Posted on 01/28/2005 6:44:02 AM PST by Pikamax
School district cancels spelling bee RONALD R. BLAIS, Staff Reporter01/27/2005
LINCOLN -- Karen Adams always enjoyed receiving her invitation. The WPRI-TV news anchorwoman and Lincoln resident looked forward to penciling in the school district’s spelling bee in her appointment calendar.
But there’s no note in her calendar this year. The Lincoln district has decided to eliminate this year’s spelling bee -- a competition involving pupils in grades 4 through 8, with each school district winner advancing to the state competition and a chance to proceed to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C.
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Through the years, it had become a tradition for Adams to pronounce and define spelling words used in the bee.
"It was just fun," she said last Monday from her office at the television studio.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Newman said the decision to scuttle the event was reached shortly after the January 2004 bee in a unanimous decision by herself and the district’s elementary school principals.
The administrators decided to eliminate the spelling bee, because they feel it runs afoul of the mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
"No Child Left Behind says all kids must reach high standards," Newman said. "It’s our responsibility to find as many ways as possible to accomplish this."
The administrators agreed, Newman said, that a spelling bee doesn’t meet the criteria of all children reaching high standards -- because there can only be one winner, leaving all other students behind.
"It’s about one kid winning, several making it to the top and leaving all others behind. That’s contrary to No Child Left Behind," Newman said.
A spelling bee, she continued, is about "some kids being winners, some kids being losers."
As a result, the spelling bee "sends a message that this isn’t an all-kids movement," Newman said.
Furthermore, professional organizations now frown on competition at the elementary school level and are urging participation in activities that avoid winners, Newman said. That’s why there are no sports teams at the elementary level, she said as an example.
The emphasis today, she said, is on building self-esteem in all students.
"You have to build positive self-esteem for all kids, so they believe they’re all winners," she said. "You want to build positive self-esteem so that all kids can get to where they want to go."
A spelling bee only benefits a few, not all, students, the elementary principals and Newman agreed, so it was canceled.
While she concedes she’s not familiar with the specifics of No Child Left Behind, Adams, nevertheless, is befuddled by the school department’s decision.
"I don’t see where that (No Child Left Behind) has anything to do with a spelling bee. It was just a fun time," Adams said.
Winning a spelling bee, she added, "just meant you were a good speller."
One aspect she enjoyed about participating in her hometown spelling bee was the openness of the competition.
"It’s not always the straight "A" student who wins the spelling bee," she said.
A spelling bee also is a chance for children to shine before their peers, family and friends, Adams points out.
"It’s a big deal for the kids. It’s a nice recognition for them," she said.
Competing in a spelling bee is also a learning experience, the anchorwoman believes. "It was fun for the kids because it gave them poise and confidence to stand in front of a crowd."
Adams admits she’ll miss the bee.
"I just loved the kids. They were so cute. My heart broke every time a kid missed," she said. "I really enjoyed it."
Adams wasn’t the only one caught off guard by the spelling bee’s cancellation.
"I had no idea this (spelling bee) was called off," School Committee Chairman Jeff Weiss said last Friday.
The chairman reserved further comment until he could get more information. "I have no comment because I don’t know what’s going on," the chairman said.
Canceling the spelling bee is an administrative decision that doesn’t require School Committee approval, Newman said.
Karen Martin, whose daughter, Brianna, won last year’s bee, said she was surprised the bee had been eliminated, describing its cancellation as "strange."
Although her daughter was nervous, Martin believes it was a good experience for Brianna. "It was exciting to go to the state competition," the mother said.
Like Adams, Martin said she’ll miss the bee.
"I’m disappointed. I thought it was a fun activity," she said.
The administrators’ decision to eliminate the bee wasn’t a difficult one, Newman said.
"There was no debate at all. It was one of the easiest decisions," the assistant superintendent said because "there was no question among the administrators" that a spelling bee was "contrary to the expectations" of No Child Left Behind.
Stoooooopid.
so.. they're using NCLB as an excuse for their "lowest common denominator" education strategy.
the whole school is no smarter than their dumbest pupil.
How can kids be expected to compete in the real world when competition is prohibited in our schools?!!
I had to read a few other articles from the source to convince myself that it wasn't satire.
Sounds like the admin is attempting a truly clumsy strategy to end NCLB. If more schools are in the news embracing this nitwitery, I would guess that it is a coordinated effort.
If not in the news, then we do have an example of stunning idiocy.
Why don't they just lobotomize the children and create drones. No child would be offended then.
The person making this decision obviously does not understand that a competition helps to make better students.
What a load of anti-Bush doublespeak!
No competition because declaring a winner leaves other children behind?!
UTTER BS.
This is a budge cutting measure. I bet NONE of the administrative areas had a budget cut. I bet that education "seminar" is still going to be paid.
As a result, the spelling bee "sends a message that this isn’t an all-kids movement," Newman said.
And they will be eliminating their sports teams because of this when?
More like they know that any kids they send to this competition and further rounds will quickly get crushed because they have failed to teach them.
They are simply taking the intent of NCLB and twisting it around to make a juvenile point. Kind of like when my 5 year old refuses to take a bath at night because earlier in the day I told her to stay out of the water.
WORSE the persons making this decision DO understand competition makes better students.
Imagine the horror of having YOUR disctrict students being BIG loosers because other competing schools wiped the floor with YOUR students?
Why risk accountability to mothers and fathers?
Did I miss anything?
Congressman Billybob
Right. When they take the competition out of sports teams, and grades out of schools, then this would fit right. Everyone can be 1st chair in the band, or all can be captains of their sports teams, everyone gets an A if you just show up.
How did we ever get idiots running our schools ? Let's promote self-esteem by making sure that not only every child is treated as incapable, but dumb it all down enough that they won't even know they are uneducated.
I admit that I scanned the article, but this line stuck out for some reason.
Yeah, let's make sure they all have enough 'self-esteem' to get where they want to go...
'cause they're dang sure going to be too stupid to read a map!
Stupidest thing I have heard in a while ping!
This is the natural outcome of the attack agasint the rich. First they attack people who are rich in money, now they attack people who are good at spelling. In both cases, it's a war against achievement.
They are wrong to claim that only the best benefit from spelling bees. Competition makes everyone a better speller. The way to get better at playing chess is to play against someone who is better at it than you.
by this logic title IX should never have been passed because sports competition has been detrimental to women.
Look at the elimination of mens sports, see how much that has helped men's self esteeme. . . .
Yeah right. They just got tired of getting their ass whipped by homeschooled kids.
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