Klarinet Archive - Posting 000851.txt from 2004/03
From: "Thomas" <thomas@------.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: not just the music department
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 11:25:34 -0500
Let me tell you about NCLB's effects on our kids. I prefer to call it No
Child's Behind Left. :) I have an 11 year old autistic son. I KNOW of
NCBL and what it does to special ed children, at least in PA. My son is
included in the regular classroom, but is not on grade level in reading. I
don't want that my son to be tested like a neurotypical child ("NT" for
short, it's the PC way to say a "normal" child). It's not appropriate. He
needs time to take tests, and Pennsylvania does not give that to him. NCBL
forces him to BE tested like those children. And he's the tip of the
iceberg, it's a lot worse, they force kids with Downs, kids whose ESOL is
4-5 years under their grade level, you name it. You basically have to be a
walking vegetable before PA will give your child adapted testing.
>Schools without any performing arts or sports or libraries or counsellors
at all? <snip> >Although this doesn't relate to music,
Sure it does. You have seen the way music programs are deteriorating
anyway. What this does is make it 10 times worse. And NOW - well, if
they can make robots to do all this stuff, why should we teach humans to do
it? Somehow that will get in there, you just wait. Just a matter of
time.
A group of teachers who were involved in the Dean campaign have started a
Yahoo group, Educators for Change, and one of our members developed a web
page. http://www.mrsvaughnsweb.com/educatorsindex.html She is a teacher
in GA who has just found out she is not considered "highly qualified" even
though she has more than met the standards of Georgia itself!!! She in
certified in elem. ed. and history, has been teaching elementary math for
several years, and now has to transfer to a middle school to teach history
because she is no longer allowed to teach math. It's long for me to post
here, if you join the group you can read her post from the other day. Go to
Yahoo groups and look up Educators for Change.
Here's Susan Ohanian's page, she is the biggest anti-NCBL advocate in the
country - if you want to read all about another "unqualified" teacher (with
a PHD...and chairs a Literacy advocacy group)
http://www.susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=148
This thing is going to destroy schools in more ways than just the arts and
special ed. The only way to get rid of this NCBL thing is to be obnoxious
and radical, and try to help those lobbying. I have a blog that I use for
this purpose, in addition to the EFC group and anything else I can get my
hands on. I found out long ago that the only way to get services for my son
was to shoot off my mouth myself. NCBL has made it much worse.
Lynn
---------------------------------------------------------------------
klarinet-digest-unsubscribe@------.org if you get the digest.
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.------.org
