In an attempt to raise the overall scores of students at Lincoln Middle School in Vista, California, the principal plans to end the districtÂ’s
in the hopes that placing those students in regular classrooms will result in improved performance overall. Parents of the gifted students are concerned about the special needs of their students being sacrificed and ignored, while parents of Latino students object to the possibility that the gifted program might survive in some form or fashion.
DoesnÂ’t anyone recognize the absurdity of that statement? Why shouldnÂ’t we treat our best and brightest to an education that meets their needs, just as we do those in special education programs? On what basis do we hold back the top kids and dragoon them into providing free tutoring for their slower classmates in the hopes that it will raise the other studentsÂ’ scores. Especially when you consider what the source of the problem is.
So what this really comes down to for these Latino parents is that they want THEIR children put first, not some other parents’ children. I guess it is a simple case of Leave No Latino Child Behind – and screw the rest.
When are we going to get rid of the notion that helping our brightest kids reach their potential is a bad thing?
1
Absolutely horrid. I have three daughters and one of them went through the schools gifted program...and my other one is a straight-A student, both who have reading skills at least 3 to 4 grades higher with my oldest at the 10/11th grade level(she's in the 6th grade). We should everything to encourage our kids that they can do better than just being the "average" kid because being "average" doesn't really increase your odds of having a better life.
I've tutored math and science for 7 years and have encouraged college kids to strive better since it pays off handsomely in the long run of things. I stress this often to my kids.
You want to flip hamburgers for the rest of your life?
Certainly not.
Those principal and teachers at Lincoln Middle are idiots.
Posted by: mcconnell at Thu May 19 13:46:34 2005 (LmcbS)
2
The teachers likely have no say in the matter whatsoever. This would be a decision taken by the principal -- or even at a higher level in the district.
Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Thu May 19 23:29:40 2005 (6TPbG)
3
That may be, however, nearly 2/3 of the students are not English learners. So what does that mean? All of the teachers must at least know Spanish. Still, makes you wonder whether teachers support this iniative.
Posted by: mcconnell at Fri May 20 04:52:34 2005 (LmcbS)
4
A case in point:
Sixth-grade teacher Nancy Pace-Skinner, who likes the proposed changes in the GATE program, handed out cards to parents, inviting them to observe her "regular" English, literature and history classes for a day.
"This is my first year at this school, but I totally support the proposed changes," said Pace-Skinner. "I'm not against having this type of program in the high schools, but I think it puts too much pressure on the middle school kids to excel to such high standards and be separate from the other students."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/03/02/news/coastal/320562206.txt
And in my schools we have Latino kids as well, but all diversely mixed with about 30 to 40% Hispanic, about 40% of non-Hispanic, and about 15% blacks. We have both the elementary and middle school gifted programs.
Too much pressure? Hardly, if the students enjoy doing what they do, like my daughters when it comes to reading.
Posted by: at Fri May 20 05:01:32 2005 (LmcbS)
5
the above was from mccconnell...didn't bother to put my name in....btw, the "Remember personal info?" doesn't work. I have to retype my name, et al, each time.
Posted by: at Fri May 20 08:19:25 2005 (SALCs)
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Of course this is absurd. The notion that "lower kids will be 'uplifted' by the higher kids" only really meets with limited success, at best. This very premise was the basis for the Wilmington, DE desegregation plan in 1978 (through which I went to school from 8-12 grade, BTW). Unfortunately, the sociologist whose testimony swayed the court later
changed his mind -- he realized that the bad behavior of lower-end students usually takes over a class instead of the intended "uplifting."
That, and the collective GPA of inner-city (mostly black) students before the busing plan was barely over 1.0. After 20 years of federal mandated deseg.? Barely over 1.0!
See
here and
here.
Posted by: Hube at Fri May 20 11:33:49 2005 (FMc0i)
7
Eubonics certainly didn't help the situation.
Posted by: mcconnell at Fri May 20 17:30:14 2005 (d7On1)
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