# In San Jose, Poor Find Doors to Library Closed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 31, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694 "2016-03-31T04:38:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/221 "2016-04-16T03:22:41Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > These kinds of policies are not unique to San Jose: > > [http://www.wxyz.com/news/wife-husband-arraigned-on-charges-stemming-from-late-library-books](http://www.wxyz.com/news/wife-husband-arraigned-on-charges-stemming-from-late-library-books) Now that’s fucking insane. I’ll bet more money was spent prosecuting them than was lost in library fines. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/222 "2016-04-16T05:30:23Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Again, who says they have “no involvement”? _In context of this whole conversation_, it would be quite obvious to all but the disingenuous that I meant physical, hands-on involvement with the school itself. > [@](#): > > And nobody just “hands their kids over”. My turn to :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/223 "2016-04-16T20:06:51Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > _In context of this whole conversation_, it would be quite obvious to all but the disingenuous that I meant physical, hands-on involvement with the school itself. We know that’s what you mean. But why is “physical, handson-on involvement with the school itself” the only kind that counts? If that’s the only way parents involve themselves in their childrens’ education, then somehow, the whole system is inferior? > [@](#): > > My turn to :dubious: So I guess homeschoolers are the only parents who really care then? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/224 "2016-04-17T15:55:02Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > We know that’s what you mean. But why is “physical, handson-on involvement with the school itself” the only kind that counts?If that’s the only way parents involve themselves in their childrens’ education, then somehow, the whole system is inferior? Did I say it’s the _only_ kind that counts? I didn’t mention the other ways of getting involved _because you already covered them at the start_. > [@](#): > > So I guess homeschoolers are the only parents who really care then? I have no frigging idea what you’re even trying to say here. My point was that there are lots of parents who expect the schools to do all the work in educating their kids, here just as much as in America. They just “hand them over” to the schools, they never get involved in their kids’ schooling. You say _nobody_ does this. I call bullshit on that. You then segue into homeschooling like it’s…some kind of comeback?😕 I don’t know how, but OK… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/225 "2016-04-17T22:03:14Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Did I say it’s the _only_ kind that counts? I didn’t mention the other ways of getting involved _because you already covered them at the start_. > I have no frigging idea what you’re even trying to say here. My point was that there are lots of parents who expect the schools to do all the work in educating their kids, here just as much as in America. They just “hand them over” to the schools, they never get involved in their kids’ schooling. You say _nobody_ does this. I call bullshit on that. You then segue into homeschooling like it’s…some kind of comeback?😕 I don’t know how, but OK… My point is, you seem to think, unless the parents are directly working at the schools, then they’re not truely involved. I said, our system is just different than your’s, but it doesn’t make it inferior. That does NOT equal just “sending them off to an institution or whatever”. Of course there are parents who don’t give a shit about their kids. That happens everywhere. As far as “homeschooling”, just forget it. In fact, this should probably just be a different thread, because it’s starting to veer off into a total highjack. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/226 "2016-04-18T09:07:54Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > In fact, this should probably just be a different thread, because it’s starting to veer off into a total highjack. Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694/227 "2016-04-24T22:31:35Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > That’s just it – the way things are set up here in the U.S. is a lot different than in South Africa. It has nothing to do with parental involvement in schools. Most of the work you describe is all done by paid staff – none it’s done by volunteers, or community service. Granted, there may be charter schools where things are done that way, but they’re private schools. Libraries are public (as in, taxpayer funded). Charter schools are taxpayer funded, but not run by the school district. That’s what makes them different from actual private schools (which aren’t taxpayer funded). How they manage to get away with such a thing, I don’t know, frankly doesn’t seem fair to the actual private schools, but that’s how it is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-poor-find-doors-to-library-closed/750694.md?page=11)