Tuesday, May 23, 2006

No Child Left Behind


We are reminded daily of our children not making the grade. When something good happens, it receives much less attention. This story highlights some of the fruit, of the famous "No Child Left Behind" program. The one that many opponents don't understand. Why can't we learn on the level of others? We learn what we want to learn. I haven't met a child yet, that can't play a Gameboy.If someone else can do it, why can't you? As I've always stated, "it's working for the young people". Children who haven't bought into the idea, that the education system is unfair. They seem to be doing fine. The story in the link below is a prime example. These children are excelling in a supposedly faulty enviroment. Good thing they don't know it yet. Read the article below:



http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/education/article/0,2673,MCA_22897_4719130,00.html

16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

common,
i read the first half of the article in the paper yesterday. im glad you posted the whole article, because otherwise i wouldnt have gotten a chance to read the entire thing.
i dont know what they need to fix the problem but i think that is a great start. i know you think i digress quite a bit, but............here goes......i am one of the founding members of a homeschool group. i home schooled my son after reading 11 books on the subject. that was 4 years ago. one of the things i found wrong with the public school system is that.......how in the world can you teach a subject once and give a failing grade. yet, curriculum, stipulates that teaching must go on. regardless of the majority of the students getting the material or not. how can they ever prove that they have learned it???? why not teach until they learn the skill? most math skills are interconnected anyway, how can you move on to timetables, if in fact you dont understand how adding multiples works?
i absolutely, adore the fact of the "I" for the grade. it doesnt tear down the childs self esteem, like an "F" would. and they can come back and revise the grade that was initially an I. in the process of that happening.....they are showing they now know how to master that particular skill and their grade reflects it. too much status is placed on grades, and i think this will illeviate a lot of stress on teachers as well.
if schools continue to teach, towards the tcap, NCLB is gonna get a lot of good schools caught up. common, i just know you gonna disagree with me. but just this once, surprise me. LOL

4:18 PM  
Blogger Common said...

Ladybug,

I commend you on the sacrifice, it must take to homeschool. I feel about homeschooling, the same way I do about Charter Schools. I don't think they are balanced enough. Your child can only learn what you can teach them. That might be fine if you're preparing them for a life as a Quaker. I don't think that prepares them for everyday life. Social skills are very important. Many of these children don't interact well with others. A strong public school system is always the best. Why did you discontinue homeschooling?

Education isn't about what you remember, but how you respond. The important thing is how you solve problems. You can use those skills in any situation, that arises. Think back on college tests. Once you past the test. It's time to learn something else. That's the point we're missing here. What difference does it make what book you have. If you don't read the one you have. If the TCAP is being used to measure our children. We need to learn to pass the TCAP. My child is passing with flying colors, Thank God. NCLB is a good thing, that's working.

BTW: I won't surprise you this time I guess. Holla Back

6:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a good thing.

11:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

common,
hey whats up.......homeschooling was devine for me. the homeschooling group that i help found had a ton of members. my child interacted with those children all of the time. there is an actual association called MHEA. this is the real deal. check them out. say for instance you have a degree in history,and im certified to teach CPR, well what we would do is swap. you teach so many children history and i teach so many CPR, including your child. long story short....that is how it works. homeschooled children also take the Stanford Acheivement Test. so they definately are monitered. Willie Herenton's, son Rodney homeschools his son and daughter. if you know that your child is weak in math, then you can structure all of your teachings to math and so forth.
its really neat. they have proms, graduations, fieldtrips and yearbooks. i dont know if you are familiar with this or not, but there are colleges that actually seek out homeschooled students.

i stopped doing it because it became overwhelming for me! i found myself reading the books too much and not wanting to instruct. i was learning a ton of stuff. i used the Abeka system, which is awesome, because it is all christian based. not one thing is based on evolution, in Abeka textbooks.

common, the problem that i have with MCS, is that they teach towards the TCAP. in other words, they find out what is gonna be on the tcap and set up learning around that. i dont think they should do that. their only teaching so little, it limits the students.
what grade is your child? im also happy that he/she is passing. there are so many parents that dont get to say that. fortunately my son is doing great also. but i have him in a college prepatory school and its real interesting to see how things are done differently. im not saying his school is the best, its just really refreshing. the new ideas that they utilize to teach the students.
my son's math theacher this year, is being nominated for the presidential teaching award. she would have the students doing unorthodox problem solving things.
im just real concerned about all students, and their loss of desire to learn. hell, im gonna need to depend on that generation for my well being. they are gonna be the policemen, doctors, and lawyers of tomorrow. so we have tons of work ahead of us.

3:46 PM  
Blogger Common said...

Ladybug,

You are very knowledgable, about homeschooling. You exhibit what most homeschool parents do. They have a genuine interest, in their children's education. With the example you have given. I can see how that would provide, a more balanced approach. I still support a strong public school system. When we use other than ability, and hard work as a prerequisite. Anything else, the masses come up short.

I want the Doctors, Lawyers and Policeman of tommorrow to pass the TCAP today.

10:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ladybug you are a prime example of the shortfalls of this type education. Need I say more.

1:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

anon1:57,
i normally dont respond to anon posts. but for you i will make this one exception.....instead of being angry at me you should direct that anger at your mother. she should have swallowed or spit you out, instead of carrying you for nine months. now go, on about your business and leave me alone. comprendo pal.

5:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a child in the first grade. I hope I can say the same thing about my child.

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe she should have, but she didn't. Does that explain how you got here? Your mammy did.

7:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ladybug,
Does teaching your child at home make a noticable difference? I don't personally know anyone who has done this.I know more now, than I did before. I like the network concept.

12:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

weekly reader,
hi,
of course homeschooling makes a gigantic difference. there are no other children distracting others from learning. you can design your curriculum how you want it. you are only obligated to teach four hours a day. you can do it in the evening if you want or in the morning, or however you please. there is not an hour wasted taking the entire class to the restroom or lunch. the world is your classroom. one year we learned about astrology, we actually took our son to the space museum in alabama. we has a blast!!!!! so he was able to see NASA space ships up close. it makes a world of diff if you know if your child learns by doing or watching someone else do it. homeschooling is fabulous if you are united with a home school group. if you are interested try going to the library and looking at a MHEA newsletter. you will find a ton of info on the local home schooling groups. i dont see why more parents, whose children have made good grades all through out highschool, and yet they havent passed the gateway. i am a believer that, every one is not good on standardized tests. well, back to what i was saying......i know of a way to get a homeschool diploma. without all of the headache and hassell of the gateway. but the child must have had good grades. let me know if your are interested in this.

if you wanna learn more about the ocean and coral formation....then take your child to the nearest beach, and let them see it for them selves. that is the best way to learn something.....not just sitting in a classroom or looking at it in a book.

3:41 PM  
Blogger Common said...

Ladybug,

Thank you for your input, on the homeschooling issue. I don't agree with the program itself. But for those that do, that's up to them. I know more about it now, than I did at first.

8:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

youre welcome common.....i want parents to know that if their child is not successful because of the nclb, there is something that they can do that is proactive. and the alternative is homeschooling.

3:46 PM  
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