tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post5542339934093667957..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: What is the deal with Spectrum?Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9971787819669291542013-09-24T14:39:44.263-07:002013-09-24T14:39:44.263-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16268379841529436535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4176004893436920352013-09-24T12:27:37.590-07:002013-09-24T12:27:37.590-07:00WSDGW above said one of the reasons for Spectrum i...WSDGW above said one of the reasons for Spectrum is that it " draws families that would otherwise go to private schools" That's a direct quote. I am not at all questioning APP. I asked why do we need a self contained Spectim for kids who are one year ahead? 7 kids had severe allergies? I have never been in group where kids with severe allergies have to be self contained (and my niece has life threatening allergies to 3 things but is in a regular classroom with no restrictions), but ok. That's still less than 10 % of the kids in a class with 75. We were dealing with 30%. Yes I know all about kids not being put first, with my daughter's easygoing personality she could fit in any slot. We never got the best teacher even in<br />private school because there were always kids with issues that needed a certain kind of nurturing or to be separated from eachother or what have you. That's normal. Last year was not normal and I'm tired of people comparing it to normal experiences everybody has on a regular basis. The gen Ed program for many kids at Whittier has not been stable for many kids for many years (in some grades that may not be the case). And people here have attacked me personally going so far as to say "I know who you are and you never volunteer". If that's not fury, not sure what is. Gen Ed MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85000072699974588172013-09-24T11:14:15.495-07:002013-09-24T11:14:15.495-07:00Yes, one of my kids has been in a grade with two c...Yes, one of my kids has been in a grade with two classes, and 7 kids who must all be together because of severe allegies, so the rest of the classes are formed around that clump. And then there are some special Ed kids who have placement needs, so after the allegies and IEPs, then the school can consider academics for the other kids. The classes are about half filled before my kid got considered. That's the way it goes. They do often end up a little skewed in one way or another. It always worked out fine.<br /><br />As I have said, most of us with children in advanced learning have children in gen Ed, and so do fight about those programs when need be. I think what you are missing, though, is that by and large it's better in gen Ed than the advanced learning program my kid is in. Things are not just ok- they are good. Stable, appropriate, engaging, with more experienced teachers and principals. Occasionally reasonable class sizes, support from the district, not liable to be used as pawns in a larger political gain for someone else's gain. Good. There are problems, but except for math, which is finally changing, they are not systemic and threatening the way the problems advanced learning has are. I don't believe the problem you had was systemic, but an aberration. I am sure you will find that to be true at your new school.<br /><br />I have absolutely no idea who you are talking about who mentioned private school, and so far you are the only furious person, well, and CCA, who I believe agrees with you. Lots of people answered the question about Spectrum's necessity. Perhaps you are projecting,<br /><br />-sleeperAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16720429210428657922013-09-23T18:28:06.430-07:002013-09-23T18:28:06.430-07:00Why not more emphasis on bringing up the standards...Why not more emphasis on bringing up the standards for all the kids and making more opportunities for everyone? My kid certainly did not get a fair shot at an education last year. Maybe if more people focused on improving the whole school and not just their particular program things might be better? I don't know. But I do know that we need some parents who care to stay in Gen Ed and fight to raise the standards there rather than just trying to figure out how to get our kids out of it. And I sense a certain smugness that your kids "could leave" and the public school system doesn't want that! My kids could leave too. We had them in private school before and we could put them in private school again if we really had to. But we made a deliberate decision to put them in public school not just because the school system is lucky to have them and our family (despite what was implied on another thread I am not a slacker who puts no effort into volunteering or working for my community and the person who said that does not know me, but I did not feel Whittier needed or wanted me last year, things seemed pretty sewn up there. And the more I hear from people there the more I feel that impression was spot on. The other school, on the other hand, did need me) but also because my kids are lucky to live in Seattle and we want to expose them to a wider world than they experienced in a private school setting. We want them to meet all different kinds of people and learn that friends come in all shapes and sizes and from all kind of families and have all kind of abilities. That's a plus for us. And I hope it's a plus for your kids too. I really do hope when you think about how incredibly lucky the school system in this city is to have your kids, you at least feel that your kids are a little bit lucky to know the other kids around them that aren't in their program. Gen Ed MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-91919198935149005582013-09-23T18:26:35.970-07:002013-09-23T18:26:35.970-07:00"But yours is a capacity management issue, Ge..."But yours is a capacity management issue, Gen Ed Mom, not a program delivery model issue."<br /><br />Ah, isn't this the crux of the matter? Aren't just about all the issues that are being hotly debated and complained about on this blog capacity management problems? From program placement to option school headaches to not enough Spanish classes at Garfield, THE issue is the resources the district has and who has access to them. And who doesn't. I am new to public education and to this blog, I know that many of you have been working to improve the public education in the city for many many years. I guess I just feel a little sad that many of you focus on improving things for "your" kids (and by that I mean kids like yours too) and seem pretty darn callous when it comes to what other kids might experience. For instance, in one discussion there was a back and forth about how an exceptionally bright but not Spectrum qualified student might feel if she was used to "round out" a Spectrum class in a school without a full qualified class and then booted back to Gen Ed if more qualified kids came to the school. "Oh that won't happen" was the chorus. And then one person said "Look, unless you know of such a person/situation personally, we don't need to discuss this possible situation". But then when someone (like me) does use an actual situation where an actual child was harmed by being in a neighborhood school with a self contained Spectrum program that is dismissed as "anecdotal," on same level as one of "your kids" not getting the class assignment he wanted because of allergies (allergies, really? were you in a school where 30 percent of the kids had allergies to your kid or something they might have on their person at all times?), and all kinds of wild accusations are made about the family and child (we must hate boys, the child must have a difficult time with "group dynamics," if we were in a class with girls, we'd be complaining about cliques and mean girls). Someone on another thread even announced that they know who I am and that they never saw me at a PTA meeting (by the way, I was at one and my husband was at two). I am not ripping apart any program. I just asked "Why do we need this program?" And just asking the question makes all of you furious. I am not threatening to take anything away from anyone, because I have no power to take anything away from anyone. I think 30% Spectrum is just too many kids for a school that is trying to house the neighborhood kids too. And I don't think it's fair for kids in the 70% to get the shaft. That's all. And it's my neighborhood school. Just like you want Spectrum so you can stay at your school, I want good, stable, reliable, year to year guaranteed Gen Ed at my neighborhood school. My child deserves access to a stable program every bit as much as yours and so do ALL the other kids in the city. I don't want to have to freak out that my bright but not Spectrum qualified kids aren't going to be able to take college prep classes in High School because they are not currently on the right elementary school pathway, but that seems to be A LOT of the type of discussion on this board (how to get in to those rare spots where kids can succeed). to be cont. Gen Ed Mom Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3601994901156372622013-09-23T09:24:50.295-07:002013-09-23T09:24:50.295-07:00CCA,
Why the assumption of private testing and en...CCA,<br /><br />Why the assumption of private testing and endless enrichments to get into APP? <br /><br />As a word of caution, I don't think the testing your kids did will allow them to go to Ingraham one day. They'll have to test again in the 8th grade for that. If its really important to you, I'd consider moving them to APP now. You're taking a big risk to assume they won't have a bad day when you test them in the eighth grade. You could always do private testing if that happens. (Though it doesn't sound like you approve of that.)<br /><br />Your contributions to the discussion might be valuable if you sounded less judgmental.<br /><br />LynnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1203065423602828152013-09-23T08:40:23.194-07:002013-09-23T08:40:23.194-07:00WSDWG, above.WSDWG, above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-67566948527610938272013-09-23T08:39:57.082-07:002013-09-23T08:39:57.082-07:00@GenEdMom: I would just like it to be acknowledge...@GenEdMom: <i>I would just like it to be acknowledged that it HAS caused some issues at Whittier.</i><br /><br />Acknowledged. <br /><br />But yours is a capacity management issue, Gen Ed Mom, not a program delivery model issue. <br /><br />And this is why APP parents campaigned against placing APP in assigned neighborhood schools to begin with. The district tries to sell APP folk and Spectrum folk that the changes in locations will be "better" for those programs, i.e., an upgrade, if you will, as they will grow in number, become stronger, etc. And when we say, "But we're fine where we are, and if we grow bigger at, say, Thurgood Marshall, won't we then be cramping the space and opportunities for the Gen Ed and Special Ed/Autism cohorts there(?)," to which we receive the response, "Oh, so you don't want to co-house with THOSE kids, do you?" It's a no-win situation.<br /><br />I sympathize, Gen Ed Mom. But know that as much as we try and try, nobody at SPS will listen to presumptively selfish APP or Spectrum families who already "have it all" and are so selfish to be requesting their own building, or not to be co-housed in an assigned, neighborhood school. How dare we? <br /><br />All that should've happened at your school was for the district to open another Spectrum program at a different school in your cluster to offer to wait-listed Spectrum kids and reduce over-capacity problems once situations like yours were foreseeable. But, we should both know that being so rational and logical is asking far too much, and the reasons you were given for your daughter's improper placement sound like classic excuses from incompetent administrators and staff. Blame something they can't, or won't, do anything about. "My hands are tied." Problem solved for them; You lose.<br /><br />As for self-contained Spectrum, the answer is, because it works better than anything else has in the past for the kids it serves. That's it in a nutshell. And it draws families who would otherwise go to private schools. And as for it's negative effects on other populations, we do our best to foresee and anticipate those situations, while offering solutions, because the last thing any AL parents want is to inconvenience or harm neighborhood kids in their own school, and then be trashed for being unfair, privileged, exclusive, insular, uncaring, selfish, etc., etc., which is a constant chorus from their critics.<br /><br />Situations like yours are entirely foreseeable in this NSAP environment, more than ever before, and why parents of AL, Alts, option and special needs programs throughout the district seek to avoid them.<br /><br />I've had a mostly good experience with my kids in SPS, and all I want is for you to have the same. I don't think ripping apart models that work for other families and kids is the answer to fixing what's wrong with mine, however, and given the history of this district, we should all know better than to be tearing down things that work, instead of replicating the experiences from them for as many kids, at as many levels as possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23504760989233422922013-09-23T08:27:29.349-07:002013-09-23T08:27:29.349-07:00Sigh, came back to state clearly, before a bunch ...Sigh, came back to state clearly, before a bunch of APP parents start yelling at me; I am not saying that it is not possible that their children cannot thrive anywhere but APP. Yes, kids can be mean to those they perceive as different, and yes, probably certain kids never found others who really "gets them" until they entered APP, so the parents are not wrong in moving heaven and earth with endless enrichment and private testings to get in. My children are perhaps odd ducks. But if so, they are not the only ones. One of them scored 264 end of 4th gr in math, but there were kids in the same school who scored higher. More than a few of them were never tested for APP, parents weren't interested in moving out of gen ed. And one of them was doing calculus. He never seemed bored, or lonely. He could be lonely, but isn't some loneliness part and parcel of the human condition? Look at Stephen Fry, universally loved and admired, more fame than most of us will ever achieve. Friends in every corner of the globe. Yet he posted recently that he has never not been lonely. How many people really GETS you? If you can claim even one you are fortunate. Marlon Brando kept his best friend's ashes and talked to it everyday, for decades, until his own death. The man is a LEGEND! When he died, people all over the world cried, actors, artists, Black Panthers, 7 foot tall Native American activists, "ordinary" people who found friends in the characters he created. Still lonely!<br /><br />CCA<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79609248335945455772013-09-23T05:26:11.991-07:002013-09-23T05:26:11.991-07:00Sigh, I am not PROUD of my education, I am extrem...Sigh, I am not PROUD of my education, I am extremely GRATEFUL for the opportunities and choices that I was given. Opportunies that were NOT due to possession of any super-special innate abilities, but mostly because of family history. I have always realized how unjust this was, because unlike Mr Romney, Ryan, et al., I know that hard work most often does not get you far, unless you have connections that open doors for you. The world is not merit based. Weathy people would like to think it is, so they can justify their treatment of poor people; does not make it so.<br /><br />You misunderstood my posts. I said the expectation that if only the TEACHER knew how to DIFFERENTIATE, kids would never be bored in school. I brought up my experience to say that even with the best schools and teachers, a child still would not be interested in everything. I referenced math, as that is the subject many posters here bring up to show why their children need APP, Spectrum, different teachers, different principals, different schools: i.e., their MATHY (by the way, what does this mean exactly? good at math? genius at math? likes to study math? are shaped like math?) CHILDREN are BORED in math class(es), so it must be the teacher(s)'s fault. As to no one attacking teachers, SERIOUSLY? I know you read the APP blog, they even name the "bad" teachers there. MANY times!<br /><br />I need to stay out of these AL posts, always the same things, almost no one listens, most just talk AT other people. There is no communication. It's pointless. Being right trumps compassion and understanding.<br /><br />And yes, we kept our APP qualified children in gen ed. We had them tested because they need to go to Ingraham one day for the IB diploma, and we are in the wrong neighborhood. They are doing very well, thanks for asking, lovely test scores. Must not be bored and irreversibly damaged being trapped with the nongifted hoi polloi, who needs to have every simple concept explained ad infinitum. But perhaps the nongifted is fun to be with, and are kind and loyal and loving friends. Who knows.<br /><br />CCAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21087644487057390232013-09-22T10:53:00.804-07:002013-09-22T10:53:00.804-07:00CCA,
Wow. It sounds like you a wonderful educatio...CCA,<br /><br />Wow. It sounds like you a wonderful education - and you are very proud of it. Also, you know lots of people who are much smarter than the children of anyone commenting here. Super for you!<br />I don't have time to read all of the comments again. Were there so many criticizing teachers? I think people who enroll their children in advanced learning programs do so because the pace of learning in the general education classroom was too slow - not to avoid "bad" teachers. There's a difference between being bored because you're just not interested in a subject, and being bored because you need to hear something once or twice to learn it, and the average child needs to hear it eight times. That's a lot of wasted time. Paying attention all day in that classroom is too much to ask of an eight year old. <br />I wouldn't pull a child out of a school because they were bored in math if they were actively learning in their other classes. I would (and have) pulled them out because they were not engaged in any class. Too many years like that and you lose the opportunity to get them excited about school and learning again.<br />Can I ask if your child(ten) are in general education classrooms? <br /><br />LynnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-24956483079376722352013-09-22T09:20:11.557-07:002013-09-22T09:20:11.557-07:00Okay, I've had some sleep so less grumpy. I sh...Okay, I've had some sleep so less grumpy. I shall try to make my points with less snark. <br /><br />There is NO school or teachers in the world that can make learning not boring SOMETIMES in SOME subject for SOME students. I went to some of the best schools by reputation in the world; was taught by and worked with several NOBEL laureates, and there is no such thing as being absorbed and "stretched" in and by the wonders of learning in EVERY subject, every field, 24/7. You can shop around, and pay, and go through superhuman maneuverings to get your kids into the "best" schools; and make your children take math in the summers instead of digging to China at the beach; this fact will not change. It's as fundamental a truth as we humans can get to. People come in all varieties, we like different things. And even prodigies and geniuses; (yes, I've known several well and not just talking out of my a** here), do NOT like everything, and are not good at everything. Those who excel at a certain subject, let's say math, do not always find all of it interesting. Sometimes school (and life) is boring, there is no escaping that. The trick is to be able to persevere and achieve competence and excellence even in things that bore you.<br /><br />Those of you here who teach your children that when they are bored in math or physics or chemistry or LA or whatever class, it is because their teachers are incompetent; how are your children to cope with how dull their jobs can be once they have fulfilled YOUR dreams and gone to work at Microsoft or Amazon, or at whichever company(ies) you consider to be the apex of success? Shall they be able to deal, or quit, because they're NOT CHALLENGED and thus the companies must be doing it wrong?<br /><br />You all love your children, it is obvious. That's why you hover, and give them the BEST in everything, and try to protect then from every bump on the road. But how will they cope with the world when you are not there, or not able to get bad teachers and pricipals (bosses) fired, or switch schools (companies) for them?<br /><br />And Gen Ed MOM, you are articulate and amazingly brave to be facing the gauntlet of the AL people to make your case here. You are a Klingon warrior! Your children are lucky. Don't worry about last year, I have a best friend who went through some very bad experiences in elementary school. She is absolutely the most wonderful, amazing person now, with a great group of very close, loyal & loving friends & very successful in her career. Your daughter will do well too, last year's experience will be of use to her. All learning is great, even if sometimes painful. <br /><br />CCA<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4173449928269507262013-09-21T21:48:52.716-07:002013-09-21T21:48:52.716-07:00Sleeper,
Does your school get a math specialist? ...Sleeper,<br /><br />Does your school get a math specialist? How did you manage that? My children's elementaries lost the (1/2) specialist more than two years ago. And both schools have 500+ kids.<br /><br />Poor teachers, expected to deal with 30+ kids in each class, and DIFFERENTIATE for EVERY single one so NO ONE gets BORED! I wonder if these teachers can also leap tall buildings in a single bound. And there I was, in high school, thinking most math more boring than drying paint, I guess eventhough my math teachers managed to teach me well enough to win the National Math Contest 3 times, they were BAD teachers, since they did not manage to make it not boring every minute of every day! Really, if they were ANY GOOD, I would have lived and breathed MATH, instead of wasting time obsessing over all those boyfriends. Who knew! Major Fail, I say.<br /><br />I take y'all LOVED math in school, correct? Since it's such a fun and endlessly exciting subject and all. You're working with fractals now, yes?<br /><br />CCAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79292328737110056142013-09-21T18:06:12.013-07:002013-09-21T18:06:12.013-07:00bizarre outliers?!
Lynnbizarre outliers?!<br /><br />LynnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87153935687479249372013-09-21T15:56:02.088-07:002013-09-21T15:56:02.088-07:00Trying to get back to the broader topic, we really...Trying to get back to the broader topic, we really seem to have a problem where Spectrum is now gone and APP is being changed into Spectrum.<br /><br />It's never going to happen, but, if we wanted a real Spectrum program, what might be ideal is if APP and Spectrum were co-housed at all locations, so children could potentially move up or down between APP and Spectrum, with Spectrum serving 0-2 years ahead and a smaller APP group serving 2+ years ahead.<br /><br />What is probably going to happen instead is that Spectrum and ALO will continue to mean nothing at most locations, anyone wanting anything like Spectrum will try to get into APP, and APP will grow well beyond its original intention of being a small special education-like program dealing with children who are bizarre outliers and have unusual needs.<br /><br />So, I think your answer, Charlie, to what the District plans to do with Spectrum is that they don't really know yet, but, on the path they are on, they eventually will combine Spectrum and APP into something new (possibly called just Advanced Learning) that is more like 1+ years ahead and split across many more schools around the district.<br /><br />While it might look like what is going away is Spectrum, what is actually going to be going away is APP.SpectrumIsAPPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40988026619452843792013-09-21T15:07:11.334-07:002013-09-21T15:07:11.334-07:00Spectrum parents on this thread don't want to ...Spectrum parents on this thread don't want to face the fact that my daughter's experience was directly related to the way Spectrum affected the numbers at Whittier. I ask the questions and instead of answers people insult me and get angry. No, in fact, no one on this thread has answered the question "Why do we need self contained spectrum in addition to APP?" If you have a good, strong reason that program is necessary I'd like to hear it. That would be a much stronger argument for your case then people insulting me or making wild guesses about my daughter and our family. I have a feeling you won't answer because anything you say about what will happen to advanced learning kids who are not in a self contained setting is EXACTLY what happened to my daughter last year. And you can say it's an isolated incident, but the fact is girls leave the Gen Ed program at Whittier. The fact of the matter seems to be NO PROGRAM in the SPS is stable or consistent, including Gen Ed as evidenced by our experience at Whittier. We have all dealt with hardships in our lives, I have seen mediocre and poor teachers before. It happens. Kids getting shuffled around from year to year in weird splits should not happen (and it did happen before we got there because I have talked to other people who left and people who stuck it out). I would just like it to be acknowledged that it HAS caused some issues at Whittier. If they are working on fixing those issues, that's good. On the other hand, according to you folks, there WERE no issues to fix. Gen Ed MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56359178329845986402013-09-21T14:49:49.965-07:002013-09-21T14:49:49.965-07:00No Gen Ed mom, there is no link between Spectrum a...No Gen Ed mom, there is no link between Spectrum and grade skipping that I know of. The district tends to discourage it but I don't think it's been outlawed.<br /><br />Again, I will gently point out that you are making this personal to your situation and frankly, this is a broader discussion. Your child had a bad experience (and if you think this will be the only time, good luck, because into every child's life, there will be more than one mediocre to poor teacher). This does not mean split classes are bad nor Spectrum. <br /><br />No one has told you to go away. But you continue to push the same points over and over and I'm unsure why that is.<br /><br />The rationale has been explained. That you don't like it is fine but please don't continue on about it.<br /><br />I don't know if you noticed but you have dominated this thread but not exactly expanded the discussion.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49189761125603266802013-09-21T14:22:41.171-07:002013-09-21T14:22:41.171-07:00Didn't answer my question. GEMDidn't answer my question. GEMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89770542013071735482013-09-21T14:12:57.692-07:002013-09-21T14:12:57.692-07:00#3 on the list above, GenEdMom.
SeenItAll#3 on the list above, GenEdMom.<br /><br /><br />SeenItAllAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26121650414961139242013-09-21T14:11:12.209-07:002013-09-21T14:11:12.209-07:00So, what is the rationale for self contained Spect...So, what is the rationale for self contained Spectrum then? I have asked this question before and was told to go away. If there is a good reason for it, just explain it to me. GEMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10995265983208443232013-09-21T14:04:58.838-07:002013-09-21T14:04:58.838-07:00Typo should say my kid can be in a split GEMTypo should say my kid can be in a split GEMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40551596863851226742013-09-21T14:04:29.084-07:002013-09-21T14:04:29.084-07:00That has never been the rationale for Spectrum at ...That has never been the rationale for Spectrum at all, GenEdMom.<br /><br />Your one year at Whittier was terrible and very unfortunate. From all accounts, your concerns were also noticed by decision makers at the school, and have been corrected this year. The problems you saw last year no longer exist. <br /><br />Based on this year's changes, no one at Whittier thinks last year was OK, either. I am unclear as to how you expect a blog to help you any further, especially since you made the understandable decision to move your child.<br /><br />SeenItAllAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74410130566196831692013-09-21T13:59:35.331-07:002013-09-21T13:59:35.331-07:00And if she doesn't connect or make a lot of fr...And if she doesn't connect or make a lot of friends in her class, well that's her fault and our family's fault because we didn't go out of our way to get to know all the families of the 4th grade boys and learn unique and wonderful things about each of them ? Gen Ed MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31897439838691796802013-09-21T13:56:33.426-07:002013-09-21T13:56:33.426-07:00Well that's been the rational for why Spectrum...Well that's been the rational for why Spectrum kids can't skip grades, has it not? But my kid can't be in a split with no rationale behind it except to balance uneven numbers and that's OK for her? Gen Ed MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-64229280885415305112013-09-21T13:50:47.750-07:002013-09-21T13:50:47.750-07:00"Because it is not fair to expect kids to be ..."Because it is not fair to expect kids to be in a class with those who are a full year or two older than them, kids learn best and friendships form when with those who are of the same maturity level." <br /><br />It's fine to have this opinion but the evidence is not firm on this at all.<br /><br />I know that split classes are popular in many districts (including this one). There is little evidence that kids in any one grade level are on the same maturity level. Montessori is quite popular and usually operates with split levels. <br /><br />At the end of all this, we simply have no way of knowing what will happen. Charlie started this by pointing out how lax the district has been on this subject so really, it doesn't matter what you think about the current system. It probably won't exist the way it does now within a year or two. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.com