Re: AYP celebrations

[PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ <pgutpgut@msn.com>]

Quan, let me clarify that I don't consider ELL's or SPED students the cause of AYP failure and that I don't "buy" into anything from the policy wonks.  The fact of the matter is that the concept of AYP in its current form is an insult to the teaching profession and all the hard work we do.
 
As for students, they don't have to "buy into" anything.  I firmly believe that in many cases they are inadvertently internalizing that school nothing more than getting a good score on a test and have little opportunity to understand or develop an intrinsic love of learning.  What's more the current system further marginalizes them.  As Frank Smith wrote 20 years ago, if school consists of unengaging, rote learning with little real purpose, then students a) tune out; and b) learn that is what "learning" is and what school is about.
 
Education reform?  How about starting with teachers having a strong background in understanding how students naturally learn, and then having the freedom to incorporate this into the routine of the classroom?  So much of what we are expected to do these days doesn't jive with how children (or adults for that matter) actually learn.  Both NCLB and AYP are glaring examples of how little the policy wonks understand learning and development, or how little they want to... <br> <br> <br>Priscilla Gutierrez <br>Outreach Specialist <br>New Mexico School for the Deaf <br><br>...change is inevitable, growth is optional...<br>----------------------------------------> From&#58; QCao009&#64;aol.com> Date&#58; Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18&#58;03&#58;57 -0500> Subject&#58; Re&#58; &#91;arn-l&#93; AYP celebrations> To&#58; arn-l&#64;interversity.org> > > In a message dated 1&#47;21&#47;2008 5&#58;23&#58;48 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > pgutpgut&#64;msn.com writes&#58;> > 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&#58;> > 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 &#34;cause&#34; schools not to make AYP when AYP, like the BRT&#39;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 &#34;classics&#34; 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 &#34;underdeveloped&#34; nation where they don&#39;t get > lost in the shuffle. > > It&#39;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 &#34;meaningful&#34; 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&#39;s time to redefine schooling.> > Quan> > > > &#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;&#42;Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http&#58;&#47;&#47;body.aol.com&#47;fitness&#47;winter-exercise&#63;NCID&#61;aolcmp00300000002489> -----------------------------------------------> Report list problems to listmom&#64;interversity.net