Friday Open Thread
What a week but school started on-time.
I forgot to say Happy Birthday to Jane Addams. Yesterday would have been her 150th birthday. She was quite a lady and a good person to name a school after.
What's on your mind?
I forgot to say Happy Birthday to Jane Addams. Yesterday would have been her 150th birthday. She was quite a lady and a good person to name a school after.
What's on your mind?
Comments
Exhaust, diesel fumes foul schools
SPS is doing repairs to the building to house students for next school year, but according to the report, have no plans to upgrade the HVAC system to provide extra air filtration. The boiler is 70+ years old. Also, according to the report, SPS has not sampled the air quality at the site (which is literally a stone's throw from I-5).
concerned parent
For example, I could go to the science kits page and see what units are supposed to be covered in each grade. Do Spectrum and APP just do the units 1-2 grades ahead? If so, does that "reset" occur in grade 1, with the first year or two of units skipped, or are they incorporated some other way? My sense is that not all GenEd schools even follow these grade levels, so I doubt this sort of matrix would be accurate for elementary level science.
At the older grades, what is the expected sequence and timing? For example, is Biology typically a 10th grade topic? In APP, I know this is covered in 8th grade, so would Spectrum kids take it in 9th? But I've also heard that kids may have to re-take Biology in 10th grade anyway (in all schools? only for IB program? only for AP credit?), so I'm not sure how taking it in 8th grade represents 2 years ahead. I'm sure there are many other examples of this sort of thing, although I'm not sure where to find all the information...
What about for language arts? Is there someplace that lays out what is covered each grade? Or what about social studies topics? I know there are certain things that are legislated to happen in certain years (e.g., Washington state history), but I don't know how that's handled in the various programs/services.
Can anyone point me to the various documents that might make creation of this sort of matrix possible, or it is--by virtue of SPS lack of consistency--not possible in the first place? Or perhaps something of this nature has already been created?
I believe that something laying out these basic subjects would be valuable to parents of kids in all programs, as it would help you know when to supplement with what. For parents contemplating a switch to an AL program, it would also help provide a sense as to what would be skipped, dependent on the grade level of the change.
HIMSmom
Anyone know anything about this?
I think one reason why you would not find such documents is that the district has never wanted to clearly and fully define the program.
I think when the new AL director is hired those are very good questions/requests to make.
The questions about the AL programs should to be clarified now, before schools are split and reformed. If you can't clearly define the program/service, how are new teachers and schools to implement it, beyond a "1 yr ahead" and "2 yr ahead" description. It is supposed to be more than acceleration. The district paid for an outside review of the APP program (over 5 years ago!) and failed to follow through on the recommendations, one of which was to develop a written curriculum.
-little hope
http://www.k12.wa.us/resources/YourChildsProgress.aspx
also the "one year ahead" in Spectrum is only in LA (in elem = Reading) and Math. That's what it is now at any rate. Used to be a different approach, but now it's boiled down to a year ahead in just those two subjects.
-spectrum mom
-go Pinehurst!
Reader
This is precisely where special education parents are. We are expected to believe "every school offers everything!" Three weeks ago the Superintendent told his staff to provide accurate descriptions of each program and their location. Have we heard anything? Of course not.
Stacey McGrath-Smith has resigned her position and accepted one in the Lake Washington School District. Her last day will be mid September.
Personally, I am very sorry to see such a bright, energetic, and innovative person go.
Sped Staffer
sped parent
I suggest SPS special education students do the same as SMG - flee to a better district.
Been There
Been There
Agenda
Lynn
Officer
Curious
I believe you have to have 85th percentile scores in both math and reading to test. The information packet for fall testing says:
Spring 2013 MAP data will be reviewed for all applicants in grades 1-8. Cognitive testing is administered if MAP scores are at the 85th percentile or higher.
The district is administering the CogAT to all second graders in the South East region this year regardless of MAP scores.
Lynn
That fails to teach my easygoing well behaved daughter who wants to learn is a failing school. It serves only the parents who were able to get their kids in a special program. I heard it was a good school, it was walking distance from my house, I enrolled her. I had no idea the whole school was set up for the Spectrum kids. The school's solution was that I should pull her out and home school her or that she should be able to leave the classroom for mental health breaks. I do think the principal is going to try to make things better for the Gen Ed kids. I can certainly see why some administrators don't like this program. My daughter is cute, blonde and quiet. A kid with some extra spunk (I have one of those too) who didn't look like the other kids would have been eaten alive at that school. Gen Ed Mom
I've never heard of an entire school being "set-up" for Spectrum. Ever. That's not good at all but not what I have seen. You're saying this was Whittier? We went to Whittier and did not have this experience so something has changed.
Funny you should mention gender balance. One son's Spectrum class had 2/3 girls and 1/3 boys from 1-3 and by 4th it was 3/4 girls and 1/4 boys. It was not good and yet, no one would do anything about it.
another sped parent
When she started having stomach aches, etc, I started homeschooling the first 1.5 hours of the day, the worst part for her (learning a letter a week!). She'd get to school in time for recess, then walk to math with a teacher she loved and learned a ton from, then lunch. After lunch PE or Library or music, then just a quick 1.5. hours in the dreaded homeroom.
I don't know the answer. My other daughter was in Spectrum, and even in that class some kids were the "low" kids, relative to the others. One bright kid was having a hard time catching on in math and told me he was "dumb", and he meant it. So kids always compare themselves to each other.
We moved to a gen ed school and there my older daughter was bored stiff in math, because they wouldn't let her walk to math because it's not fair. So she was to completely re-do her 4th grade math, which wasn't even hard the first time around. So I home schooled math, which ended up being fun and good for us.Her teachers were cool and let her do my work during math class. And there were other great things about that school.
I have come to believe that SPS is something you have to navigate given your kids' particular needs, and you need to give them at home what they don't get at school. This makes the dreaded achievement gap bigger, b/c not every parent has the experience or time to see what is going on and to adjust.
navigating
-parent
What's happening to the students of Pinehurst k8? Where will they go next year? What will the District do, for the kids, for the teachers?
The district is having some meetings about this in upcoming weeks, and say that they will propose some sort of resolution to the board in a couple of months. Given the space crunch in the north end, I think (though I have no evidence for this, just a dozen years of experience with the AS1 vs. district battles) the district will simply end the school and hope that nobody notices. Sure, dumping 150 MORE kids into the already-crowded north end can't help, but AS1 has always been a thorn in the district's side, and their patient death-of-a-thousand-cuts approach has finally whittled enrollment down so that they can, coupled with the burgeoning MS north end populations, have an excuse to shut it down.
In short: say goodbye to alternative education in Seattle. There will be no room for it. And really, what we all want is to make things easier and more uniform for our administrators, right? Why should the widgets expect a voice in how the factory is run?
South end mom
Yes to the first question.
I answered that question in the Update at the beginning of the piece.
Tortoise
I don't think the district is formally piloting any math curriculum. I think the district is approving waivers for many schools, schools that have given up waiting for the district to adopt new materials district wide.
@navigating - Unfortunately I can sympathize with you. Our child was placed in what we were told was a split class that ended up being a handful of kids that just needed to be moved in order to balance class numbers. After being the youngest in the split class, with only 3 grade level peers, and being taught in part be a student intern (the most learning that happened all year), our child had to repeat the same material when put in a grade with peers the following year. The teacher suggested helping others since the material was already familiar. How I wish I had considered homeschooling. It astounded me that essentially repeating a grade was accepted practice.
A walk to math and reading setup would have been so much better. I wish the district would embrace a more flexible system for serving the academic needs of students.
-no answers
I agree with closing that thread, and taking the weighted words out of the title. Reaction to that post and comments, what was said, what others said it really meant...well, it was not headed in the direction our kids need or should expect from us.
I have a letter here from the principal stating that McGraw Hill's My Math is competing for next year's math adoption, thus the materials and teacher training is being provided for free. Publishers usually provide that service when a district is piloting and competing with many programs. It seems unlikely they would do that unless the district led them to believe they had a real chance. It makes me think there are probably many programs being piloted right now and I would like to know which ones they are.
Curious
The biggest issues around all the advanced learning programs is the complete lack of vision from high level staff (up to and including the superintendents); the free rein given to principals to do whatever they want, up to and including enrolling kids in Spectrum/ALO programs then doing absolutely nothing for them; and the utter opaqueness for parents and the public as to process, procedures, plans, or anything regarding the programs at all.
The problem lies heavily with the staff at the district level absolutely refusing to define the program and enforce guidelines. So it becomes a Wild West in each and every school, and in each and every classroom, and in each and every year. We are leaving not because we don't like the specific program, but because we cannot determine what the program actually is. Kids need consistency, parents need reliable information about the program they enroll their children, and principals/staff need to be on board with delivering the stated program. This district has blatantly refused to provide even one of these things.
My child is growing up, and we can't wait any longer for these so-called adults to get their act together and be upfront and honest about what they are doing with our kids. I don't care about academic or personal philosophies about advanced learners, I just want the adults in the room to stop the dishonest hedging, and start stating what they WILL do and then deliver on that in a consistent manner.
Spectrum Parent
tortoise
http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/curricular-resources/2012-2013-lde-textbook-review.pdf
A State of Louisiana review committee voted 0-12 against My Math, 11-1 for enVision Math (Pearson Scott Foresman), and were equally split 6-6 on Houghton Mifflin Math Expressions.
Keep in mind what they consider negative, others may consider positive. For example, "skills taught exceed grade level," was considered a criticism for one set of materials, as was "not enough writing." For My Math, a reviewer said, "students are not given enough time to explore and discover."
In Greenwich, Connecticut, My Math and enVision Math were considered, but they chose "Math in Focus: Singapore Math."
http://www.greenwichschools.org/uploaded/district/Board_of_Education/meeting_materials/2012-13_meetings/4-4-13_meeting/040413_FINAL_Math_Textbook_Adoption.pdf
I, too, am curious what texts are being considered for SPS.
-curiouser
The problem lies at the District level, and how they manage this program, not with the parents trying to figure out the rules.
And please do not refer to these kids as the "super special ones", because they are generally not, just kids who need/want a different level of depth in academics. In fact, in other parts of town the program is so under-subscribed that Spectrum qualified kids are not offered the program at all, so again, more losses and frustration all around.
This unequal access, plus the crazy identification/gatekeeping process that starts one year in advance, plus the refusal to define the program, lies solely on the District's plate. The kids and families are scrambling to figure out and follow the rules, and everyone is getting screwed around by the lack of a plan on the District's part.
Spectrum Parent
--TC
Again - the blame for this lies at the District level. THEY are the ones setting these entry rules and poorly managed programs. Kids who want or need a different level and depth of academics should get it, end of story. The District has been screwing this up for years, for a lot of kids.
Spectrum Parent
Having said that, they do deliver for their 75%, and have found a small safe harbor to work in while the rest of the District is in a hurricane of chaos. But they have advantages that other schools do not, which allows them to carve out this zone for some of their kids.
Spectrum Mom
I can talk in depth about what some of the surrounding districts do, as well as what showcase districts across the country do, because I spent a lot of time on this. But I am not a decision maker here, the District is.
I keep coming back to them because they are the only ones who can remove the chaos and uncertainty from this current hodgepodge of duct-taped solutions and evershifting program mess that we have now. I am not advocating for a particular strategy. In fact, if SPS ever buckles down and implements a truly transparent and stable program for advanced learners, it is just as likely to NOT meet our individual needs as it is likely to meet them. But at least we would KNOW what to expect, and be able to make an informed decision.
In the interim, Bryant works a little better than most because they are *stable*, not because they have a magic solution. I know for a fact that some children's needs are not met there, but they do meet enough needs for enough families in a stable enough community that they can claim success. I would not expect their model to extend to all schools, because not all schools have those same factors for success.
Good lord -- this is supposed to be what District officials get paid the big bucks to do. They are supposed to develop a program, advertise it, implement it, set guidelines and manage it, and change it with some level of planning and foresight. Parents should not be scrambling to game the system to the depth and level that we see right now, on both sides of this program.
Spectrum Parent
Th sad fact is that there is a lot less sturm und drang in districts with well publicized and implemented programs for the full range of their students. I *personally* feel the best ones have accommodations for advanced learners as well as other groups, but not all do, and I could even live with that (though I think that there would be even greater flight out of SPS if they chose to do nothing in this arena).
I *think*, but I do not know, that the upcoming Equitable Access Framework is intended to address this. This rollout is behind schedule, not at all transparent, and has very little public press around it. But hope springs eternal with the new superintendent.
However, my kids are rapidly aging out of the system, and we've gotten them through the worst parts with a lot of tutoring and enrichment and gritting of teeth and a ton of outside time and love and patience. They are very, very blessed to have two parents with time and energy and enough money (not a lot, but enough) to make things happen for them. Not every kid does, and that is the true tragedy when the District drops the ball, like they have for over a decade now.
We will likely be moving our kids out of SPS within two years, because we've given up on waiting for stability, and they are getting older and running out of time. Plus we are really, really tired. But I hope you and others keep up the fight, and keep the focus on the decision makers and planners who are failing to do their job, and not on the fellow parents who are struggling just as much as you are. Do not let them distract from their failings, but hold them accountable for doing their job. Every child in Seattle deserves stability.
Spectrum Parent
Some of what you are looking for regarding what is taught at various levels (and even how sometimes) is available here:
SPS Curriculum Alignment
Oppo parent
Spectrum Parent
North End Parent.
Ah, Gen Ed Mom, you see that in this district and among many commenters on this blog "good enough" won't do for their kid. I guess that kind of entitlement is okay because it not "black and white" it's just, well, entitled.
The dregs
Another Parent
curious
So why didn't it continue? Apparently it cost more to get everyone up-to-speed and some curriculum updates.
Many have advocated for it but somehow it doesn't happen.
I am on my way out so I can't address the Whittier issue but as it always does, we'll come back to the subject of AL.
There are many spectrum-qualified students in the gen Ed classes who are not fleeing or in distress. I am really sorry your daughter had a bad experience, and I hope her new school is an excellent fit.
- Happy Mom
This is absolutely untrue. Almost no ALO, Spectrum, or APP parent wishes to keep anyone out. Quite the contrary - almost all want to make the program more flexible so any kid who wants more challenging work can easily get it.
Parents do not determine access, the office of advanced learning does. Take up your beef with them. See if they listen to you.
And BTW - those words are extremely inflammatory, in addition to being an outright lie.
Peace Out
For what it's worth, both kids attended SPS elementary where there was no Spectrum program and everything was groovy -- most kids seemed to have their academic needs met and it was a happy learning environment. Hope it works out that way for you next year.
Just Sayin'
I'm not a teacher but it seems to me it's pretty easy to differentiate in a same-age classroom for language arts. You direct kids to the right level books, you correct their writing and make demands according to their ability, always asking them to stretch a bit. A focus area for one kid might be getting capitalization and punctuation correct while with another kid you might be pushing for deeper interpretation of a text.
Same thing for social studies.
But for math, getting to "just right" seems to require teaching and work at the kid's level, which is not dictated by age. So putting all kids in the same math class is going to bore and frustrate more than half the kids. That's a big FAIL. Spectrum sort of addresses this, in that maybe instead of 4 or 5 grade levels in the same room, you've got 2 or 3. But still not optimal. Someone needs to completely re-think math education so that kids who have a real knack for it don't lose their love of it, and kids who would otherwise hate it because it is challenging are brought along at the "just right" speed and have a chance of really loving it someday.
End the Spectrum/Gen ed food fight and try to figure that one out.
asdf
I wonder if we could solve two problems at once. At schools where those Spectrum students are rare, if we reduced class sizes for students who are not meeting grade-level standards, the advanced students would naturally be concentrated in the remaining average-size classroom. They could then be taught at the appropriate pace for them.
This would require decent math and science curricula and access to good enrichment materials for language arts and social studies.
Teachers would have to be allowed to teach to the needs of the particular children in their class - and willing to do that. There should be acknowledgement by the teachers, principals and district administration that this is the goal for every school.
Every elementary school would have to use a walk-to-math system.
Every middle school would have to offer self-selected honors classes. If 90% of the students choose those - they should be guaranteed a seat in an honors class.
If we made those changes, I don't think we would need Spectrum. APP enrollment might drop too if neighborhood schools were meeting the needs of their students in this way.
Lynn
In my family's experience, and from what I hear from friends at other parochial schools, they do not differentiate instruction. They teach to the level of the majority of the students in a class.
Our local public school has four spelling groups, reading groups and math groups in early elementary classes. The parochial school has only walk-to-math and it begins in fifth grade. Algebra is the highest math class offered to eighth grade students.
Principals at parochial schools routinely direct families whose children need extra support or acceleration to the public school system. Which is fine - they don't have the funds to provide special education services, or the enrollment numbers required to group gifted kids.
I don't think there is a school that can teach more than two grade levels in a single classroom without having really tiny classes.
Lynn
The first thing you see on Rainier Beach's website is PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM @ RBHS NEXT FALL.
I looked at the course catalog to see if that could answer my question. Maybe there are IB classes listed? Nope - the catalog available is from the 2010-2011 school year.
Who is responsible for maintaining school websites?
Lynn
It seems that for many kids a cohort allows them the freedom to "geek up". In other words, to show off their intellectual abilities without stigma.
That is a good thing and shouldn't be confused with elitism, which is the downside of cohorting.
That is why I advocate walk-tos.
Getting regulars and the low ability kids to get excited and competitive is more problematic because the range of ability increases and frankly, bringing kids up to an arbitrary standard is not the same as helping kids explore beyond the standard.
Face it, teachers and principals fall into the same labeling traps we all do. That's why principals and staff can be so strongly against Spectrum and APP. They find abstinence to be the best cure for prejudice.
We have to give all kids that wonderful feeling of stretching their intellectual wings, of pushing themselves and being part of a group that pushes each other. It's an amazing thing to see.
Steve
Parochial schools are not a monolithic group. Quality varies depending on teaching staff, size, student and parental make-up just like public schools. However, because it's a choice system and not free (even with full scholarship, there are obligations), the self selection cull for those willing and able. AL benefits by this self selection too.
tortoise
And yet, that doesn't mean public school cannot be fabulous. It can be. Same with general ed. It can be fabulous. I believe in public education.
Nor do the "leftovers" enrolled in public school mean that private school is "better". Sometimes yes and sometimes no.
What is incontrovertible is that private schools do not have to take all students. You would be surprised at the willingness of parents to pay through the teeth to avoid a classroom with kids from poverty or with disabilities. Does this result in the private school students doing better academically? Again it is a mixed bag. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on the school and the teacher, same as in public school.
What does this have to do with Spectrum and ALO? Just this: For all the sturm und drang around the topic, the end result has been and I'll bet my hat always will be "mixed" on whether systemically it catapults kids to their own personal academic success. (I am not including APP in this comment, as that is an additional topic.) General education does not have to equate to "leftover".
My kids' school has consciously decided not to pursue the ALO/Spectrum classification, in part because many of the standards already exist as a baseline in the classrooms, and because as a community we want all children to get the level of learning they need within their larger peer group. Do we do pullouts for academic remediation and "walk to" classes for acceleration? Yes, but only within a grade level and only for some subjects.
This is not perfect, and we have work to do on bringing some children up to grade standard in some areas, notably children of poverty and their early reading skills. We also need to do better with our special education population, and are consciously working on that. But the majority of the system works and we do not have kids (actually, let's be frank...it's generally the parents...) up in arms around who is qualified or unqualified for accelerated learning. We are a better academic community because of it.
You know what? When my school's kids hit high school they do just fine. Better than fine. Even without Spectrum, the "accelerated" learners are over-prepared for math, language and science.
Although I want district administrators to roll out a comprehensive accelerated learning program, I am much more interested in having concerned parents, like those on this thread, work hand in hand with their own school's professionals to provide means for each student to have academic growth, at each individual level in each subject area, each year. That's a lot of work, and no need to wait for an ALO/Spectrum rollout, which won't be a panacea anyhow.
Just a few thoughts on a sunny afternoon.
Hopeful + Involved
Happy mom (at least before her child was called a leftover)
Our school is Bryant and it is a great school but we need walk to math and our requests have fallen on deaf ears. I have kids in mid- and late-elementary now and though we now have a new principal I assume he is loathe to make changes having just arrived in August. What can I do? I know there are other parents who feel this way but to organize risks being branded as obnoxious by the Bryant community. -My kids need math
Gen Ed Mom
I am sorry your daughter had a bad experience, Gen Ed Mom, and i hope the new school is a good fit, Sometimes there are misses even in a great school.
Whittier parent
The Perfect Storm
1. This was a mixed class of 22 third/fourth graders: 7 girls and 15 boys. This particular grade level is an outlier in terms of demographics with only two girls in general ed. This is not representative of demographics for the rest of the school.
2. The teacher was a long-term sub while the regular teacher took an extended maternity leave. She was hired late after the sub that was lined up left just as school was starting. She was a poor teacher and the principal took steps to remove her from the classroom. In fact, she was supposed to sub for another teacher going on maternity leave (after the first one came back) and that was not allowed to happen.
3. This was the principals' first year. She inherited the previous principal's strategy for dealing with this large group of boys. For third grade, these boys were in an all-boy class. Many of their parents were not happy with that particular set-up. I'm guessing the term "leftover" was used to describe kids who were not placed in a class in the previous spring (as most kids are).
4. Gen Eds' child was in a new school - not easy in third grade. I don't know the child, but that could be anxiety producing and hard for anyone at any age.
I'm hard pressed to see how Gen Ed Mom's perception of Spectrum caused all of this. I don't know Gen Ed, but I do know who she is, and I can't say that I ever saw her volunteer at an event, volunteer in the lunchroom, come to a PTA meeting, or support the school. I don't say that to be mean, but I would be interested to know what she did on behalf of all the children at Whittier that she claims to fight for.
I'm sorry it was a terrible year. I hope you find what you are looking for in a school. Whittier is not perfect, but many people have found an educational home there (gen ed and Spectrum). Your child may have not learned what you wanted her to learn, but perhaps she learned something about resilience, patience, and that things don't always go the way you wish.
(compiled from my directory)
1st grade
Gen
23 Girls
21 Boys
Spectrum
17 Girls
11 Boys
2nd Grade
Gen
30 Girls
27 Boys
Spectrum
7 Girls
18 Boys
3rd Grade
Gen
23 Girls
32 Boys
Spectrum
14 Girls
13 Boys
4th Grade
Gen
2 Girls
20 Boys
Spectrum
20 Girls
10 Boys
Another Whittier Parent
" I simply don't think so many kids need special educational opportunities. And rumor is some squeaky wheels have managed to get kids who weren't quite qualified in as well.
You've referred to Spectrum parents as system-gamers twice.
My questions for you are these: Do you think Spectrum should be a self-contained program at Whittier? Why or why not?
Full disclosure - I have no connection to Whittier and my students are not Spectrum-identified, but two are enrolled in APP.
How would the smart kids know that they were smart if we didn't provide them a Spectrum and show them the stupid kids?
Reader
Why are you assuming that kids who look different or are from a different culture are unable to advocate for their children, and need you to speak for them? My child "looks different", and Whittier staff and families have been great. Yes, Whittier is not that diverse, but it is a neighborhood school in a neighborhood that is predominantly white. Using the lack of diversity to further your anti-spectrum agenda is not appropriate. It insinuates that the school is hostile to people who are from minority races or cultures, which has nothing to do with your experience. You said your child looks like everyone else at Whittier. You don't get to play the race card on behalf of people of color, or imply that not getting into spectrum is akin to their struggles.
And I work, have kids in two different schools, and advocate for my kids, too.
Mama Bear
The experience of Gen Ed mom and child is one reason so many teachers and administrators do not support self-contained Spectrum. (Again, I am leaving APP out of this discussion.) Want to know why Advanced Learning is a mess in Seattle? Again, it is because in their hearts the bulk of SPS educators do not support this model. So the program continues to not be a priority. It won't change anytime soon, despite more than a decade of not prioritizing it.
I am not saying self-contained Spectrum can't be successful. I am saying that for many educators, a different model of accelerated learning is preferable, because of practicalities (divvying students into discrete classrooms in a small-ish school), no knowledge of or commitment to the pedagogy of self-contained "spectrum-level" classrooms, a worry that self-contained programs track general ed students into underachievement, and finally , and sadly perhaps MOSTLY, because it can cause a helluva political mess, fueled by teachers and parents and students all, within a building.
Again, there are successful ways to offer accelerated learning without the self-contained Spectrum hype or pitfalls. Every child deserves the chance to learn at her/his pace. I am glad Gen Ed mom found such a place.
I hope those happy with self-contained Spectrum (and it is perfectly fine to be excited if it is working for your student)understand that the program is both a gift and a burden within a school's walls, and work to assure all children within those walls feel safe, welcome and excited at the opportunity to learn.
Hopeful + Involved
Here is what I think. Every kid should be able to walk into his or her neighborhood school and obtain a good enough education. Not perfect, good enough. That did not happen for my daughter last year. Why? Two reasons. 1. Entirely inappropriate placement. Not with her peers and with kids a year older. 2. Terrible teacher
Let's take out number 2 out of the equation for a minute. Why was my daughter assigned such a wildly inappropriate placement? If anyone with inside information (since you know who I am) wants to fill me in on this go ahead. I assumed it was because of gender imbalance in the 3rd and 4th grade last year in the Gen Ed program (because of Spectrum) And I am at least partly right about that. There is a huge gender imbalance in the incoming 5th grade, last year's 4th grade. There isn't in the 3rd grade (although I didn't know that because WHY would they do that to my daughter when they didn't have to).
I am OK with a self contained Spectrum program at any school AS LONG AS the General Education kids can also get appropriate placement in classes where they can learn. Is it fair for 6 third grade girls to be in a class with a large group of 4th grade boys? Melissa said many times in this blog that her son does not need to do a job. Well neither does my daughter. She is not there to balance out gender and that shouldn't be her role. She is there to learn, just like your kid. If my daughter had gone into a class that had a few more third grade girls it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to think about Spectrum. As it was, I was under the impression that there were just a handful of Gen Ed girls in her grade. I still don't understand why they did not distribute the girls more evenly. I wish someone would have explained that to me or could explain it to me now. Next, I stressed my daughter's similarity, her easy going nature and the fact that she is culturally similar to those at Whittier because I KNOW people turn those things around on those who are different. Another Whittier Parent has diagnosed my child with anxiety and decided I don't volunteer at school enough and that must have been the root of her problem. Sorry it was not. The teacher, the principal, everyone said she was well behaved and wanted to learn. People at school mentioned "the boys" in the class in a way that made me think I was supposed to blame them for the problem. Sorry. No, I didn't blame any of them. They deserved better too, they weren't being taught and they were bored. Some of them reportedly enjoyed the no rules atmosphere but it wasn't a learning environment for anyone. The problem was 100% the school. 100%. And I can see where these types of problems can be blamed on the kids (she could have anxiety) the parents (I never saw her at any PTA meetings) The teacher was terrible. The teacher who came back from maternity leave was, well I don't want to say too much about her but she was upset and angry and emotional and she didn't help at all. It did not inspire confidence. As for gaming the system I didn't bring that up. A so called Spectrum parent said "I don't blame anyone for gaming the system". So, have whatever program you want to have for your kid, but my kid should be able to get a good enough education. Period. Does that answer the question? I have no experience and no opinion on APP> Gen Ed Mom
You seem quite intent on finding someone or thing to blame for your child's bad year. Is it Spectrum? The Principal? The crappy teacher? The cohort with too few girls? The rowdy boys (whose parents probably think they're pretty great)? Bad timing on changing schools? The squeaky wheel parents? Hard to say. Or could it just be bad juju? A certain set of circumstances came together and your daughter had a crummy year. Could it be as simple as that? Nothing systemic, nothing nefarious? Human beings made some decisions that were maybe not ideal, your child came in at a less than perfect time, and the result sucked for your kid.
Had your child stayed at Whittier, she may have had a fantastic year this year - no way to know. I'm sure if she has a great year this year it will because of the wonderful school she's in. If it is a terrible year, it will be residual from Whittier. Think what you want - but again, no way to know. Maybe it is just best to say, "Wow, that was a totally screwed up year for us. Glad it's over" and then think about moving on. That's my unsolicited advice and now I will be taking my own advice and move on.
Another Whittier Parent
By the way ability grouping is tracking and while effective and practical, not always fair or produce best results for kids who are struggling or stuck with that classification. You can't get rid of labels easily (evidenced by this thread). Parents will talk about other kids and not always with accuracy. By then the damage is done.
Or check out alt school. I think more school variety such as Salmon Bay, immersion, and STEM schools helps by offering good educational choices and reduces the parental drive for AL programs.
pro choice
How would the smart kids know that they were smart if we didn't provide them a Spectrum and show them the stupid kids?
Reader
Something I really appreciated about Garfield was that unlike most other area public schools, they allowed my daughter to take both remedial & AP courses at the same time, where appropriate instead of requiring her to be above grade level in every subject.
I also am very grateful for the opportunity for her to have spent her middle school years at Summit, where the subject determined the level. Middle school students took elective courses alongside high schoolers, which wouldn't be appropriate for all students, but for her it worked well.
Its tragic, to no longer have Summit as a resource and its compounded by the way the district fails to support alternative education.