Common Core's epic fail: Special Education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

Yes, this is true, and that is a problem. However, setting standards such that a child who has never had a book read to them can meet the standards is not the solution to the problem.

[Anonymous]

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

No. Teachers should be allowed to teach EACH child at the appropriate level. I did it years ago in K and first, and teachers could do it now were they allowed to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

...but it is! There are only two main choices in public - you're either General Ed or Special Ed. In General Ed you can have your 504 kids and IEP kids with aides who shadow them. If you're "gifted" there are actual magnet schools for those precious butterflies ...so no worries there!

If you're anything else you are pretty much screwed. My DS - who has an IEP and is in smaller classes for math and reading, is in classes with children who are profoundly learning disabled. How does this help my DS? they are instructing at the lowest common denominator in his classes as well!!

Private school here we come!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

No. Teachers should be allowed to teach EACH child at the appropriate level. I did it years ago in K and first, and teachers could do it now were they allowed to do so.

If teachers are teaching all children as if they were neurotypical children working at grade level, that is a problem. But it's not a problem with the standards -- unless you think that there should be no such thing as grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

...but it is! There are only two main choices in public - you're either General Ed or Special Ed. In General Ed you can have your 504 kids and IEP kids with aides who shadow them. If you're "gifted" there are actual magnet schools for those precious butterflies ...so no worries there!

If you're anything else you are pretty much screwed. My DS - who has an IEP and is in smaller classes for math and reading, is in classes with children who are profoundly learning disabled. How does this help my DS? they are instructing at the lowest common denominator in his classes as well!!

Private school here we come!

But in that case your son is not getting a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Which, again, is not a problem with the standards. It's a problem with the school system violating federal law. From what I can tell, MCPS had this problem long before Maryland adopted the Common Core standards, and if Maryland unadopted the Common Core standards tomorrow, MCPS would still have the same problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

...but it is! There are only two main choices in public - you're either General Ed or Special Ed. In General Ed you can have your 504 kids and IEP kids with aides who shadow them. If you're "gifted" there are actual magnet schools for those precious butterflies ...so no worries there!

If you're anything else you are pretty much screwed. My DS - who has an IEP and is in smaller classes for math and reading, is in classes with children who are profoundly learning disabled. How does this help my DS? they are instructing at the lowest common denominator in his classes as well!!

Private school here we come!

Now you see the problem with setting the standard so low that every single child can reach it. However -- since it is clear that your child will not advance in this setting, and will not be able to pass the PARCC with this type of instruction -- what does the school district say about his lack of progress? They have a federal mandate to get your child able to pass the PARCC, essentially -- do they think they have the resources to properly instruct him? If so... what's the proof that he is making progress? If not, you have a right to a private education, at public expense, if you think a private school can better educate your child.

[Anonymous]

Problem with this whole CC thing? The experts have decided that teachers are teaching a subject. They are actually supposed to teach the students.........there is a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

...but it is! There are only two main choices in public - you're either General Ed or Special Ed. In General Ed you can have your 504 kids and IEP kids with aides who shadow them. If you're "gifted" there are actual magnet schools for those precious butterflies ...so no worries there!

If you're anything else you are pretty much screwed. My DS - who has an IEP and is in smaller classes for math and reading, is in classes with children who are profoundly learning disabled. How does this help my DS? they are instructing at the lowest common denominator in his classes as well!!

Private school here we come!

Now you see the problem with setting the standard so low that every single child can reach it. However -- since it is clear that your child will not advance in this setting, and will not be able to pass the PARCC with this type of instruction -- what does the school district say about his lack of progress? They have a federal mandate to get your child able to pass the PARCC, essentially -- do they think they have the resources to properly instruct him? If so... what's the proof that he is making progress? If not, you have a right to a private education, at public expense, if you think a private school can better educate your child.

Yes - and this is exactly what we are about to embark on.....getting the county to pay for private for DS. Just need to know how to navigate the system. Who to talk to, do we hire an advocate first or an attorney etc.

There is NO way in hell he's going to "pass" the PARCC. I know that with 99% certainty. Its a horrible situation for him right now. In the meantime we have to supplement with thousands of dollars per year in specialized tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are now challenging standards for every child in your school district AND there is an expectation that your child will make progress each year to meet those standards. The school district has a mandate now not just to help your child advance a little bit each year, but to advance each year in order to meet grade level standards.

The kids who are not able to do the K work do not have parents posting on DCUM. Some people need to get into the real world. Some kids have never had a book read to them.

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

...but it is! There are only two main choices in public - you're either General Ed or Special Ed. In General Ed you can have your 504 kids and IEP kids with aides who shadow them. If you're "gifted" there are actual magnet schools for those precious butterflies ...so no worries there!

If you're anything else you are pretty much screwed. My DS - who has an IEP and is in smaller classes for math and reading, is in classes with children who are profoundly learning disabled. How does this help my DS? they are instructing at the lowest common denominator in his classes as well!!

Private school here we come!

Now you see the problem with setting the standard so low that every single child can reach it. However -- since it is clear that your child will not advance in this setting, and will not be able to pass the PARCC with this type of instruction -- what does the school district say about his lack of progress? They have a federal mandate to get your child able to pass the PARCC, essentially -- do they think they have the resources to properly instruct him? If so... what's the proof that he is making progress? If not, you have a right to a private education, at public expense, if you think a private school can better educate your child.

Yes - and this is exactly what we are about to embark on.....getting the county to pay for private for DS. Just need to know how to navigate the system. Who to talk to, do we hire an advocate first or an attorney etc.

There is NO way in hell he's going to "pass" the PARCC. I know that with 99% certainty. Its a horrible situation for him right now. In the meantime we have to supplement with thousands of dollars per year in specialized tutoring.

Actually, 70 percent of children will not pass the PARCC. That has already been stated by the two testing companies. So, some of the parent snobs on this board will also find out that their precious little Larla is totally screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

No. Teachers should be allowed to teach EACH child at the appropriate level. I did it years ago in K and first, and teachers could do it now were they allowed to do so.

If teachers are teaching all children as if they were neurotypical children working at grade level, that is a problem. But it's not a problem with the standards -- unless you think that there should be no such thing as grade level.

Less than 100 people == most of them not qualified -- decided what the grade level standards should be. That's a problem right there.

I hope we can sue them all personally when their terrible experiment blows up.

[Anonymous]

Here's one of the accommodations the PARCC dumb asses suggested:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/11/25/a-damning-account-of-one-states-common-core-testing-initiative/

Bavis told the board members at the September meeting that districts will comply with the law and administer the PARCC as demanded but that the state did not give districts enough lead time to make testing schedules and set up accommodations for English Language Learners and students with special needs. He said he had attended a meeting about a week earlier at which state officials described approved accommodations for English Language Learners: “I was told that one of the ELL English Language Learner accommodations approved by the state and PARCC is to read the directions slowly, in English, and at a higher volume. That’s awful as an accommodation. … It’s insulting.”


But yeah, go ahead and turn your kids' futures over to Pearson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And that is sad, but that shouldn't mean a curriculum should be set to the lowest common denominator.

No. Teachers should be allowed to teach EACH child at the appropriate level. I did it years ago in K and first, and teachers could do it now were they allowed to do so.

If teachers are teaching all children as if they were neurotypical children working at grade level, that is a problem. But it's not a problem with the standards -- unless you think that there should be no such thing as grade level.

Less than 100 people == most of them not qualified -- decided what the grade level standards should be. That's a problem right there.

I hope we can sue them all personally when their terrible experiment blows up.

What do you think is wrong with the grade-level standards? Are they too demanding? Are they not demanding enough? Are some too demanding and some not demanding enough? Can you give some examples of standards that you think are at the wrong grade level? Or are you just objecting to the grade-level standards on grounds that the people who came up with them were not qualified, in your opinion?

[Anonymous]

"numbers" was used for "numerals" -- that is one problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Actually, 70 percent of children will not pass the PARCC. That has already been stated by the two testing companies. So, some of the parent snobs on this board will also find out that their precious little Larla is totally screwed.

Could you please provide a reference to the PARCC and Smarter Balanced people saying that 70% of students will not pass the PARCC?

Also, in what way is Larla screwed if she does not pass the PARCC? How will Larla's test scores on the tests required by NCLB affect Larla personally?