one in Frankfurt.  But I will always remember Tamalpias HS! But you are right about the liquor!  I can see that now in a US school! LOL

Well, the age difference may be the key.  Most US students do not drop out before HS, so if that was all that was required, it may be the same.  I do find the political asylum hard to believe!  We are tying to get PA for some friends from Venezuela (Chavez country) and having no luck!  So Germany?  Lucky family!

It is the basic difference we discussed in another thread.  How America was born versus how European countries came from.  America would not think of it because we are a more independant lot even today than most European Countries.  Plus there is the key difference that Leauki taught me about.  The difference between a nation state and a country.  Basically most European countries are Nation States - in other words, all the people have a common heritage (or most all since there are immigrants).  While America is anything but that.

Some states make it so the parents must be certified teachers (or almost), while others just force them to follow a general curriculm.  But I agree.  I did home school one of my children one year because of a difference of philosophy with the local school division (they believed in segragation, and we did not).  I did the math and science part and my ex-wife did the other subjects.  And neither of us are teachers.

9th grade completion certifies you officially to be accepted as an apprentice. Highschool diploma (Gymnasium/Abitur)  would only be necessary if you wanted to go to university. If you know from the start that you'll take over your parents carpenter business and will be a carpenter, you don't have to go to university. That doesn't mean that a carpenter can't get a high degree of qualification. After finishing apprenticeship you have to work for 5 years before you can qualify as "Meister" (master). A Meister is qualified to train apprentices and is probably equivalent to a bachelor or even masters.

Inofficially, most companies/banks/shops want people with a highschool diploma, so those who only go to school for 9 years have almost no chances. Germany's 3 partitioned school system is a big social problem and often on the political agenda.

Take Bavaria for examble. Nominally, it is a german state, but bavaria had always been a semi important kingdom. Bavarians think of themselves foremost as bavarians and not as germans. The same is true for other dukedoms like Baden. Freiburg, where I live, is in Baden and the people have a fierce local patriotism. They're not afraid to show it, either. Also, Habsburg (Austria) was very multinational until WW1 ended it.

I know about the vo-tech vs Gymnasium situation in Germany, but I thought they had to go to the trade school (until you mentioned differently).  In the US, students can persue the Vo-Tech route, but still have to take the core subjects that the college bound students do as well.  The funny thing is, for the trades (skilled workers), in the US, most employers do not care if you have a degree, only that you can be certified in the area (which of course does not require a HS Diploma).

Strange how things turn out. In Germany, it is not required by law, but employers almost make it so.  in the US, it is required by law, but most of the Employers don't care.

Very true!  I guess we mimick Europeans in some ways (I am American by birth, but Virginian by the grace of god).  Still, when I go to order dinner, my rusty spanish comes out since the people speak less english than I do spanish.  And that is the way it is all over the US (they assimilate, but still maintain their cultural indepedence).  Much like Bavaria, but think if the Bavarians were speaking Italian instead of a form of German.   And they were spread throughout Germany, not just in one place.