I am a teacher having to deal with the consequences of the politicians creating their "brain child," of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND.
The best I can hope to achieve in the year I am given with your child, is to improve their reading level by one year. So, hoping that everyone will be on grade level, by the end of the year, is nearly impossible, since a lot of my children started the year, two or three grade levels below.
Many children with an IEP (individual education plan) are not expected to perform on grade level or accomplish the same tasks as a regular education student, yet they are included in the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND plan.
This "wonderful" plan leaves no wiggle room. We hope and strive to have 100% or our students performing on grade level, but perfect isn't possible, especially with children who come in to an overcrowded classroom, dealing with no breakfast, apathy, parents divorcing, abuse, homelessness, behavioral or mental issues and parents that don't want the responsibility of being a parent.
I certainly believe that all children can learn, but not in the same way, time or on the same level.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND is good in principal, but it looks at all children as the same, and they most certainly are not.
5 comments:
Indeed, it seems they did not consult teachers about the impact of this program - but, what do the teachers know? They're only the people who do it every day....
I couldn't agree more...I feel like our government is missing the big picture.
This is so sad. And I'm sure absolutely frustrating for you as a teacher. They obviously never factored in all of these things that you mentioned (parents divorcing, home life, etc) and yet expect for their program to thrive. Wow.
Everytime I hear that phrase I want to vomit. We've had foster children in the 5th grade who can't read. They are smart enough to know that their IEP can be dumbed down if they "can't keep up" with it. One of our girls got 40's in every subject. When I went to sign her up for summer school, they decided it would be hard for her, so they just gave her a pass.
It was hard to parent her to do her school work because there were never any negative consequences for not doing it. She just got to play with dolls in the back.
They used the excuse that I was not her parent to dismiss anything I had to say. She has since moved on, but I pray for her becoming an adult with no skills. Life does not give you a break based on what your IEP says.
Preach it, Sista! I am a fellow teacher who deals with the same issues day after day. Most of my kiddos are English Language Learners who live in "da hood" in one of the most crime ridden parts of our city. I looooove it and wouldn't be anywhere else, but these kiddos do come at a disadvantage.
I can't wait to hear what the politicos have to say when 2014 rolls around, and 100% of our kiddos are supposed to be proficient or advanced. Like that's gonna happen!
Good grief!
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