Reply to Are progressive schools a bad fit for parents who want to see academic progress?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP - PP again, the one who you’ve engaged with a few times on this thread. I don’t want to get into the fight above (think the net net is - all schools work for SOME kids or SOME families. You have to find what works for you/your kids).

Our progressive school does teach phonics, but it wasn’t structured or woven into other parts of the day. So for example, when the kids were doing writers workshop (which of course they don’t call it that anymore because Lucy Calkins =  bad PR) they just let them use brave spelling, even into 2nd grade. What they[b] should[/b] be doing is having the kids reference the phonics patterns they know when trying to write. This reinforces the learning and builds encoding skills. Or if a kid was having a hard time listening or participating, they could go use the cozy corner (great!) with no expectation that they make up the learning they missed later (not great!). Again - one school, my experience, but these are all things to poke on should they be important to you.

I’ll add that us leaving our school was very tough on some of our friends who, much like posters in this thread, seem to think our choice says something about THEM. I don’t know what it is about progressive education but there’s a lot of emotion wrapped in it, and I haven’t seen the same thing at our local Catholic school. Good luck! [/quote]

I don't think very many people on these threads feel that the choices others are making says something about them.  What posters get wrong is the language they are using and that's what gets targeted.  It's not the choice you are making.  These are your kids - you can and should make whatever choice is best.  But posters often wrap their "explanation" of their choices in divisive language.  In the case of your post above you use the word, "should" and then go on to explain with an air of authority why you think they "should".  In this specific example, some teachers feel that "brave spelling" during initial (first drafts) of writing is best so as to not interfere with their flow of thoughts while writing and that they can go back in an edit phase and reference their phonics patterns.  If you don't think that works well for your child just say that. The point is - the problem with many posts is the disguise of criticism of whole schools and whole philosophies within posts they later defend as a telling of one's personal experience or they deflect rudeness of their posts onto those who respond as being defensive.  I mean just look at some of that the sweeping and negative statements made in this thread.

[color=red]"Progressive schools also tend to attract a lot of chaos in the classroom". [/color] A sweeping negative generalization. 
[color=red]"Many [i][b]so called[/b][/i] progressive schools..." [/color] Passive aggressive.
[color=red]"I don't want to find out that my kid is behind [b]because the teachers/school couldn't be bothered[/b][i] to focus on the fundamental building blocks that need to be put in place in elementary school."[/color]  A rude characterization. 
[color=red]"Isn't it code for "excuses bad behavior because children are thriving at their passion?" And a lot of other therapy-speak? "[/color]  Baseless and rude. 
[color=red]"Also, "child-led" is not an excuse for giant gaping holes in the curriculum. The teacher is supposed to awaken the child's interests, not just blow off whatever doesn't happen to appeal. "[/color]  Baseless and sweeping assertion.
[color=red]"So they spent like 3-4 years teaching them to do it wrong then tried to fix it? [b]Stupid[/b][/i]."[/color]  Here we are calling an entire teaching method (writer's workshop) stupid. 
[color=red]"Ugh. This is the opposite of what most kids need and takes the [b]wrongheaded view[/b][i] that learning to spell is somehow deleterious to learning to express yourself. "[/color]  What is your qualification to suggest what "most kids need" and then to suggest that an entire teaching method (writer's workshop) is wrongheaded?
[color=red]"A lot of supposedly progressive models seem to be about keeping the kids from experiencing any discomfort or stress - and exempting the teachers from the work of organized learning and feedback."[/color]  Really?
[color=red]"Deferring corrections until later means the unfortunate child already has memorized bad spelling and grammar, which now will need to be unlearned. [b]So senseless[/b]." [/color] Implying that an their pedagogy lacks sense. 
[color=red]"I cannot imagine someone paying $50k tuition for the privilege of a teaching approach that treats 10 year olds like incapable preschoolers. " [/color] Wow.

And these were just in the first 4 pages.  So no, there's not a lot of emotion wrapped in progressive schools and those who attend - no more than the emotion wrapped in public schools or catholic schools and those who attend.   Love progressive school philosophy or hate it or question it or be curious about it - most of us don't care.  Your kids - your choices. But don't come to these threads with such ignorance, sweeping generalizations, and rudeness and then look use the push back received as further confirmation of the bias you already brought with you about entire philosophies and the people who subscribe to them.  Otherwise, what is the point of these forums?

[/quote]

Dang all that because you are offended that parents are being advised to ask about teaching phonics and math facts and spelling?

how about you tell US what “progressive” means and what a prospective parent could ask? [/quote]

DP - I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong but you seem to have missed the point of the post entirely while your tone kind of proves their point. [/quote]

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