Re: AYP celebrations

[QCao009@aol.com]

In a message  dated 1/21/2008 5:23:48 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
pgutpgut@msn.com  writes:
 
Ironically, it is precisely the sped kids and the ELLS who routinely  cause a 
school to not make AYP, which is why school districts have become  quite 
creative in either suppressing their scores or in elminating them from  the scene, 
one way or the other.

Priscilla:
 
I agree with  your analysis, but I think we cannot buy into the framing of 
the discussion to  arrive at the result policy wonks want us to.  ESE and ELLs 
do not  "cause" schools not to make AYP when AYP, like the BRT's margin of  
profit, is a moving goalpost.  As you indicated, reform is not reform  when 
improvement is not made for anyone.
 
As far as our  students are concerned, I am not sure they buy into what 
schools tell them any  more than our children buy into what we as parents tell 
them.  It is a  balancing act for them to find self-identity and rebel against 
their own  cultural heritage and what their peers expect of them.
 
Again, when  it comes to conformity, some discipline is necessary before any 
of us can learn  the core essential to set ourself free, and I am not sure 
outsourcing just runs  in cycles.  I have watched other countries try to emulate 
American  materialism and capitalism and paint themselves into a corner with 
the myth of  productivity equating quality of life and happiness.  Japan begat 
Korea  begat China begat SE Asia as the age of Asia returns.  
 
Here in the  Us. once the cycle for our own schools to seek more and more 
individualization  run its course, we turn to one test source.  Then we create 
more and more  special programs while the core curriculum is laid to waste.  I 
remember  the years of pushing multicultural curricula and the result is not 
our children  reading more but serendipitously reading less and less, and now 
noone checks the  "classics" out of libraries any more.  I recently finished a 
series of  reviews on where autistic children would have the best chance of 
leading a  productive life once their schooling years are done, and the answer is 
not  industrialized nations or city schools or large institutions.  It is 
either  a small rural US town or an "underdeveloped" nation where they don't get 
lost in  the shuffle.  
 
It's  fascinating as our technology develops that we communicate and touch 
each other  less and less and what we call education becomes less and less 
meaningful.   Bill Gates had to drop out to be able to make his own pronouncements 
today about  how schooling makes sense.  
 
Once upon a  time we fought for "meaningful" instruction for ELLs in Nichols 
v SF School  District.  Now we have meaningless instruction and rote testing 
for  everyone.  
 
I am hoping  that cycle turns itself around soon. Otherwise, ashes will 
return to ashes and  real knowledge will only be found through human suffering 
again.  It's time  to redefine schooling.
 
Quan



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