A Post In Which I Deviate From My Normal "Foody-ness" and Vent a Bit About Education...

You guys asked for it. :)

Jamie said...
Hey, I know this may be a touchy subject for you (my mother-in-law is a special-ed teacher, too), but I would love to see a post with your thoughts on the no-child-left-behind act and it's impact on your work. I understand that the challenges this legislation has brought on special needs kids are even more imposing than in the other school areas.

Melody Polakow said...
I am interested in your thoughts on Jamie's question here too... also, your thoughts on mainstreaming? (hehe, and this is a food blog?)I really feel for you... I think teachers, especially special education teachers, are so under appreciated.. I could NEVER do what any teacher does, day in and day out. I simply do not have that emotional reserve...

Hmmm... Well, yes, this IS a food blog, but I appreciate the questions and comments. Thank You for recognising that I do have a life outside food (though sometimes you might not believe that!).

Being that some people I work with may know about this blog, I've probably already been more opinionated than I should - not that that shuts me up - but just know I'll probably keep my comments a bit on the conservative side...

OK. (Deep breath)...Few of us would argue with the intentions of the NCLB act, I think the original concept was good. We do need standards and accountability.

But... NCLB tries to be "one-size-fits-all" (and as we plus-sized women know - one size NEVER fits all!!) The Act has expectations that are difficult for ANY teachers and students to conform to; But far, far more so for those of us in Special Education. Children learn at different rates,and to dictate that students with Special Needs must show a year's growth at the same rate as the general population is totally unrealistic. The students I work with are working as hard as they can. Yes, they are showing growth, but if they could show the growth expected of ALL students, they wouldn't need Special Ed. Whatever happened to the bell curve? Eh, just venting there...

One of the big problems, I feel, is conflict between the two federal mandates affecting special ed. - NCLB and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. IDEIA calls for individualized curriculum and assessments that determine success based on growth and improvement each year. An Individualized Education Plan -or IEP.

NCLB, in contrast, measures all students by the same markers, which are based not on individual improvement but by proficiency in math and reading. We're being asked to do two very different things. Not only that, but if scores in a certain group/classroom/school are consistently low, teachers are asked to re-evaluate and re-assign students to more self contained special-education environments. All in the name of keeping those test scores within the margins...

Of course, this also puts pressure on schools to remove special education students from general education classrooms, undoing the years of progress we've made toward inclusion in mainstream schooling. We're right back where we started. My thoughts? Grrr... NCLB is doing my kids no favors.

Of course, the thoughts I rambled on here are fairly wide-spread - not specific to my district alone. The students in MY class specifically, are not students who would fit the criteria for"mainstreaming". I have mixed feelings about that label, but that's what it is. It's been determined - by who? I don't know. Our class focus is on learning life-skills. We practice every day things - skills you and I take for granted: feeding and grooming and hygiene. Watering the plants, opening a soda can, and keeping the tone of our voice even, crossing the street, learning our phone-number, brushing our teeth, folding laundry, turning pages in a book, giving bus fare, running the microwave and flushing the toilet.

Unfortunately, NCLB requires that I test my students for proficiency in reading and math. Only reading and math. No federal Education mandate bothers to measure whether they know what to do when a "Don't Walk" light flashes or a fire alarm sounds. There's no proficiency standards for tying your shoes, blowing your nose or sorting the recyclables. And sadly, teachers ability isn't judged by how much they care...

Jim Horn is an Educator who has the BEST blog about issues in Public Education. He advocates for a commitment to, and a re-examination of, the democratic purposes of schools. Love his blog. But I
digress.

He JUST posted a great post: "NCLB: What IS Left Behind?" A great read if this an area of interest to you! My favorite quote in the essay: "Most troubling, however, of all that has been left behind is the teacher’s nurturing care, the teacher whose advocacy for and sensitivity to every child’s fragile humanity has been a trademark of what it means to be the teacher of children."
~Jim Horn, Blog: 'Schools Matter; What IS Left Behind?"

Education is ultimately supposed to prepare all students for life. My fellow teachers and I simply do the best balancing act we possibly can.