Community Forum on Job Shadowing in St. Paul High Schools May 17 - 28 http://www.stpauljobshadow.org
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Thanks, Mike, for the caveat. . . My ignorance re: military families moving and the impact on their kid's education is such that I thought Tom might have gotten me on that one. Actually, somewhat related to that, I happen to teach in the International Baccalaureate program. One of the reasons this program was created was to provide high quality, consistent (speaking in terms of curriculum and expectations) education regardless of site. Perhaps this means we should be speaking of a national (or state) curriculum. What a Pandora's box that idea is?!?
Tom and others, my comment about ELL funding being cut was not one to suggest a "throw money at it" solution. Rather, many of my ELL students do not get ANY support now, whereas they might have before the cuts we've been seeing. This means that more of the accountability falls on me. . . one who, while having taken some ELL courses, is not licensed in ELL teaching nor special education teaching. Should we then require all urban teachers to get ELL and Special Ed licensures to be appropriately competent in their classrooms? (A thought I've considered but who has the time in the day. . .)
[TS]That's fine, but have they figured out a way to cram in 30 extra minutes into an hour to implement all those techniques without shortchanging the majority of their classes?
IMO, "mainstreaming" kids with "special needs" is an equal opportunity method of shortchanging all students, nobody wins.
I'll grant you this. . . however, most of my ELL kids come in for tutorials after school, as I said. Differentiating instruction, in my opinion, might be possible and effective with a class of 15 or total classload of 50 kids, but with 30 in a class. . . plus responsibilities to my family (oh, and somewhere I think "I" might need some attention from time to time). I have yet to figure out how to make differentiated instruction work for me without adding even more hours to my average 70-hour work week.
[TS]I believe you're right. But don't you have your hands full trying to engage and teach your run-of-the-mill student?
See above. . .
TS: Listen, these are the kids that are not graduating at all; and the Hmong kids who are going to show up for next years schooling haven't even been receiving regular instruction at all (the communist government of Laos refused to let them into their "peoples schools") seems to me that I would find it fairly easy to argue that point with any parent who is upset because their kids needed to spend more time in school.
You'd be surprised the stigma some parents see in "labeling" their students, if this is your response, Tom. Just because you find it fairly easy to argue the point (and a good point it may be) does not mean that the parent(s) will agree. And, this also brings up the parental influence/support you brought up a post or two ago. . .
[TS]Well it means that they will once again have to retool and yes I think we need to stop screwing around with standards every time the political winds change direction.
Agreed here. . . as much as I enjoy my professional "freedom" to teach, I am increasingly interested in and supportive of the notion of a core curriculum that is non-negotiable. But, as you state, politics do get in the way.
Finally, I am choosing to see agreement between Tom (didn't you call yourself a "red-necked conservative") and myself (a "bleeding heart progressive") as a positive. Now if he could only spell my name right ;)
Brionna Harder Ward One
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