Re: NCLB

On 6/15/09, MS BROWN wrote:
> I TRULY BELIEVE THAT NCLB IS A DIS-SERVICE TO THE EDUCATION
> COMMUNITY. PARTICULARLY THOSE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. I
> BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN W/ DISABILITIES ARE ALREADY
> STRUGGLING WITH LIMITATIONS AND BOUNDARIES THAT ARE
> INTERNAL AND TO BE BOMBARDED WITH EXPECTATIONS THAT SEEM TO
> BE SET UP FOR THEIR FAILURE IS SO DISCOURAGING FOR THEM. I
> KNOW ALL CHILDREN MUST LEARN AND ALL CHILDREN LEARN
> DIFFERENTLY. I ALSO KNOW THAT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IS
> HELPFUL. HOWEVER, WHEN THESE LEARNING DISABLED STUDENTS AND
> IN SOME CASES VISUALLY IMPAIRED AS WELL AS MULTIPLELY
> DISABLED STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LEARN AND PRODUCE THE
> SAME CONTENT AS "REGULAR" STUDENTS; IT IS TRULY A PROBLEM.
> NOT ONLY A PROBLEM FOR STUDENTS, BUT FOR THE TEACHERS AND
> ADMINISTRATORS IN DISTRICTS THAT SUFFER FOR THE LACK OF
> PROFICIENCY IN THESE CLASSROOMS.
> I COULD GO ON AND SAY MUCH MORE; HOWEVER, IT IS MY HOPE
> THAT AMERICA WILL FIND A WAY TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF ALL
> LEARNERS SO THAT CREATIVITY IS FOSTERED AND LEARNING IS AN
> ART OF LOVING.

I agree. Our school, and many others in my district, didn't
make AYP because of the disabled children. Well, I can only
imagine the pressure that will be put on the poor ESE
teachers and ESE children next year. Who exactly decided what
they "should" know, anyhow? NCLB should be based on the
improvement students make, not on reaching a magic number on
a test.