[Ima Lurker]

Amen to that. Putting the special ed, non-english speaking AND "troubled" (rotten to the core) kids in regular class rooms only hurts the kids who want to learn and who can learn. It SOUNDS like the politicians and school administrators are doing something to improve schools when in reality it's all smoke and mirrors.

[HELLRAISER II]

It use to be, we as a nation bet on the Race Horses. You know the Valedictorians & the Honor Roll students. But now the only thing anybody worries about is making sure that Special Ed & less educated children are put into main stream classrooms. Therefore taking away time from the children that can actually excel in their education, just so the other children can feel better about themselves. I mean in Tennessee they've even outlawed the posting of Honor Roll students so they don't hurt the other childrens feelings who weren't smart enough to make it. We've gone from betting on the winning race horse to betting on the mule.

[CMAC51]

Amen to that. Putting the special ed, non-english speaking AND "troubled" (rotten to the core) kids in regular class rooms only hurts the kids who want to learn and who can learn. It SOUNDS like the politicians and school administrators are doing something to improve schools when in reality it's all smoke and mirrors.

I think you have it backwards. Mainstreaming was a liberal concept inteded to prevent the ego damage from being seperated. It put "special" kids in with everyone else, regardless of outcome. When testing is fully enforced, the tests dictate which students need special circumstances to address their problems, based on quantitative data, rather than qualitative. This inhibits the parents ability to force the school to make exceptions for their students. It inhibits the schools from hiding their problems by placating parents and passing the problem student on to the next victim. Both discipline and performance improve because the parents can't "bully" the test and administrators are ultimately held responsible for performance.

In the short term teachers will take it on the chin. Administrators will try to make them a scape goat rather than addressing the real problems. In the long run the teachers benefit from the improvements that will take place because the testing will hold administrators responsible.

[Xenalyte]

. Putting the special ed, non-english speaking AND "troubled" (rotten to the core) kids in regular class rooms only hurts the kids who want to learn and who can learn.

Not at all true, in the case of non-English speakers. Ever hear of immersion? Best way to learn a language.