Posted on 06/17/2004 5:17:11 PM PDT by mlmr
I have four children in three different schools. In the past week I have talked to a number of teachers and administrators about different issues pertaining to next semester. I have been told three times so far that the school cannot manage A or B anymore becasue Individual Student Goals(or whatever the technical name is) cannot be honored because of the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT. One called it Bush's NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. Tell me, is this a national trend? Those of you with children in public schools, are you hearing that the Bush plan is hurting your child? Or otherss?
I am not kidding. I watch some children in this and other communities get hundreds of thousands of education dollars because of severe physical/mental disaabilities while our average and above average children go in want for more and better programming. I think this needs to stop.
MLMR is talking about the severe and profound population. Learning disabled children are generally very inexpensive to educate in the local school.
It won't stop. It will get worse and worse as more and more medically fragile children survive traumatic births.
I am focusing more on the education side of the issue. While it may not cost that much more, does it not "cost" the "normal" students in attention and progress?
It is no myth.
The measure by which states show that they are narrowing the "achievement gap" is something called "adequate yearly progress" (AYP). In the words of the NCLBA, "Adequate yearly progress shall be defined by the State in a manner that applies the same high standards of academic achievement to all public elementary school and secondary school students in the State;" and "results in continuous and substantial academic improvement for all students...." (Emphasis added.)
Of particular concern are the ramifications of not meeting the Act’s AYP requirements. If a school misses its AYP goals several years running, the NCLBA specifies what may happen to the school: "[replace] the school staff who are relevant to the failure to make adequate yearly progress"; "institute and fully implement a new curriculum"; "significantly decrease management authority at the school level"; "appoint an outside expert to advise the school on its progress toward making adequate yearly progress"; "extend the school year or school day for the school"; or "restructure the internal organizational structure of the school." (Emphasis added.) Of course, federal funding will require federal input in replacing the staff, drafting the new curriculum, decreasing management authority of the school, etc.
Bright lights can hurt.
Look, let's make something very, very clear. The IDEA is the law. What you think is right or wrong sitting there in your home is irrelevant. If your child was affected in this way, you would naturally want the best possible care, not a supervised daycare for a 17 year old. These parents and children deserve the same respect. None of these children asked to be born with a disability.
I understand it it the law. So is abortion on demand and various crazy environmental rulings. I dont agree with it. The fact that something called "best possible care" is on considered for someone who is at most, custodial care material, is a sin. I dont see that there is anything disrespectful about meeting a childs basic needs if the level of funcitoning is severe, profound or even low moderates.
A learning disabled child can often be gifted in one subject, or a gifted athlete or musician. They are best served in the local school. Again, LD kids are no more expensive to educate than the gifted population. Both have a special teacher, but interact with so called "normal" kids.
Shelby Co, home of Memphis has a seprate school system spends $1,000 less per pupil, all but about a dozen schools have good education systems in place.
They don't lack for money either, for every $1.00 spent building a new county school Memphis City Schools get $3.00.
There is always a scandal about some teacher, coach or principal ongoing. The latest school Super seems to be trying to clean it up. Which is a change from the cover ups we usually get.
I agree all school control should be local, bust up big school districts.
BTW, what you are describing would actually be more expensive than what is happening now.
We disagree.
The teachers at my kids school in San Jose, California have not said much about politics except during the recall. Even the teachers were pissed off at Gray Davis, and lots of them voted for Arnold.
I wondered about that.
I will respectfully remind everyone once again that Charles Darwin lamented that his "survival of the fittest" would not work in society because, and I paraphrase, "Society, through misplaced compassion, will not only allow the breeding of defective people, it will encourage it."
I think some dribbled on me today!
LOL
The materials are certainly pretty tho.
Any child who disrupts the calss routine and undermines teacher control and order needs to be removed from the general classroom setting or the "rotten apple" theory will prevail.
I think MLMR has a good idea. A school where everyone is trained and focused on teaching the learning disabled is much better than forcing everyone who is "normal" to put up with the coincidental disruptions that are involved with the learning disabled and troubled.
Institutions are institutions whether they concentrate on the learning disabled or are open to everyone
When I was young this was the option for pareents. They could bring their child to a special school.
Gail, Nashville has two good schools; you have to be special to get there, like in a lottery or connections.
I couldn't agree with you more.
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