California Father

Podcast 43: Day 105 of School

March 6th, 2010

Talk to You Later-Notes to My Son: Day 105 of School

Tags: Arne Duncan, Autsim, Budget Cuts, CSUN Protest, Fatherhood, Podcast
Posted in Autism, Fatherhood, Podcast | No Comments »

Please everyone go out and buy Diane Ravitch’s new book and read the chapter entitled “The Billionaire Boys’ Club” if you want to know who’s driving national education policy. Hint: it isn’t Obama or Duncan. Below comes from her piece in the Huffington Post. And watch for her blog “Bridging Differences” in EdWeek.

It would be good if our nation’s education leaders recognized that teachers are not solely responsible for student test scores. Other influences matter, including the students’ effort, the family’s encouragement, the effects of popular culture, and the influence of poverty. A blogger called “Mrs. Mimi” wrote the other day that we fire teachers because “we can’t fire poverty.” Since we can’t fire poverty, we can’t fire students, and we can’t fire families, all that is left is to fire teachers.

This strategy of closing schools and firing the teachers is mean and punitive. And it is ultimately pointless. It solves no problem. It opens up a host of new problems. It satisfies the urge to purge. But it does nothing at all for the students.

Tags: Diane Ravitch
Posted in Arne Duncan, Barack Obama | No Comments »

Mr. Secretary, Have Pity on the Working Man

March 4th, 2010

“States would measure school performance on the basis of progress in getting all students, including groups of students who are members of minority groups, low-income, English learners, and students with disabilities, on track to college- and career-readiness, as well as closing achievement gaps and improving graduation rates for high schools,” the secretary said.

What Secretary Duncan means by “college- and career-ready” may reside in the hyphens, which link college readiness and career readiness on one hand, separate them on the other. Does doing away with the AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) mean that children like my five-year-old will have more choice, that he will be able to pursue college OR career education, depending upon his interests, abilities, and needs? Or does it mean some other set of rigid standards, trading one cookie cutter for another?

Whatever he means, should he be holding the nation’s children hostage until he gets what he wants (teachers linked to test scores, the privatization schools)? As Representative Mark Souder, Republican of Indiana pointed out at the Secretary’s recent appearance before Congress:

“In Indiana, the budget is tight, the governor has cut back, we see schools laying off teachers, we see them closing down schools,” Mr. Souder said. “And we come out here and we hear how we’re going to spend money this, spend money that. There’s an increasing disconnect between Washington and the grass roots.”

Tags: Arne Duncan, NCLB
Posted in Arne Duncan, Barack Obama, Education, High Stakes Testing, No Child Left Behind | No Comments »

Podcast 42: Day 101 of School

February 28th, 2010

Talk to You Later-Notes to My Son: Day 101 of School

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Tags: Autism, Fatherhood, Podcast
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Podcast 41: Day 103 of School

February 21st, 2010

Talk to You Later-Notes to My Son: Day 103 of School

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Tags: Autism, Fatherhood, Podcast
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Opting Out

February 18th, 2010

I went to an informational meeting for the parents of incoming special ed kindergartners and was struck by:

the increased enrollment (max 30) we are guaranteed to see in the general ed classroom, and
the emphasis on the state standards to which the state and district will hold our children

The thought of my already anxious boy taking inappropriate and stressful state tests is more than I can stomach, so I have done a little research and found the following item in a state testing FAQ.

Can the IEP team exempt my child from participating in state or districtwide assessments?

No. The role of the IEP team is to determine how your child can participate most appropriately in the assessments. Currently, California Education Code allows parents/guardians to submit a written request to the principal of the child’s school if they do not want their child to take any or all parts of the STAR tests. Parents of children with disabilities must follow the regular school process to exercise this option. Parents cannot exempt their child from the CAHSEE. However, there are potentially significant consequences for your child’s school if a large number of students do not participate in the assessments. You should fully discuss the accommodations and/or modifications to enable your child to participate with the other members of the IEP team.

What these “consequences” may be are of no concern to me and shouldn’t be to any parent. What I can say as a resource specialist teacher who has had the unfortunate duty of administering inappropriate state tests to special ed students is that for many if not most of them it has been an excruciating experience.

Will my son be taking state tests when he reaches second grade? Yes if he can absolutely handle them; no if he cannot.

Tags: Autism, High Stakes Testing, opting out, Special Education
Posted in Autism, Education, Fatherhood, High Stakes Testing | No Comments »