Common Core's epic fail: Special Education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.4
For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record the answer with a drawing or equation.

Inappropriate as a standard.

No, we already talked about that one.

[Anonymous]

^^^well you can't defend it. Poster revealed that she is, indeed, NOT a classroom teacher. (Let the kid who is staying in for allergies peel oranges, really?)

[Anonymous]

And, FWIW, I did lots of cooking with my K class--but that doesn't make the standard work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.4
For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record the answer with a drawing or equation.

Inappropriate as a standard.

I'm officially laughing my head off, at this point.

I handed that standard to you on a platter. I copied the standards that you apparently didn't know how to access, and then highlighted the one that I thought would come closest to fitting your objection, and now it's the only one you can offer up as an example?

I'll ask again: Have you ever taught Kindergarten using the Common Core standards? Yes or no? What other standards have you taught that you can compare it to? What do you think of other changes between the old and new standards, such as the omission of many skills that we used to teach?

Also, since you're so set against "missing addends" (not in the context of equations, mind you, because CC is very clear that understanding and using equations are not expected in K and that the goal should be exposure and not mastery) what is it about the following kinds of questions that you think is beyond the reach of a Kindergartener?

While building a zoo in the block corner, "I want to make my side of the fence match yours. How many more blocks do I need? " (Or for a kid who needs to be more concrete, to make the second layer of their wall match the first)

After putting in 3 tablespoons of flour "This says we need 5 tablespoons of flour. How many more do we need?"

When playing a game with manipulatives and a felt "pond", based on the song "5 Green and Speckled Frogs", "We've got 2 frogs left on our log? How many are in the pond, let's look and see."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^well you can't defend it. Poster revealed that she is, indeed, NOT a classroom teacher. (Let the kid who is staying in for allergies peel oranges, really?)

So, because I hold a special ed certification, I'm the one who is not qualified to comment on a thread about the developmental appropriateness of CCSS for kids with special education needs?

I'm also baffled by the latter. As a teacher I always had kids who needed to stay in for one reason or another. Some of that is cultural. I grew up in a family, and have raised my kids to go outside in all weathers, but other groups are more protective of their kids. Some of that is that asthma is a huge problem for African American kids in low income urban environments, and many of my kids suffered from it. Most kindergarteners love to "help", so I made sure that I gave them opportunities to do so so that they wouldn't feel punished. Of course most of their "help" was more work than it was worth, but peeling some of those easy cutie oranges is a task that most kids could be successful with.

[Anonymous]

So, because I hold a special ed certification, I'm the one who is not qualified to comment on a thread about the developmental appropriateness of CCSS for kids with special education needs?

I'm also baffled by the latter. As a teacher I always had kids who needed to stay in for one reason or another. Some of that is cultural. I grew up in a family, and have raised my kids to go outside in all weathers, but other groups are more protective of their kids. Some of that is that asthma is a huge problem for African American kids in low income urban environments, and many of my kids suffered from it. Most kindergarteners love to "help", so I made sure that I gave them opportunities to do so so that they wouldn't feel punished. Of course most of their "help" was more work than it was worth, but peeling some of those easy cutie oranges is a task that most kids could be successful with.

No. Because you do not understand classroom management. Other cultures require the kids to stay inside? Wow. Who is going to peel the oranges with the kid when the teacher takes the kids out?

[Anonymous]

FWIW, teaching special ed is not the same as being a classroom teacher. Ask any classroom teacher.

[Anonymous]

Some of that is that asthma is a huge problem for African American kids in low income urban environments

I taught several years in such an environment--almost all AA kids. I had ONE who had asthma--and her grandmother never asked me to keep her in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So, because I hold a special ed certification, I'm the one who is not qualified to comment on a thread about the developmental appropriateness of CCSS for kids with special education needs?

I'm also baffled by the latter. As a teacher I always had kids who needed to stay in for one reason or another. Some of that is cultural. I grew up in a family, and have raised my kids to go outside in all weathers, but other groups are more protective of their kids. Some of that is that asthma is a huge problem for African American kids in low income urban environments, and many of my kids suffered from it. Most kindergarteners love to "help", so I made sure that I gave them opportunities to do so so that they wouldn't feel punished. Of course most of their "help" was more work than it was worth, but peeling some of those easy cutie oranges is a task that most kids could be successful with.

No. Because you do not understand classroom management. Other cultures require the kids to stay inside? Wow. Who is going to peel the oranges with the kid when the teacher takes the kids out?

A special education teacher does not understand classroom management and is therefore unqualified to comment on the developmental appropriateness of a kindergarten Common Core standard?

(I'm not the poster with the special-ed certificate.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So, because I hold a special ed certification, I'm the one who is not qualified to comment on a thread about the developmental appropriateness of CCSS for kids with special education needs?

I'm also baffled by the latter. As a teacher I always had kids who needed to stay in for one reason or another. Some of that is cultural. I grew up in a family, and have raised my kids to go outside in all weathers, but other groups are more protective of their kids. Some of that is that asthma is a huge problem for African American kids in low income urban environments, and many of my kids suffered from it. Most kindergarteners love to "help", so I made sure that I gave them opportunities to do so so that they wouldn't feel punished. Of course most of their "help" was more work than it was worth, but peeling some of those easy cutie oranges is a task that most kids could be successful with.

No. Because you do not understand classroom management. Other cultures require the kids to stay inside? Wow. Who is going to peel the oranges with the kid when the teacher takes the kids out?

If I didn't have any kids staying in, then I'd peel them myself. I might even take them outside and peel them on the playground. Imagine that! If I didn't have time, then I'd have the kids peel them in the context of the lesson.

And yes, in my experience, it is more common for families from some cultures to keep their kids inside if they're recovering from a cold, or have mild symptoms, than it is in other cultures.

[Anonymous]

A special education teacher does not understand classroom management and is therefore unqualified to comment on the developmental appropriateness of a kindergarten Common Core standard?

Suggesting that a kid who has asthma stay inside while the others are at recess indicates that she is a total fraud. She clearly does not understand how classrooms work--at least not public ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A special education teacher does not understand classroom management and is therefore unqualified to comment on the developmental appropriateness of a kindergarten Common Core standard?

Suggesting that a kid who has asthma stay inside while the others are at recess indicates that she is a total fraud. She clearly does not understand how classrooms work--at least not public ones.

That's interesting, because it was true for both of my children in public elementary school that there was often a kid or two who stayed inside during recess, for one reason or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A special education teacher does not understand classroom management and is therefore unqualified to comment on the developmental appropriateness of a kindergarten Common Core standard?

Suggesting that a kid who has asthma stay inside while the others are at recess indicates that she is a total fraud. She clearly does not understand how classrooms work--at least not public ones.

I don't get the connection between classroom management and the developmental appropriateness of a Common Core standard.

[Anonymous]

If I didn't have any kids staying in, then I'd peel them myself. I might even take them outside and peel them on the playground. Imagine that! If I didn't have time, then I'd have the kids peel them in the context of the lesson.

And yes, in my experience, it is more common for families from some cultures to keep their kids inside if they're recovering from a cold, or have mild symptoms, than it is in other cultures.

You have literally jumped the shark if you think I cannot peel oranges. Your suggestion was comical and shows how little you know about schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A special education teacher does not understand classroom management and is therefore unqualified to comment on the developmental appropriateness of a kindergarten Common Core standard?

Suggesting that a kid who has asthma stay inside while the others are at recess indicates that she is a total fraud. She clearly does not understand how classrooms work--at least not public ones.

What do the kids with 504 plans that say they can't go outside when the air is a certain temperature, or when the pollen count is above X do at your school?

At the public school where I taught Kindergarten last year there were 4 teachers and 3 paras in K. 2 teachers and the paras went out for a.m. recess, and 2 teachers got prep time. They'd keep the kids who couldn't go outside with them. After lunch it flipped and the other 2 teachers and the paras went out. To be clear, we weren't required to keep the kids with us. We could have sent them to sit at the front desk or hang with the nurse, but we had compassion and knew they'd rather stay in the classroom where they could play with the toys or "help" the teacher.

It may have worked differently in your school, not all public schools are exactly the same.