Posted by we're ALL in trouble on 1/28/09

Hey everyone out there-
It is statistically impossible for all students to be
proficient. Period. When students are INSTRUCTED (due to
an IEP) on a second grade reading level...and are TESTED
on a sixth grade level (and expected to pass!) there's
something seriously wrong! It's like expecting a dentist
to pass a pilot's exam, or a CPA to pass the test to
become a surgeon...why do we insist that kids pass tests
that they haven't received instruction for? OF COURSE they
will fail. I've had my special ed kids CRYING hysterically
in a 6th grade classroom because they could NOT read the
darn test!(they were on a 2nd grade reading level!) What
do you tell them??? (guess? When in doubt the answer
is "c?", just sit there and don't do it???) Relax....the
government couldn't possibly "take over" every school in
the nation in a few years. Who the heck wants the
responsibility for THAT mess? In my inner city district,
we've got TONS of schools that didn't make AYP- and guess
what? The "for profit, experts" who come in (having NEVER
been in a classroom) to "FIX" the problem are doing
nothing more than collecting a paycheck. DOZENS
of "expert" companies have made millions off our district,
and they don't know what to do either. Fire me if you
want- but the idea that one can come in with a "one size
fits all" radical change model and fix the schools that
fail to make AYP is absolutely absurd. You can say that my
class is "the sea of unwanteds" -kids from broken
homes/parents in jail or dealing drugs/the typical 'ghetto
gang'...BUT...I'll be darned if I'm about to let some guy
in a suit and tie tell me that my kids are failures
because they didn't pass the State Test. They ARE
learning, and they WILL be productive members of society
if you let me do my job. I know my kids better than
the "experts" from the privatization companies. You will
have a hard time pulling this inner city teacher from her
post! I have goals for my kids, and NCLB is not going to
deter me from reaching those goals.So..the problem is that
NCLB wants to assign blame, move kids around the city in
search of the "magical" school, penalize teachers,
restructure...go ahead.
BTW- My school is a National Blue Ribbon School- more
proof that it doesn't matter WHERE your school is located-
they ALL have potential if you address the individual
needs of the school, and keep moving forward.

Share This Post | Report This Post

Next Post >>

Posts on this thread, including this one