frustration in education

I'm glad there are rotten kids, without them, I would be jobless. But I do get frustrated. I can't really help them. I get the kids for a few days at a time, if they need help with thier work, I do what I can. I always have them do papers on the whats and whys of thier behavior. I doubt I even make a major dent. They might not want to come back, and some eventually get the point, but are they really changed? I can't undo the disservice thier families have done to them. I had a kid once and his father asked me about the kids behavior. I spoke truthfully and I was happy with the behavior, but his work ethic was pathetic. His father told me that we "so called" teachers are a joke to our profession. His son just needed "motivation". Last time I checked, motivation comes from home. Education comes from school. I can't ground, scold or spank his son. He could when the failing grades started rolling in. Hell, I've had kids tell me point blank why should they comply when they don't have to do anything at home. Excellent point. They are upset that teachers punish them and "they ain't my parents, they got no right punishing me". I think the kids have a great point. If they are not being raised at home, what the Hell can I even do to get them on track? The role models in poorer communities are the drug dealers, the thugs, the welfare cases that "play the sytstem". How can I motivate the child that only sees the worst of the worst thriving? I can't. I can get them away from the kids we are reaching, so that learning can happen and pray to God that I can get through to some of the ones that come my way.
In my fantasy world, I'd love to turn the finger around on the "not my baby" parent. The parent who is too proccupied or too stupid to know what's really going on with thier precious child. I'd point my finger back and ask what did they do to curb the kids behavior. What responsibility do YOU take in raising your child? When the detention slip came home, bwhat did they do when they got hom? Did they talk on the phone? Watch thier TV? Play video games? Hop on thier bike and go wherever? Unaccepitible behavior today that goes unpunished is tomorrow's acceptable behavior. And I care about them, you cannot be a "pal" to your child. By letting a kid "off easy" you have done no favor to them.

Alright, I'm tired enough to go to bed.