Re: FW: Open Letter

["Joseph Bottini" <jpbottini@adelphia.net>]

Art:

 

I have befriended you this list many times.

This time, you are too far a field even for me.

 

Priscilla's post below is right on.

 

Money made off the backs of challenged students is sinful.

Not all persons are born to be brain surgeons.

If so, our society would collapse.

We need the barn laborers as well - and everything in between.

 

This elitist attitude that all should perform academically at a given level 

(and by a given point in time) is neither scientifically possible nor common
sense feasible.

 

Prior to my 30 years in teaching, I was a solider, delivery truck driver,
shipping and receiving clerk, 

a member of the AFL-CIO working in a factory, and many other interesting
occupations and jobs.

 

By the way, I was the youngest licensed mortician in New York State in 1955
(family business).

I hated it and left the profession in 1958.

 

I became a teacher in 1969 and I am now retired.

 

Presently, I am on our local school board - AND it is another story.

 

Joe Bo

  _____  

From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org] On
Behalf Of PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ
Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006 6:02 PM
To: arn-l@interversity.org
Subject: Re: [arn-l] FW: Open Letter

 

Art, what you seem to be missing is how the law is getting interpreted at
the local level.  The goals of the law appear lofty and that's why you
support it so strongly.  However, insisting on 100% proficiency, including
all severe needs sped students which the law requires, is as you would put
it ludicrous.  And to penalize schools because they cannot alter the
cognitive functioning of certain students is also ludicrous.  That's just
one problematic area of the law.  Throw in the corruption that has led to
unscrupulous  behavior from the top down to the classroom and you have a
recipe for disaster. 

Making money off the backs of children is immoral. 

 

Moreoever, accountability is a two way street.  If the people running the
programs we are expected to implement are accountable to no one, how can we
expect those in the classroom to be held accountable?  Especially for things
out of their control such as forced, regimented programs that focus on low
level thinking skills that leave students ill equipped for the world while
creating huge profits for select business men.  

 

All of us have a moral obligation to educate our children to be contributing
members of society - to enable them to make the world a better place, as we
ourselves try to.  That's the bottom line and NCLB, Reading First isn't
going to fit this bill...

 

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: ABurke5054@aol.com 

To: arn-l@interversity.org 

Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006 1:29 PM

Subject: Re: [arn-l] FW: Open Letter

 

In a message dated 11/19/2006 11:54:01 AM Pacific Standard Time,
taunar@plateautel.net writes:

I'm happy to be in the terminally deluded and hopelessly naive camp of
knuckleheads. Boy, that er, "increased" funding for schools sure came with
strings attached didn't it? More like a hangman's rope...

________________________________________________

The strings require states to provide intensive and sustained support for
their schools until all their children reach proficiency.  Only someone from
the wacky world of ARN would call that a "hangman's rope."

 

Art